Butterflies and Birds, Beachy Head & Birling Gap. 19.09.22

I took the 12 bus from Brighton to Eastbourne. You can catch the 12, 12A (slower) or 12X (fastest) to Eastbourne. They run frequently every day; see: 12 - Eastbourne-Brighton | Brighton & Hove Buses. I got off on the East Dean Road, then walked through the Royal Eastbourne Golf Course (on the public footpath) and through the Meads area of Eastbourne to Holywell Café on the seafront. I walked along the beach, then up the steps, past the Holy Well, that joins Holywell Road. I walked up King Edward's Way onto the open downland of Beachy Head. I took the southernmost footpath through Cow Gap, then up to the South Downs Way by the From Beachy Head I walked on the path that runs to Birling Gap through Horseshoe Plantation. I got the 13X bus back from Beachy Head to Brighton. The 13X runs only on Sundays and bank holidays 13X - Eastbourne-Brighton | Brighton & Hove Buses If you are doing this walk on a day the 13X doesn't run you would need to walk from Birling Gap to East Dean and get a

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Route shown in red

Eastbourne Beach - Hastings/Fairlight Cliffs in the distance

Hastings Country Park

Cormorants

Gull

Jackdaw on the cliffs

Rock Samphire

Eastbourne Pier

Holy Well Cliffs

The Holy Well fresh water spring. See Eastbourne's Holy Well: The stunning natural spring most people have never heard of - SussexLive for folk lore on the Spring

The beach east of Holy Well

The steps up to Holy Well Road

The beginning of the South Downs Way on Beachy Head

Oregano ?

Knapweed

Ronin's Pinchushion

Another Robin's Pincushion

House Martens over Cow Gap

Viper's Bugloss

Blackbirds at Cow Gap

Robin

Dunnock

Woodpigeon

Bird's-Foot Trefoil

Bramble

Rosebay Willow-Herb and Rose

The view east from Beachy Head

Another Robin's Pincushion

Stonechats, Beachy Head

The Path from the summit of Beachy Head down to Shooter Hill bottom

Common Blue

A fresh Common Blue on Hark Bit

Small White

Mullein

View west - Belle Tout Lighthouse and Seaford Head

Carline Thistle Heads

Common Carder on clematis (non native)

Wall Butterfly.

I saw ca. 5 Walls, all fresh, possibly a third brood

Small White

Small White on Hawkbit

Common Carden on Devil's Bit Scabious

Wall Brown

Stonechat

Bell Tout lighthouse

Common Toadflax

Small Copper

Clouded Yellow

I saw a lot of fresh Common Blues on the path just east of Horseshow Plantation

Common Blue

Female Common Blue

Brown Argus - underwings

Same Brown Argus

Common Blue

The lath to Horseshoe Plantation

Devil's Bit Scabious

Robin

Female Common Blue

Horseshoe Plantation

The Lookout (between Horseshoe Plantation and Birling Gap)

Stonechat

House Sparrows

Stonechat

After my walk at Beachy Head and Birling Gap I took the 13A to Rottingdean, where I walked along the undercliff to Brighton Marina

Little Egret

Oystercatcher

Oystercatcher and Little Egret