Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Betony
Purple spikes of Betony put on a lovely display along coastal paths in the summer. Photo: Amanda Scott
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Pollinators: butterflies and moths
While butterflies and moths are not generally as efficient pollinators as some other insects, they do their bit. Photo: Dougy Wright
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Privet Hawk-moth
This lovely Privet Hawkmoth was spotted at Caerthillian, resting on a fence. Photo: Steve Townsend
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Pollinators: hoverflies
Did you know hoverflies form an important group of pollinators? Read on to find out more about them from local hoverfly enthusiast Andy Pay.Photo: Andy Pay
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Soaprock and porcelain on the Lizard
The simple act of pouring boiling water into a cup belies a complex history; the origins of which partly lie in a stretch of coastline between Mullion Cove and Pentreath on the Lizard peninsular and the subsequent manufacture of Soft Paste Porcelain. For it was from these Serpentine cliffs during the 1680’s that samples of…
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Diary of a Pony-patter
I was at a social gathering several years ago wherein I fell into conversation with a rather grand woman who enquired what I did for a living. When she learned that I was a nature reserve warden she wished to know more of what that exactly involved. I launched into a lengthy talk about the…
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Common Butterwort
The delicate violet flowers of Common Butterwort can be spotted from May to July in boggier spots on The Lizard. Photo: Jerzy Strzelecki, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Base Map
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Spear Thistle
The tall and striking Spear Thistle comes into flower across The Lizard from July. Photo: © Natural England/Peter Roworth
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Oxeye Daisy
Hedges and verges are full of Oxeye Daisies glowing white and bright throughout the summer. Photo: Amanda Scott
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Grass Eggar
The sea-cliffs of the south-west, including those of The Lizard, are among the best places to find the Grass Eggar moth, a nationally scarce species. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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Swollen-thighed Beetle
Look out for the sparkling copper-green of the Swollen-thighed Beetle on flowerheads on hot sunny summer days. Photo: Amanda Scott
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Chrysotoxum elegans (hoverfly)
The striking and nationally scarce hoverfly Chrysotoxum elegans is often found near the coasts of south-west England and southern Wales. Poltesco is a good place to look for it. Photo: Andy Pay
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Western Bee-fly
The Western Bee-fly is a fairly rare species in the UK – it has been spotted on The Lizard, both near Kennack and at Poltesco. Photo: Tony Blunden
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Burnet Rose
Creamy-white Burnet Roses are everywhere on the coastal heaths from May through to July. Photo: © Natural England/Neil Pike
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Beautiful Demoiselle
Beautiful Demoiselle damselflies are on the wing from early summer until the early autumn. Photo: © Natural England/Chris Gomersall
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