Tuesday 26th. June 2012

With a 'cloudy all day' forecast last night , and repeated this morning , I had arranged with Martin , the butterfly recorder for Hutchinson's Bank , to have a look at an orchid site that he had mentioned during last Saturday's walk . Needless to say the forecast proved wrong , they can't get anything right , with almost clear blue skies all morning . With that weather , and having some time in hand before meeting up with Martin , I just couldn't help myself , popping in to the Glanville Fritillary site , knowing that it will not be around for much longer . I searched the area where I had previously seen a single specimen on previous visits , but even with perfect butterfly weather , there was no

sign . Other species , Large Skipper , Meadow Brown , Small Heath , Marbled White -pictured , and Common Blue all showed up , but not the one I wanted . Time was running out , and I was searching with one eye , with the other watching the time . In the nick of time , once again a single specimen

flew in and landed on the path . A different specimen from those seen before looking back at previous shots , but the loss of hairs on the abdomen and worn white fringe on the wings , show he has been around for a good while now , could well be the last time I photograph the species this year , but I will look forward to hopefully find them next season . With that , he shot off and so did I to meet up with Martin around an electrical sub-station , not what I expected for an orchid site . But , as the old saying goes 'looks aren't everything' , the site came up trumps , with literally hundreds of Common-

spotted Orchids , this being just one small area few Pyramidal and a good number of Broad-leaved Helleborines , and a few 'wait till they flower' plants too . Also found on site was a single specimen of

Common Broomrape / Orobanche minor , and lots of specimens of a red stemmed , 2 mtr. high plant

with leaves clasping the stem , that I couldn't put a name to on site , but think it is Perennial Sow-Thistle / Sonchus palustris , a member of the Daisy family , but as always , stand to be corrected . As we left the site , we chatted to a chap who works there , who told us that it was originally a chalk quarry , before being levelled and the sub-station built . The banks where the orchids are growing was the surplus material from the levelling . Martin was going to do his transect at Hutchinson's Bank , so I gave him a lift , but couldn't leave without a look around . Plenty of Small Blues and Large Skippers

around , and also a first sighting of Small Skipper for the year , about time . Martin had mentioned 'another field , full of Small Blues' , on the golf course , beyond the Scout Camp . It sounded too good to miss , especially when Martin offered to show me where it was . From a distance , most of the

slope in front of us was yellow , and we agreed that 80% of that yellow was Kidney Vetch , absolutely unbelievable , and this shot is only a small part of the slope . We had a good look around and although windy , we found good numbers of Small Blues , then , as we made our way back down

the slope , I spotted what I have been hoping to find for ages , a mating pair . That really made my day , after photographing a mating pair of Large Blues last Tuesday , to get this pair today was brilliant , and thanks to Martin for showing me the site . I left Martin to do his transect , and headed home to take Carol shopping , arranged following that weather forecast , still in warm , sunny conditions . I know where I would rather have been , but by the time we finished shopping , the cloud had arrived , albeit late , and I suppose we do have to eat .