New colours, and a twitch

I hesitate to say that Autumn is nearly here, but the turning of the seasons brings new sights. The flowering of the Autumn Gentian is one such, and I was delighted to find it in the Goats Field (qv) having seen the description of it flowering there in the Kingsdown Guide.

A similar delicate shade of purple is shown by the Sea Lavender, now appearing on the rifle range and on the cliffs - a beautiful plant.
Butterflies still remain in places sheltered from the worst of the summer weather, with Common Blues among most common, naturally.


The Large and Small Whites are also still around, and I enjoyed watching this green beetle bugging a Small White on its leaf.

Painted Lady on Hemp Agrimony

Birdwatchers (or birders, or robin-strokers) get a bad name for dashing around the country to see new birds, and ticking them off their lists. If, however, an unusual bird happens to be on my route, it seems impolite not to call in to see it. Consequently, I visited Alexandra Park in Hastings today to see a juvenile Night Heron, and found it sitting in a tree.

The reason that it looks so grumpy is that it had (briefly) awoken, as it was preparing for its dusk exertions, by sleeping through the day. It soon resumed its normal pose.