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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Matt Prince" data-source="post: 1837558" data-attributes="member: 52862">Sunday 30th MayOriginally we had been planning to go to Brauntun Burrows today, but the promise of occasional sunshine changed our plans and we headed for Lydford Gorge. Wind was a bit gusty, but the old railway line was fairly sheltered. Nicola had already done some reccee work and was keen to point out some of the new flowers, but not as keen as we were to get to the site proper at a break in the clouds. In the end the mixed sunshine and clouds was a boon, as the Heath Fritillary were often settled rather than constantly blatting about. In addition to the butterfly and flowers such as Sweet Woodruff, Bastard Balm and Sanicle, we had some interesting mini beasts including a pair of well marked common jumping spiders evarcja falcata (see pic), found leaping from leaf to leaf, presumably hunting the early instar crickets that were prevalent in the low vegetation. Another interesting find, whilst we were pondering a problematic fern frond was a long necked lace winged insect - a snake fly.Moving out, we met Jim Braven leading a walk in, and got some useful information, after a brief chat we had to make tracks as we wanted to get to Dunsdon Farm in time for a Butterfly Conservation field meeting.Arriving early we had time to work the car park, before John Randall led us all into this important culm grassland reserve. Marsh Fritillary soon were fluttering around our feet as well as a few day flying moths. Amongst the flora, Petty Whin, Heath Spottd Orchid and the confusing Meadow Thistle, a weak little thistle that grows in marshes, totally unlike the marsh thistle, a fiendish beast of a thistle that grows in meadows... Thanks to John for leading a successful walk, and also for the tips on catching up on with that most elusive and to me almost mythical beasty - narrow-bordered bee hawk moth - not even a sniff of one today.A set of ferns included many broad buckler, soft shield and scaly male, plus one or two 'interesting' ones, but none of the hoped for hay-scented buckler.Returning home via Ide we pulled an emergency stop to check out a couple of hedgerow flowers, Common Poppy and Hedgerow Cranesbill.Sites : Lydford, Dunsdon, IdeSpecies : Heath Fritillary, Marsh Fritillary, Small Yellow Underwing, Silver Y Moth, Common Heath Moth, Evarca Falcata (jumping spider), Phaeostigma sp (Snake Fly), Woodruff, Thin-spiked Wood-sedge, Pink Purslane (naturalised), Sanicle, Cow-wheat, Bastard Balm, Lesser Hawkbit, Meadow Thistle,  Ragged Robin, Heath Spotted Orchid, Hedgerow Cranesbill, Common PoppyButters 20; Moths 31; Spiders 15; Flora 272; Misc 41GT 688</blockquote>

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