June 12, 2006
Saturday 10th June
MARTIN DOWN
England were playing their first World Cup match, so making the most of a very quiet afternoon we drove to Martin Down, where we parked in the car park off the A354 and walked on the Kitts Grave side of the Down and in Vernditch Chase.
The sun was still shining, and it was nowhere near as windy as yesterday, and butterflies outnumbered birds. We had fifteen species of butterfly which included Green Hairstreak, Small, Common and Adonis Blues, Grizzled, Dingy, and our first Large Skipper of the year, Painted Lady, Red Admiral and Small Heath.
The pick of the birds were Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Bullfinch, and Jay.
In the evening we drove through the New Forest, seeing and hearing Woodcock once again, and three different Little Owls.
Common Spotted Orchid
Green Hairstreak
Large Skipper