Yes, that was a final flourish for Specklies round my way, Trevor. You're right, most of us only really pay attention to them at the beginning and end of the season. I guess that's because we're practically never without them in between.
Wednesday 4th November 2020 – Last embers……
Knocked off work at midday today as I had a dental appointment at 2.40pm. That gave me a little time to kill, and seeing that the wet and windy spell had decided to give us a break, I thought I’d venture out to Limeslade Bay on the Gower coast to check out the hebe growing in the sheltered corner near the footpath.
To my delight, I saw a Red Admiral straight away. It was perched on this fabric sack, no doubt taking advantage of the additional warmth.
Here’s an overview of this little microclimate:
There was another Red Admiral on the hebe nearby:
A third Red Admiral was seen basking on foliage nearby:
At one point, two of them clashed and spiralled into the air, with the pursuer chasing his rival over the top of the wall. I strolled a couple of hundred metres down the track that leads to Langland Bay. This is a very picturesque spot which is ideal for walking at any time of year when the sun is out and the winds light:
Just the tonic I needed before having a tooth filled!