Most easily distinguishable from its close relative the Sea Spurge by its red-tinted “flowers”, the Portland Spurge confines itself to the Western and South-Western coastline of England and Wales or the Eastern coast of Northern Ireland and Eire.

What can I come up with that’s interesting about Rock Pipits? Well….er…. for a start, I’d like to be able to say that in order to get this particular photograph, I was forced to scramble across extremely jagged and highly dangerous rocky out-croppings and gullies for at least three or four hours just to catch the briefest glimpse of such a normally shy and reclusive character….However, the truth is, I had to practically fight this little blighter off with a big stick just to keep him from stealing my beloved ginger cake while I was sitting down out of the wind to eat my lunch! Mmm, they don’t ever mention things like that in the text books do they!?!