Friday 24th May 2024

Back home, then.

I have midge and mozzy bites on my ankles, so I slept poorly, and then snoozed until after seven, which made it seem like an OK night's sleep.

After coffee, and fruit, I decided we should go to Park Gate Down, as I had a feeling, correct as it turned out, that the Monkeys would not be lasting long.

Traffic, expected to be dreadful over the weekend, was at normal levels, so we drove along the A2 to Barham and then down to the Elham Valley Road, and along to Elham itself, turning off just before we reached the vllage.

Other than a twitcher and a group doing a survey for KWT, there were few on the reserve, so I walked up and came across those doing the survey, who were struggling to tell the difference between Common Spotted and Chalk Fragrant Orchids. They asked me, so I explained.

Look out for the Monkeys I said. Yes, there's one further in the reserve they said. Oh, there's more than one, and within 30 seconds I found a couple so called them over to see.

Not sure if the guy from KWT was happy with my intervention, but it was done.

Anyway, indeed the Monkeys no longer have that bubblegum pink colour, instead are darker, showing that they are already going to seed. In some years they have hardly been out by this date, and in 2024, they're fading fast.

A few CSOs in partial flower, and a multitude of Chalk Fragrants about to bloom covering the down.

Monkey numbers seem to be down this year, which could just be the ebb and flow of the seasons, let's not panic yet.

In the third paddock I found several Fly Orchids also on their last legs, and further still, two spikes of Greater Butterfly, one already darkening at the edges, but the second a fine example.

I have been having trouble with my trainers, and so too again this day, as I turn my right foot over too easy in them, and so strain the tendons on top of my foot.

I work through the pain, looking for Musk Orchids in the usual places, but its still early in the season for them.

I walk back to where Jools was waiting, then we walk to the car and drive back to Dover, going to Tesco on the way, to save the job on Saturday morning.

I did forget to say, that last we passed by here last weekend, I thought I saw a spike of White Helleborine, so we stopped to check it out, and as a reward found seven spikes in total, though most going to seed already.

Yes, it was mad and jammed, but we got what we wanted, and was back in time for lunch, which was pork pie and coleslaw.

I managed to while the afternoon away, doing nothing at all. Which is the kind of afternoon you want when on holiday, a good way to ease into the weekend.

There was a mess up with the quiz, and so I gave up and we went to Jen's early, so we could have over three hours of cards after we had pizza and wine for supper.