Hollibobs

Having completed our paid work, we had a day off, mostly spent on the clifftops between Belle Tout and Beachy Head lighthouses. Overwhelmed by the diversity of flowers and butterflies, including thriving populations of Chalkhill and Small Blues, Wall and a single Silver-spotted Skipper, not to mention lots more Round-headed Rampion and Clustered Bellflower!

But today was my first encounter with the delightful Green-eyed Flower-bee so I've chosen that as my main photo. They're extremely busy creatures with a characteristic high-pitched whine as they fly. Not easy to photograph but I spent some time trying - I was totally smitten!

The other highlight of the day was tracking down a population of Small Hare's-ear (see extra), a protected plant that only grows on the cliffs of Berry head in Devon and near Beachy Head in mainland UK. I found the first when I happened to sit down next to it - the largest were no more than 2 cm in height, not particularly photogenic and definitely past their best, but this is almost certainly the rarest plant I'll see this year!