Butterflies on the South Downs: two days in Brighton.

A couple of days in Brighton with mum-in-law provided few opportunities for nature-watching: no unusual birds at all, while the pager gripped me off with a succession of goodies in Norfolk and Suffolk...

Arriving too early for British café-owners to consider opening, Linda and I 'enjoyed' an Egg McMuffin for breakfast - God help us - and watched several Little Egrets feeding at Shoreham.

I managed to persuade M-in-L to visit Devil's Dyke, where a short walk turned up clouds of Dark Green Fritillaries and Marbled Whites, with plenty of Small Heaths, Meadow Browns, Painted Ladies and Common Blues, while brother-in-law's garden provided reasonable views of a Purple Hairstreak or two.