Butterfly Heaven

Today we returned to Sand Point, but this time earlier in the day to catch the high tide at about 2pm. (My FitBit is very happy indeed - 15K steps and 90 active minutes!) It was sheer heaven - perfect temperature for walking, with blazing sun and a gentle breeze. And it was butterfly heaven, too - or in the case of my main blip - moth heaven! The closer we got to the tip of the narrow headland, the more butterflies and moths we saw. They were everywhere - mostly Gatekeepers, Common Blues, and these colourful Six-Spot Burnet Moths (Zygaena filipendulae). Was thrilled to spot three on one ragwort flower-head. It's fascinating how they can appear blueish or black depending on how the light catches their wings. Also saw a Brimstone, Marbled Whites, Large Whites, Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks. It's almost exactly a month since we walked there, when I saw my first ever Marbled White. And if you look at my Extras, you will see how parched the grass has become.