A day of firsts...

For the first time in a while it wasn't raining when I woke up. Took the spaniel for an early morning walk over the common and then set off (sans dog) for a long (22 mile walk) down the Ouse valley to Offham, up onto the Downs and west over Mount Harry and Blackcap before turning south down Ashcombe Bottom and east, descending via the old Lewes racecourse and Landport Bottom, then through Lewes and back north along the river. Lots of butterflies around and saw my first small copper, dingy skippers and green-veined whites for the year. Also saw a few blackcaps and whitethroats as well as a peregrine. Several of the streams that run into the Ouse had damselflies on the wing - they were all large reds.