Home
Walks/Archives
About us ~ Bikes ~ Videos ~ Gallery ~ Search ~ Links

Sussex Scrapbook ~ Wildlife walks throughout the year

Saturday 28^th June 2014
Alfriston - Lullington - Wilmington - Folkington - Jevington - Alfriston
10.5 miles

We are covering the whole of the South Downs from east to west over the next couple of months. In the past 2 weeks we've done the Eastbourne and Seaford areas. This week we thought we would do the bit inbetween.
The Met Office told us that our home town would be wet and stormy all day but the Eastbourne area would be hot and sunny so that sounded perfect.
It was lucky we believed the meteorologists as we got soaked on the bike between Crawley and Ashdown Forest, but then, as promised, the sun came out and by the time we got to our destination we were dried off again.
On the way we saw a patch of upside-down rainbow and excitedly thought we were seeing a circumzenithal arc but as it became more complete we realised we were looking at a 22 degree halo instead, an altogether much more common atmospheric phenomena. Still looks good though!

What a beautiful relaxing day we had amongst all of the wild flowers and grasses. Birds and insects were busy everywhere plus we saw a Bank Vole and Britain's smallest mammal, the Pygmy Shrew - about the size of a bumble bee!

A 22 degree halo seen from Alfriston

The tiny church at Lullington which today was prepared for an imminent wedding.

Stunning view across to Firle beacon

Pyramidial Orchid

Round Headed Rampion

Cinnabar moth caterpillar

Five-spot Burnett moth caterpillar

The Long Man of Wilmington.

Bloody lovely!

The stunning Lullington Heath Nature Reserve

Yellow Wort (Blackstonia perfoliata)

These mushrooms smelt so strongly of Porcini that they instantly made our mouths water and our stomachs grumble.
They didn't look like porcini though!
 

Take the time to read the countryside code for yourself and please stick to it at all times.