Round-headed Rampion

We set off a little before midday on our last working trip to Sussex. The journey was very easy and we arrived at Seven Sisters Country Park in time for a gentle walk down to Cuckmere Haven. 

The steep chalk bank along the footpath was full of wildflowers and butterflies, including a few Round-headed Rampion, one of the species that I really wanted to see on this trip, last seen by me over forty years ago when I was at university in Southampton. The wind was fresh and I was surprised that I managed to get a few reasonable shots.

Our walk ended up taking about four hours because there was so much to see and photograph including a good stand of Sea-heath, huge sweeps of two endemic sea-lavenders, Sea Mayweed,  a prostrate form of Red Goosefoot, a few rather local insects and some windswept Kestrels.

We reached our accommodation just after seven, and were very grateful for the complimentary wine and the Waitrose ready meal, which only took about ten minutes to microwave!