Working for the Duke again

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On Wednesday I spent a couple of hours on the beach with my metal detector. In spite of the recent storm churning up the shingle I didn’t find anything interesting, but did see some turnstones feeding along the surf line.

This week there were a few clues about the approach of Autumn. On Tuesday I was unable to count a single butterfly on my Mill Hill transect and yesterday I was advised that conservation work at one of our Duke of Burgundy sites would start today. Red Admirals are still emerging throughout Sussex, so all is not gloom for butterfly addicts. I still haven’t seen a Clouded Yellow close enough to photograph this year, so searches over the next month will be at Cissbury Ring and Mill Hill, two of my local sites where they can be found after flying over the channel.

This morning four of us met at my nearest Duke of Burgundy sites and spent three hours clearing scrub from the rides we have cleared in previous years. Most of the scrub was ash, beech and buddleia and the clearings are now ready for more primrose planting in the Spring. More work parties are needed to  clear the other sites, but that is what Winter is for!

longest bench shelter

Duke of Burgundy real estate