Another tiny holiday...

We stayed overnight at the Fleur de Lis pub in Sandwich so that we could visit a few more Kent nature reserves today. Rain was forecast from mid-morning, so we declined the optional cooked breakfast and set off early to Samphire Hoe Country Park just west of Dover, where it was warm and sunny. 

Both of us had long wanted to see this area, created using the spoil dug out of the Channel Tunnel. It now supports some pleasant chalk grassland, areas of scrub and several ponds (see extra), with a huge abundance of Common Restharrow which supports a staggeringly large population of the very rare Rest Harrow moth, that I first saw at Sandwich Bay NNR just over a fortnight ago. Other highlights were the abundance of a rare subspecies of Rock Sea-lavender growing ion the sea defences, along with the  Rock Samphire, which gives the site its name. We ended our visit by eating quiche for breakfast looking towards the coast of France, which was clearly visible on the horizon.

It was only a short drive to our next destination, Lydden Temple Ewell NNR, an area of classic downland noted for Adonis Blue and Silver-spotted Skipper butterflies, and the very rare Wart-biter cricket. We'd only just arrived when we saw our first Adonis Blues - I almost shrieked in excitement at their colour - flashes of pure electric-blue skipping over the grass and flowers. Most were rather flighty, but the gradually gathering clouds meant that some stayed still, allowing to me to get a few shots of these gorgeous creatures.

The Silver-spotted Skippers were a little harder to find, favouring the steeper slopes where the grassland was very short. They were even more skittish, and photography was made harder by the increasing breeze, accompanied by decreasing light levels. Nevertheless, I managed a few record shots (see extra), and know where to find them next time. It wasn't long before we felt the first few drops of rain, so we headed briskly back down the hill and reached the car before the rain became serious.

We had intended to head straight home, as the weather maps showed that the rain was extensive and likely to become heavy, but after driving north for about twenty minutes it stopped, so we had a quick detour into Blean Woods NNR - not at its best, but it was good to see some flowering Common Cow-wheat. Although we didn't walk too far from the car, our luck ran out and we were decidedly damp by the time we returned.

The journey home was rather tedious, with copious amounts of spray from the many lorries going north, but we were back by five, and later enjoyed a beautiful Beef Rendang cooked by Alex. A good day...