Pastel sunrise and Heyshott work party

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There was a spectacular sunrise this morning which heralded a cold day. I joined Mark and Neil at Heyshott where we worked with four Murray Downland Trust members to continue clearing the slopes for the Duke of Burgundy.

Neil making up for gaining a tan in warmer climes

Mark tossing the caber

Orange-banded Shoemaker at Wisley

female Orange-banded Shoemaker, Catonephele orites

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This morning I set off to the Wisley RHS butterfly exhibit with Sue and Jackie. I knew this would be a curtailed, one water bottle visit so I was pleased to see a new species which is not on the official list of butterflies that are on show. It took me some time to identify it, but finally the web site of the Butterfly Garden at University of Joensuu, Finland, gave me the image I was searching for:   http://wanda.uef.fi/botania/galleria/perhoset/

Idea leuconoe, Tree Nymph

Idea leuconoe, Tree Nymph

Kallima paralekta, Indian Leafwing

Papilio dardanus, African Mocker Swallowtail 

Papilio dardanus f hippocoonides, African Mocker Swallowtail female 

Papilio polytes, common Mormon female

Papilio polytes, common Mormon male

Siproeta stelenes, Malachite

Siproeta stelenes, Malachite

Troides rhadamantus, Golden Birdwing

Wisley Blue Morphos and Tree Nymphs

Wisley RHS

Snowdrops on crocus bank

Wisley Crocus bank

Sestertius

Roman Sestertius

My club had a dig today, it was sunny but there was a bitterly cold wind. A hammered coin was found early on, then a Roman brooch and medieval seal matrix.
I found a copper Roman sestertius, but it has no markings:
weight = 12.38g, diameter = 27.3 to 27.8mm, thickness = 3.33mm
Sestertius (semis-tertius) means 2½, the coin's original value in asses, and is a combination of semis "half" and tertius "third", that is, "the third half". The first half was 1½, the second was 2½.
Two buzzards glided overhead.