Devon fun!

Over the weekend, we went to north Devon to visit friends - we'd been around the same time last year and were super-excited to see our friends again, enjoy the beautiful surroundings, and stuff our faces with delicious food!

I was as always on the lookout for birds, butterflies, geology and new plants to learn too, and I was not disappointed. Here's some of the stuff I found:

The first place we visited was Watermouth Bay. Several Fulmars were gliding around the cliffs the whole time while we were there.

I think this is Betony (Stachys officinalis).

Part of a mystery sea creature, we found various bits of its shell. Anyone know what it is?

Cepaea nemoralis, been a bit obsessed with these and their sibling species C. hortensis of late as I'm doing an Open University project about them.

Lovely fissile slates with nice alignment of mica, giving bright shiny surfaces!

Devil's-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis).

Great quartz veins in the slate.

Rock Samphire (Crithmum maritimum) looks great against the shiny surface of the slate!

Fossils (I think) in the slate - not sure what of though, maybe trace fossils?

The next place we visited was the Valley of the Rocks. Bird sightings here included Gannet, Redstart and Raven.

Sheep's-bit (Jasione montana).

One of the wild goats that live at Valley of the Rocks.

I think this is the caterpillar of the Knot Grass moth (Acronicta rumicis).

Dodder (Cuscata epithymum).

The next day we went to Saunton Sands. While everyone else went in the sea, I went to explore Braunton Burrows! Bird-wise it was pretty quiet apart from some Linnets and Stonechats. Also spotted a Common Lizard!

Sea Stock (Matthiola sinuata).

Yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata).

Common Restharrow (Ononis repens).

Sea-holly (Erynium maritimum).

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) butterflies were everywhere!

Male Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) on Traveller's-joy (Clematis vitalba).

A new butterfly for me, Wall (Lasiommata megera)! Yippee!

I think this is a Dor Beetle (Geotrupes stercorarius).

Another new butterfly for me, Dark Green Fritillary (Argynnis aglaja)! I can't handle the excitement!

Sea Rocket (Cakile maritima).

I could wander Braunton Burrows for days, what an awesome place!