Back to the Range

 

The damage is done, and although the vegetation is coming back the scars remain. The new owner used his earth-moving equipment a couple of years ago to scrape the butts down to the bare chalk to fill holes in the sea defences. No doubt this action will have extended the life of the range by a year or two, but at what cost?  The early spider orchids are gone and the non-flying invertebrate population seems to be down, and no wasp spiders have been seen.

But let's look on the bright side and see the wonders that remain.

Sea carrot

Yellow-horned poppy, or yellow horned-poppy.

Apparently an Adonis' ladybird Hippodamia variegata - fairly common and increasing, especially in warm weather.

Annual sea-blite. Mental note, is there no prickly saltwort on the range. Recheck.

A good crop of glasswort this year, after the recent heavy rains. Sorry, did I say "crop"? I meant, um, population - ahem.

Six-spot burnet, on knapweed

Sea mayweed, looking lovely.

Chalkhill blue, on carline thistle. Butterflies looking good this year.