Thursday 7th May 2026

As you might have realised, the orchid season is in full swing now, with the "main" season now upon me, and there not being enough hours in the day to get round all the sites. Though I will try.

Thursday would be a hard phys day, with a session in the gym first, then a walk round the Barham site looking for certain orchids, then to Park Gate Down to check on the Monkeys before an unplanned stop at the cliffs to hunt for the Late Spider we missed on Tuesday.

And the weather was going to partly play ball. Starting off cloudy, then brightening up. But sadly we'd be out in the morning.

We were running ten minutes behind, so arrived at the sports centre at ten past six, but the two bikes were unoccupied, so we took one each and we began to peddle.

I did my 40 minutes, and once done, I waited for Jools outside as I tried to cool down, before we drove round to Tesco for supplies, which involved yet more steps.

Then back home for a shower and change. Breakfast and a brew.

So that by nine we were ready for the off.

Traffic on the A2 was busy as a ferry had just disgorged it's payload, so lorries struggling to the dual carriageway from Lydden onwards. We got through then took it easy, before slowing down to take the sharp turn down to the Black Robin and the woods beyond.

I walked up the bridleway, hoping that there's be Early purples as well as the Lesser butterfly in flower.

Sadly, where once were dozens of Early purples, including a good number of var. alba, there were only a handful, as encroaching vegetation had crowded most of them out. And even worse, the Lesser butterfly has put up no spike, so now flower on site this year.

I look nearby but find only Twayblades.

Over the road and there too vegetation is high, hiding most of the Lady Orchid rosettes. And while I was expecting dozens, if not more, flowering spikes, we found about twenty, and no var. alba, and with the season so advanced, that seems it is it.

Nearby I found the desiccated spikes of last year's Bird's-nests, then spot the emerging spikes of this year's plants, with one mostly already in flower.

Happy with that we walk back to the car, drive back to the village and go down the valley before heading up the old lane to Park Gate and the reserve beyond.

We had the place to ourselves for the hour we were there. And while elsewhere the early spring Primroses and Cowslips have gone to seed, at PGD Cowslips cover the side of the down, still in their prime.

Despite being inland, the reserve lies in an orientation so that the westerlies blow along it, making plants here flower a week or two later than elsewhere.

A Monkey is already in flower at the private site to the north, but I could only find three spikes, two of which were a few days from beginning to flower.

We walked to the far end to look for Fly, none seen in flower, but we could have missed the odd one. But did find about eight Greater butterfly spikes well developed.

Walking back Jools snapped a Small copper, and I chased a couple of Small heaths, but found them already too flighty to get close up shots of.

So back down the valley through Elham and Lyminge, back to the motorway and on to the coast, parking in the layby, at least this stop would take no more then ten minutes, if I could find the single Late spider flowering.

We walk up the path, and begin scanning the bank, until I saw what I had missed two days previously: a small plant, with white sepals, not pink, with a single flower.

I climbed over the fence, taking care not to step on any other plants, and get shots of the small plant.

The first of the few.

Happy with that we go back to the car and drive to the A20 and home through Dover, and lunch.

We warmed up the leftover Chinese from Monday, then feasted on the two remaining short cakes along with a huge brew.

Now, to relax.

17,000 steps and my legs let me know about it. My right knee stiffened up so I hobbled around for a while until I was mobile again.

Dinner was Caprese, with some very ripe tomatoes, and then the fresh basil making it most flavoursome. I cracked open a bottle of XV. And had a baguette to mop up the Balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Twas lovely.

There was more football on the radio for the evening, Villa v Forest for a place in a European final. And, and there's no easy way to say this Forest fans, your took one hell of a beating, with Villa winning 4-0.