Martin Down 10 July

The weather started warm and sunny, but got cloudy and drizzly by the late afternoon. Highlights were Turtle Dove, Yellowhammer, Essex Skippers, Marbled Whites, Bullfinch, Dark Green Fritillary and Scarlet Tiger moths.

We started at the southern car park at the end of Sillens Lane this morning. Wild Parsnip was obvious flowering nearby as Yellowhammer sang in the hedgerows and some House Martin flew overhead. Many Ringlet and a Comma were feeding on Bramble flowers in the hedgerow too. On our walk around the chalk grassland and scrub we saw many butterflies in the sunshine. Marbled White, Essex Skipper and Meadow Brown were very common with smaller numbers of Dark Green Fritillary and Brimstone. We also saw a few Gatekeeper, Large White and Small Skipper. Six-spot Burnet were common and added a wonderful splash of colour. Other insects seen included Field Grasshopper, Long-winged Cone-head (a kind of Cricket) and a round shiny black beetle with red legs that goes by the name of Chrysolina banksii. As it was July the birds were pretty quiet except the several Yellowhammer singing away. We did see Chiffchaff, Bullfinch and Whitethroat and we heard what we were after – a Turtle Dove. It sang briefly from scrub quite a way off, so we couldn’t find it! Flowers were everywhere – the yellows of Agrimony, Lady’s Bedstraw and Perforate St. John’s Wort, the purples of Greater Knapweed, Wild Thyme and Pyramidal Orchid and the delicate white of Squinancywort, Eyebright and Fairy Flax. We also saw a little Vipers Bugloss to add a splash of blue to the morning. The excitement of the morning was heightened when we saw a dead Mole – a first for several of us!!!
After lunch in the pub we explored the northern part of Martin Down – an area of woodland and scrub known as Kitts Grave. There were fewer butterflies than we hoped for because the weather had clouded over and it kept drizzling. We only saw a few Gatekeeper, but there were many Scarlet Tiger moths! So we concentrated on the flowers. More of the morning’s selection and Hemp Agrimony, Tufted Vetch, Dropwort, Common Valerian and Wild Carrot. We also saw one Common Broomrape and a little Sainfoin on the open grassland before the woodland. There were a few birds. A few Swift overhead, Bullfinch in some bushes and Blackcap and another Turtle Dove singing from the scrub. The Blackcap showed itself, but the Turtle Dove didn’t. Back to the car park and we had some time spare, so we wandered down past some scrub. We watched a Kestrel hovering and then a small pigeon flew up – a Turtle Dove. It flew around a little and then landed on the top of a bush and sang for us giving us good views! What a great end to the day.
Simon Curson