Sunday 6th May 2018

I spoke the other day about how the early spring flowers are now but a memory. What I wasn't really expecting was how quickly the bluebells that have been carpeting the ancient woods in southern England, have peaked and are now quickly setting seed. Where we were expecting peak bluebell this weekend, instead we have been greeted with mostly a carpet of green and million upon million of fattening seed heads.

How quickly the time goes.

And with the bluebells, the Early Purples will fade too, although in most places they still look splendid.

The plan for Sunday was have breakfast and go out. And as a man on a mission, after checking the net first thing, I make bacon butties, more brews as Jools has a shower and gets ready. We are all eaten, cleared up, washed up and packing cameras by quarter to eight.

There is a county full of orchids out there, let's do it.

Our target is Yocklett's Bank, a reserve on chalk down, stretching about a mile long, and heavily wooded. It is home to several orchid species, but most of all, Fly.

Even without orchids, there are butterflies, and other plants. And if you're early enough, you might see a deer. We were not early enough, but once I had reversed into the small parking space, we got out, loaded up with three cameras each, and set to check on the nearby group of Lady Orchids. After some searching, Jools spotted them, nearly obscured by other vegetation, but several putting up substantial spikes, and will be in flower within the week.

Up the track to the clearing where there are a few Early Purples; most are fading now, but the surrounding bluebells are almost all gone to seed. Quite a surprise even though we saw the same on Saturday.

Further along we came to the sloping meadow. It was still in shade, so no chance of seeing a Green Hairstreak flying about, but by the time we do the circuit the other side, there might be.

Down back through the wood, we find several flowering Fly spikes, with many, many more to open in the next week or so. Some even in patches of sunlight which made the photographing of them much easier, and really brought out the colours of the tiny flowers.

Needless to say, I stopped to take many pictures, some of which might even be good.

Over the other side, and up the steep track to the top meadow, checking on the other rosettes that we know are there: Lady, Fly and Greater Butterfly, and a colony of Herb Paris, almost none of which having the expected number of four leaves.

Near to the meadow Jools spots a stunning Fly, with three open blooms, which I then snap from all angles, sometimes ten times, just to make sure.

And as you walk into the meadow, you see a row of for Lady mostly fully in flower, looking incredible in the bright sunshine. I snap a few of them, because they're there.

We walk into the northern wood, now almost totally green now that the bluebells had gone to seed. A few EPOs are hanging on, including the nice group of bi-coloured ones deep in shade, which I snapped last year, so just let be this.

We walk down the bank, then along the lower path, back to the road, then along to the meadow again, where the plan was to rest a while to see if the Green Hairstreaks were about. We wait five, maybe ten minutes, then I see a brown butterfly on the wing, wrong colour, but the right size. So I get up to investigate once it lands.

I creep over and sure enough, basking in the sunshine is a fine Green Hairstreak. I get down to snap it a couple of times, but it flies off. But I know it is still early and cool with the sun having only just hit the meadow. The butterfly would be low on energy, and so the third time it settled, it stayed. So I was able to sink down to the grass, and inch ever closer until I got some good close up shots.

Happy with that result, we walk back to the car, drive along the bottom road, back up the Gogway(!) and to Stelling to collect some refreshments to tide us over until we got home. Mostly something to drink. We do eat ice cream sitting on the bench outside the shop, me amazed at how close drivers seem to need to park to the shop so to use their legs as little as possible.

Final call is Park Gate Down, home of the Monkey, though too early to see one in flower this season. But we were close, and why not visit?

Jools stays near the entrance and reads while sitting on a blanket, as I go on an orchid hunt.

I look for Monkey rosettes, finally finding on after about ten minutes, its spike just beginning to form.

Further on there are lots of EPOs, though not large, its a good show for here, where the wind whistles down the valley from the west always making it feel cold.

I search for Fly, but find no spikes, and the single Lady could not be found either, but there were a good half dozen Greater Butterfly rosettes forming, which should look great in a couple of weeks.

I walk back and meet Jools at the gate; it was now in the mid-20s, and too warm to be lugging cameras up and down downs. So we go home, back to Folkestone, onto the A20 and home. The port traffic still incredibly light for a bank holiday.

And back in time to listen to the last round of Championship games, although, in the end, I shouldn't have bothered, as City were crushed 5-1 by Wednesday. In other games, the two relegation spots were fought over, but two late goals from Bolton meant they survived so Burton and Barnsley went down.

So I begin to cook dinner; roast beef and the usual trimmings. I was regretting saying I would cook roast on the warmest day of the year, but with the door and windows open, not too bad.

And the roast was great too, with steamed veg, mashed swede, roast potatoes and Yorkshires; lovely meal.

By then it was seven in the evening, and the day had slipped by, but we had done so much, and we still had a day left which to fill with stuff. Orchid stuff, I grant you.