A new species for me today - the so-called Mexican grass-carrying wasp Isodontia mexicana. Seen on Creeping thistle in Hyde Park, London today (on iRecord)

Lovely to see the newly restored Elfin Oak in Kensington Gardens today. The detail in the figures is a delight to see. Thank you @theroyalparks.bsky.social . Spike Milligan would be delighted to see it now looking so vibrant again! 😊

Unusual colours for wildflowers - a pink Yarrow and a white Common centuary! #wildflowerhour

Tansy seen in flower in Eastbourne this week #wildflowerhour

Strawberry clover seen this week in the lower Cuckmere valley, East Sussex #wildflowerhour

Common hemp-nettle in flower this week on #EastbourneDownland. #wildflowerhour

Round-headed Rampion in flower on the #EastbourneDownland today #wildflowerhour

It was hot, hot, hot on the Horseshoe Plantation / Belle Toute butterfly transect today - plenty of Chalkhill blues and over 200 Gatekeepers today.

Round headed rampion in flower this week on #EastbourneDownland #Wildflowerhour

Plenty of Brown argus butterflies on Butts Meadow near Eastbourne today

Very happy to see our first Chalkhill blues of the season today - Horseshoe Plantation near Birling Gap.

Chalk grassland surveying for the National Trust today at High and Over in Cuckmere valley - not a bad view, if only I can stand upright on the steep slopes!

Chalk grassland surveying with the NNR monitoring group today at Seven Sisters Country Park today - fabulous backdrop!

Not the best photos, but I was delighted to see what I think was my first ever Red-veined Darter on a newly restored dew pond in the South Downs National Park! @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @southdownsnp.bsky.social

Musk Mallow in flower this week at Knepp, West Sussex #wildflowerhour

Bee orchid in flower on Fairmile Bottom, West Sussex this week #wildflowerhour

Burnt Orchid in flower on the South Downs this week #wildflowerhour

Betony in flower today on #EastbourneDownland. #Wildflowerhour

Clustered bellflower in flower today on #EastbourneDownland. #Wildflowerhour

Round-headed rampion in flower on #EastbourneDownland today #wildflowerhour

18 species of butterfly on the Horseshoe plantation/Belle Toute butterfly transect this morning including plenty of Dark Green Fritillaries, a single Brown argus and more than 100 Marbled white #EastbourneDownland

Our first fully ripe blackberry of the year. Seen by and then eaten by @davea57.bsky.social . Seen on #EastbourneDowns

Great visit today to Fairmile Bottom, West Sussex with the Sx Butterfly Conservation branch 11 species of butterfly including our first Small skipper, Gatekeeper & Clouded yellow of the year. Plenty of Marbled whites & some Dark Green Fritillaries too. 5 species of orchids, including a Frog orchid

We carried out the annual Burnt Orchid count on a site on the South Downs today. Numbers do go up and down over the years, but this year we counted 29, compared to 22 last year.

Walked around Southwater woods, West Sussex this morning. Lots of Silver washed Fritillaries and Purple hairstreaks, plus White Admiral, a single Purple emperor and a White stork in a nearby field

A wonderful day at @kneppwilding.bsky.social today. At least 7 male Purple Emperors seen on the trail (all way up in the canopy), lots of Purple hairstreaks and a couple of Silver-washed Fritillary. Plus my first ever White-legged 1damselfly. Storks flying high pretty much everywhere too.

Common Cow-wheat and Bog asphodel flowering on Ashdown Forest this week #wildflowerhour

The very rare Hairy Mallow flowering this week on the South Downs #wildflowerhour

Pyramidal orchid on the South Downs this week #wildflowerhour

Round headed rampion on the South Downs this week #wildflowerhour

Chalk fragrant orchid on the South Downs this week #wildflowerhour

Burnt orchid this week on the South Downs #wildflowerhour

Vipers bugloss on Eastbourne beach this week #wildflowerhour

Rough clover this week on Eastbourne beach, East Sussex #wildflowerhour

Starry clover from Shoreham beach, West Sussex this week #wildflowerhour

Shoreham harbour and beach is a very special place for wildlife. The vegetated shingle has some rare and unusual plants amongst it. Including the stunningly beautiful Starry Clover, the delicate Childing Pink and the small Sea fern-grass. Plus Wall lizards! A total of 7 new-to-me species seen today!

BBC News - Rare pine marten spotted in back garden www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I spent another day surveying the chalk grassland on the #EastbourneDownland (outside of the SSSI). Much of this was arable in the 1980s and was seeded in the early 1990s. It looks pretty good now and has some surprises including Pyramidal and Chalk fragrant orchids.

We took part in the Silver-Studded Blue survey in part of Ashdown Forest in East Sussex today - great to see so many, including females ( browner butterfly below) @savebutterflies.bsky.social

BBC News - Major Oak: Ancient 'Robin Hood' tree is dead, experts say - BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Had a walk on Chailey Common this morning led by Andy the ranger from ESCC. Nice to see Heath spotted orchids and some huge Pyramidals on the edge of the car park, plus a windmill!

Lovely to be out doing some grassland surveying again - chalk grassland this time! Lovely chalk sward with lots of Common broomrape and an occasional patch of Dyers greenweed. A few Marbled whites too getting blown around in the wind! #EastbourneDownland

We did the Beachy Head Lighthouse challenge today - a walk around the lighthouse at very low tide. Good to see the Downs from a different perspective!

Our first Scarlet Tiger moth in the garden this year

Week 11 on the Horseshoe Plantation and Belle Toute butterfly transect - 10 species seen including the first Marbled white and Silver- washed fritillary of the year plus an Adonis blue.

Inspired by Frances Abraham's excellent little book we took a visit to Amberley Wild Brooks and Waltham Brooks in West Sussex today. Between the showers there was much to see, including our first Small Tortoiseshells of the year in Sussex

We were amongst 12 naturalists who carried out a Bioblitz at Michelham Priory, East Sussex today. 16 species of birds and lots of different inverts including this Banded demoiselle and two Tawny longhorn beetle.

Just within acceptable weather limits today for the butterfly transect near Belle Tout this afternoon. Eight butterfly species seen including a Dingy Skipper, Small heath, Common blue, Brown argus, Speckled wood, Painted Lady, Red Admiral and lots of Large Skippers.

Lovely morning carrying out chalk grassland assessments with National Trust staff and Seaford Natural History Society members at Cradle Valley, East Sussex. Great to see my first Bee orchids, Round-headed rampion and Bastard toadflax of the year.

Today was rather wet 🌧️, but we had our first visit to the fairly unique Kingley Vale NNR. I love the structure of the mature yew trees. Definitely going to return in drier weather to fully appreciate the chalk grassland too.