two for the price of one

...today summer arrived! Sunny periods this morning, became clear blue sky this evening and, at last, the wind has abated.

Durlston Country Park is just a short walk from our door and has some of most beautiful wildflower meadows you could ever hope to see. There are still plenty of Common Spotted and Pyramidal Orchids in flower, and all the other wildflowers would take several pages to list. However, I am still on a mission to blip butterflies until the Big Butterfly Count finishes on the 4th August.

Butterflies seen today included Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Large White, Speckled Wood, Ringlet, Common Blue, Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Lulworth Skipper, Essex Skipper and these Small Heaths Coenonympha pamphilus. Additionally, there were three of the four species of Burnet and a good showing of Silver Y moths. As you may have noticed, this beautiful pair of Small Heaths are in the process of furthering the species...