I left home at 4.15 on Tuesday morning and arrived at the Heddon Valley at 10.30,thankfully an uneventful journey.Having got my bearings and after a quick chat with the NT rangers I set off on the steep climb towards Trentishoe Coombe.Having missed the turning I tried my luck along a permitted footpath called Ladies Mile and lo and behold before midday I had seen and photographed my quarry,however I had booked two night B&B in Lynton a few miles away,so couldn`t go straight home again.
After lunch I wandered through the Heddon Valley down to the sea at Heddons Mouth where there were Dark Green and Silver Washed Fritillaries.
Next day I did find Trentishoe Coombe and saw more HBFs most were flighty as it was very warm, but one posed momentarily...on a barbed wire fence.
In the shade of the oaks on the way back down a Common Redstart was seen and in the stream at the bottom a Dipper showed up briefly.
Later I found another HBF nectaring in a riverside buddleia.
After this I visited Ilfracombe,my last time here was in 1974 to take a day trip to Lundy, it didn`t seem very familiar.The harbours most striking feature is a 66ft high 25 ton sculpture by Damian Hirst
called VERITY which represents Truth and Justice,evidently it is a bit of a Marmite feature but unlike Marmite I liked it.
Also in the harbour was this jellyfish which I think is a Barrell Jellyfish.
So that was it, a successful trip that leaves just the Small Mountain Ringlet to see, for all the mainland butterflies,but that will have to wait until next summer now.
