#martin down

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Sky tonight, view, agrimony and wild carrot at Lakeside Country Park at lunch time and buddleia and Goldfinch in the garden today 16th June 2026 I also saw a young Goldfinch this morning and a Purple Hairstreak which I was thrilled to see at Lakeside Country Park yesterday evening. It's always a joyful and uplifting moment catching glimpses of these exquisite oak top drifters. They're one of my favourite butterflies, it's an honour to have them so close to home and there's always a sense of achievement at seeing them for me as you could so easily miss them and you just have to look for the slightest movement at the top of the oaks as you notice them starting to flutter by.

Other highlights on Lakeside walks today were Marbled White, Meadow Brown, hedge woundwort, wood dock, Long-tailed Tit, House Martins, Great Crested Grebes and Moorhen. Other highlights of recent days between Lakeside and Martin Down again on Sunday have been my first Ringlets of the year across both locations another great summer species, Comma, Red Admiral and White Admiral in perhaps one of my greatest ever few weeks for butterflies with so many beautiful and incredible species seen right in the thick of the summer weeks where so many species are about as well as Common Tern, Black-and-yellow Longhorn beetle and Marmalade hoverfly.

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15/03/2025-Beautiful panoramic views of the thriving farmland habitat at this precious nature reserve in some brilliant sunshine including bright yellow in flower gorse, a stunning Corn Bunting that we got excellent views of hearing one sing well too, sheep, some of the gorse and Roe Deers at Martin Down.

Other highlights included Red Kite, Kestrel, Stonechats, a surprise Little Egret sighting at this location, Mediterranean Gull heard, dandelion and dock leaves with Woodpigeon and daffodil good to see at home and Buzzard, primroses, snowdrops and daffodils good to see on the journey there and home.

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21/07/2024-Honeysuckle, one of my first Silver-washed Fritillaries of the year, dashing Comma, ragwort and gorgeous views on a brilliant afternoon at Martin Down today.

Other highlights were my first ever Magpie moth and dewberry, my first Scarlet Tiger moth and wild basil of the year, loads of Marbled Whites, Ringlets, Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns which helped make another great Big Butterfly Count alongside other species seen I'm enjoying doing this important and fun activity a lot lately, Peacock butterfly, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, sumptuous Dark Green Fritillaries, Large Skipper, Small Skipper, perhaps the last Swollen-thighed beetle I'll see this year, Black-and-Yellow Longhorn beetle, Common Red Soldier beetle, oil and ground beetle on a strong beetle day, spider possible wolf spider with egg sac, marjoram, mignonette, mugwort, honeysuckle, broad-leaved enchanter's nightshade, centaury, St. John's-wort, scabious, self-heal and red bartsia. Another top summer weekend.

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Adonis Blue butterfly, Martin Down

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Some of my favourite photos I took in July 2024 and month summary post 3 of 3: Landscape and fungi

The photos in this set are at; Durlston, Rutland Water, sky at home, Lakeside Country Park, the River Itchen, Whitefield Moor in the New Forest and mushrooms at Martin Down. I took in so many breathtaking vistas this month from stunning coast to vast water body and lake scenes and rivers, heathland, vibrant meadow and rich woodland with epic summer skies observed too. It was nice to see a few mushrooms around as well.

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10th September 2023: Views and sky scenes on our walk at Martin Down today. We hadn't been since May and it was great to get another visit in today. As I said in my last post about the wildlife and flowers we saw here today a place we are more used to visiting in spring it was different to see the long grass, brown fields all around and much colour from fruit in the landscape. I loved taking in the heather scenes as the sun came out as we came home through the New Forest too.

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07/05/2023-Martin Down 

Pictures taken today here in this photoset are of: 1. My first Small Copper of the year, a crimson treat to see a few of them. 2, 4, 5, 6 and 9. Beautiful views at this picturesque and biodiverse site which was draped in cowslips, surrounded by a patchwork of yellow and green fields and generally brimming bright emerald and other colours. 3. A beautiful early purple orchid of a white variety, which we were thankful one of a few great people we got chatting to signposted to us as it’s quite a rare variation. Among a wealth of these sensational and eye catching flowers of the regular but pretty purple the first of which I’d seen at this site was an exquisite speckled and creamy coloured one half way between purple and the white one which will surely be one of my flowers of the year it was so beautiful. 7. A stunning Dingy Skipper which I was so pleased to see, a warm spring butterfly which I love seeing this my first of the year. 8. A wonderful Cuckoo, one of two seen hearing this bird so well today. This a big moment for me as over the decade we’ve been going to Martin Down I’ve been fortunate to hear them here amazingly a lot here but I’d not seen one within this reserve before today. It had been a goal for so long and felt like breaking new ground which I found sweet and satisfying today. What a run I’m on for encountering Cuckoos this year already which I feel lucky to have. 10. A charming Corn Bunting one of the key birds of Martin Down, it was a delight to hear their tuneful song and see them belting this out today another top bird seen today that I’ve had a great few weeks for. 

It felt so good today to also see other targets my first Grizzled Skipper and Green Hairstreak of the year delicate and prepossessing little butterflies seeing these four species for the first time this year putting my butterfly year in a great place on a fine day. Orange Tip, Peacock and Holly Blue were other highlights with many Brimstones including a kaleidoscope of three males chasing a female I believe the most I’d seen at once before which was amazing. Top and immersive views of key for the site Yellowhammer, elegant Skylark and Grey Partridge, brick red backed Kestrel and majestic Buzzard and views of Swallow, Whitethroat and Goldfinch including one next to a Stonechat were other highlights with excitingly Quail possibly heard. Bloody nosed-beetle and a range of flies including crane fly and snipe fly were great to see here too. My first kidney vetch of the year one I like seeing, ground ivy and many speedwell including nicely together, greater stitchwort, lovely milkwort, cow parsley, viburnum, herb-Robert and possible common rock-rose were other floral highlights. It was good to see a Buzzard that always seems to be on a telegraph pole on journeys here on the way.

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Photos from the last few weeks in this run of sunshine not yet posted of Avocets at Pennington, burnt-tip orchids at Martin Down, Marsh Fritillary at Magdalen Hill and view at Lakeside.