Grizzled Skippers on Levin Down

Levin Down has three great things going for it, of course this is just my opinion. It is relatively isolated and fairly steep, both of which deter the dog walkers and it has a decent sized colony of Grizzled Skippers. Couple such a venue with the finest and warmest day of the year so far and what more could you want.

 Butterflies were on the wing, Brimstone, Peacock even my first Orange Tip showed but  I wanted Grizzlies.  After about half an hour of wandering round the slopes I was beginning to despair, perhaps I was just a little early in the season? Finally I found two close together but they did what all skippers are good at - they disappeared. I tried to follow one but it went beyond a fence, I returned for the other but it had gone. Finally I found them in numbers. 10+ but probably high teens, they were active for an hour but by the time the sun had reached its noonday zenith they disappeared.

Egg laying?  - couldn't find one.

Levin Down - looking up. 

Charlton - looking down.

 
 And finally... an interesting fungus - possibly Reticularia lycoperdon a slime fungus in the plasmodium stage. Of course if it isn't and you know what it is, then drop me a line