Return to Ashdown Forest

 Ashdown Forest is a wonderful area of high heathland in the north-west corner of East Sussex. It is a landscape that I have walked over many years and know well.

It has been a few years since I last caught up with the Silver-studded Blue and the other heathland species to be found there but I have made good use of the fine June weather during the last couple of weeks.

Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus)

This attractive little butterfly is a heathland specialist and within East Sussex, it is only found on Ashdown Forest.

(males)

As with some other species of blue butterflies, the females are mainly brown but with varying amounts of blue pigment in their wings. The first image shows a fairly typical female. The female in the second image is displaying rather attractive sub-marginal blue markings in the form of  inward facing darts.

Several species of day-flying moths can be numerous but tricky to photograph, as they invariably drop into the heather and gorse to hide.

Clouded Buff (Diacrisia sannio) (male)

Grass Wave (Perconia strigillaria) (female)

Common Heath (Ematurga atomaria atomaria) (female)

Grass Emerald (Pseudoterpna pruinata atropunctaria)

Here are some plants that specialise in acid heath.

Early Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata ssp. pulchella)

Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata)

Common Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)

Bog Asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum)

Common Cotton-grass (Eriophorum angustifolium)

 Camp Hill is one of the high points on Ashdown Forest, at 198 metres (643 feet) above sea level.