Lulworth Cove 21-05-2020
With the restrictions still easing we decided to take our exercise at Lulworth Cove as the walk over Bindon Hill would certainly blow away the cobwebs and it would be a great opportunity to show Little L various coastal erosion features that she’d been learning about. We’d checked ahead and the main car park was still closed but I know of a few other places in and around the village where there are spaces to park and so we loaded up and headed off back to sunny Dorset. The drive there was glorious as the sun shone and there were still so few cars on the road and very quickly we were traipsing the tarmac heading towards Bindon Hill walking the reverse route to our previous visit here the day before Lockdown began.
Up on the hill it was already very warm despite only just being past 10am and as I scouted round I only flushed one Small Heath. I’d read that Lulworths were out at Corfe Castle car park which is usually the first site but I was hoping that they may have merged here spurred into action by the warm weather so one Small Heath after being on site for 10 minutes or so was quite worrying. Slightly further round the hill I spotted a fast moving Dingy and a surprisingly fast moving Small Heath, an improvement but only slightly. By this point we’d reached the junction where the path dove down into the wood – part of the old route which due to a cliff slide is no more. Another Dingy zipped by and I went to follow it using the various rabbit runs and tracks as a stairway as I clambered up the side of the hill after it. Alas I didn’t have much success with it and as I turned to retrace my steps to catch up with the others a smaller browny mustard Skipper grabbed my attention. It too was really active jinking about and doing the Craw step manoeuvre that Skippers do whereby they can break the laws of Physics and bend time and space. Luckily the first time it had paused it did so just long enough for a few shots and to allow confirmation that it was a Lulworth. After that it became a guessing game as it where it would land and take nectar but I was quite chuffed that I managed to successfully guess and so be in the right place for a few more shots.
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I realised that by now the rest of the family were well ahead of me and so I hotfooted to catch them but even though I was travelling at great speed I was aware that now there were plenty of butterflies about. When I caught up and caught my breath we continued along the clifftop and the Lulworths seemed to be everywhere but now they were joined by the rest of the supporting cast. A few Adonis Blues (mainly males although there was one luscious female) added a bit of bling to the mixture of browns and browny oranges produced by the Lulworths, Small Heath, Dingies and Large Skippers which were dominating the scene (from largest in number to smallest). The occasional Greenstreak didn’t add as much colour as expected as all were old and tired looking, in the later stages of their lives but the only Brown Argus that I saw did. The Lulworths aside the main highlight of this stretch was a Wall which stopped in the middle of the path. It too was as aged as the Greenstreaks with nicks in and massive chunks missing from its wings but it was still a delight to see, especially as it comically blocked our further progress along the path:
“Stay back, don’t come any closer” it seemed to be intimating…we’d take a few more steps and it would take off only to land slightly further along the path.
“I really, really mean it don’t come any closer!”…again we’d take a few more steps and it would take off, fly a short way and land ahead of us on the path.
“Right that’s it! You’re in big trouble now! One more step and I’ll...I’ll…Well you’ll be sorry!”
Eventually it worked out that if it flew in an arc it could double back and land behind us and so would avoid any more disturbance!
At the end of the path we went through the gate and paused at the edge looking down and across into the Cove. We could see the bands of rock, the folds and tortured twists in the strata and what most impressed Little L on the other side caves, a stump and a raised beach – we were only missing the arch and stack from the complete set of coastal erosion features that she’d looked at the day before. Then we set off down the impossibly steep steps destination – the beach accompanied on the way by yet more Lulworths that were scrabbling around the cliff edges each time I looked away from my feet. On one of the flatter areas, like a little terrace, a few Adonis took advantage of the nectar sources. Well they tried to but a Brown Argus was having none of it and bullied Adonis and Lulworth alike.
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Eventually the precipitous journey came to an end we were safely sitting on the strand. Yet even here whilst enjoying my sandwich the Lulworths kept informing me of their presence as one flew by between bites! So whilst the rest of the family had a paddle and looked about for more Isopods I skipped mountain goat like back up the hill seeking out the little flatter grassy patches and little crescent moons within the tussocks. I spend a fantastic 20 minutes up near the top, getting shots, clinging to the side of the cliff as other walkers pass by one the stairs and just enjoying watching the funny little blurs of yellow ochre at they went about their business – feeding, flying and fighting. Unfortunately I didn’t witness any activity of the fourth ‘f’ kind but that wasn’t through any lack of effort on the part of the male Lulworths that I saw. Eventually the call of ‘not wanting to get into strife’ became louder than that of the joyous little butterflies and so I descended the hill and walked once more across the ever decreasing stones to the strand line.
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As all were now refreshed, watered and fed we carried on the walk round suddenly remembering how hard going it can be because of the constantly shifting and uneven ground. We paused about half way round as the girls had found a perfect paddling spot, a large flat boulder of chalk, polished smooth by the passing of the grit that edged it made a perfect platform into the sea. Whilst the girls paddled I had a quick look around the cliff slip, the fertile clay covered in pinks and purples, greens and yellows was also alive with butterflies; a brace of Common Blues – both males, a passing white, a couple of Dingies and at least 6 Lulworths all in a patch no bigger than two dining tables.
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As the sun beat down ever stronger and the temperature rocketed we came to the end of our trudge round the cove and stepping once more onto target it was as if a weight had been lifted, I near on floated up the high now that I was on a fixed and even surface. I was let off the leash a second time and so quickly covered the ground to my Hotspot area – the little ‘path’ on the far side of the Cove. However it didn’t live up to it’s reputation with only two Lulworths here, one at the top and one at the bottom, and nothing else butterfly wise. Still it was worth a check and pleased with the additional brace of Lulworths I re-joined the girls and we made for home.
So ended a cracking morning’s exercise and we drove home slightly sunburnt but happy none the less.
Turquoise sea below
Lulworths cling to the cliff side
Crescent moons glitter
Have a goodun and stay safe
Wurzel