Totternhoe Knolls, near Dunstable.

Today was the longest day of the year and what a glorious one. We decided to visit a site that I was aware of but had never visited before - Totternhoe Knolls, a small area of chalk hills close to the edge of Dunstable on the Beds/Bucks border. We were not disappointed. Butterflies were present in profusion and we saw plenty of day-flying burnet moths and the black and yellow-striped caterpillar of the cinnabar moth feeding on ragwort. The flora was also incredibly diverse. The highlight of the visit for me was hearing a corn bunting - a jangling 'song' that really reminds me of the South Downs of twenty years ago - but a far less familiar sound these days.We didn't hear any turtle doves although they were seen there in May. The trig point at the summit appears to be sited on the remains of an old hill fortification and affords great views to the north and towards the Chilterns in the South. I am sure we will be visiting this lovely spot again in the near future.