copper on the heath

...still windy but, after a slow start, the weather just got better and better. The outlook for the next four days seems far too good to be true!

We went back to Studland Heath to check on our Nightjar and all continues to go well. According to our calculation, the eggs should be hatching within the next few days, so we will continue to make regular visits. I am not sure whether she will feed her chicks in situ or if she will quickly move them into deeper cover. It would be amazing to get some photos of the chicks.

Next on my list was to find today's butterfly and fortune was shining on me again. Within minutes, this gorgeous Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas came flitting by and I was able to get a few reasonable shots before he flew away over the heath. This chap is showing the blue spots, at the base of each hindwing, of the aberrant form caeruleo-punctata.

Other highlights of the afternoon can be seen on our blog, including our regular Sand Lizard that has started to shed his skin...