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Sussex Scrapbook ~ Wildlife walks throughout the year
Green Man
Saturday 25th June 2011
Seaford - Cuckmere Haven - Alfriston - Norton - Bishopstone.
11 miles or so.

This walk over Seaford Head and beyond gives you the famous view of the cliff face of the Seven Sisters, or at least it usually does if you aren't walking in low cloud like we were. The rest of the country was sweating in the baking hot sun but we were protected by a solid wall of mist that stayed with us all day long.
The main thing I wanted to discover today was, is the tiny hamlet of Norton the secret home of the British motorcycle industry? The answer is a resounding NO! It's just a small farm in the middle of nowhere.
 


The start point - St. Leonard's, Seaford. Right near the train station and handily opposite the toilets.


Seaford, pronounced Sea Ford (like the car); so the native inhabitants are always keen to tell us.


Splash Point.


Kittywakes (lots of them) nesting at Splash Point.

The path goes along the cliffs and through the Seaford Head Nature Reserve. Please keep all dogs on leads and take all the smelly stuff with you.
Also, take great care along the crumbly cliff edge.


A striking ichneumon wasp of as yet unknown identity.
He (think it's a male: no ovipositor) was about 4cm long and flew off immediately of course!


Linnet.


A caterpillar of the 6-Spot Burnet Moth.


The misty view across Hope Bottom and on to the barely-discernable cliffs of the Seven Sisters.


Fog and mushrooms - it's more like Autumn!


Sweating our way up a steep incline amidst lush vegetation and mist.

Our tired imaginations threw us straight into a tropical rainforest, with the calls of Howler Monkeys replacing those of the woodpeckers and the midges buzzing around our heads exchanged for exotic humming birds. Gill was all for making a nest and living like gorillas until the winter but I reminded her that we'd got some Glasto taped at home and toast and peanut butter waiting for us instead of ivy leaves. That broke the spell and got her moving again!


Low cloud and the fading light gave a very "Tales of the unexpected" feel to St. Andrew's at Bishopstone.


Bishopstone's art deco station and our portal back to the afore-mentioned toast.


Take the time to read the countryside code for yourself and please stick to it at all times.