Tuesday 4th June 2013

Sunday.

It was another glorious late Spring morning. There was a breeze blowing, but still, a wonderful day.

The plan was to head to Park gate and then see how time was going. As we left we got a call with an invite to a family BBQ, so that meant the orchid hunting would be curtailed. Anyway, we had six hours of stuff to do before grubs up.



First we headed to Fox Hill Down, to check on butterflies and orchids there. It is owned and maintained by the NT, and we are members, but early in the day there are no checks anyway. We drive to the top car park and out onto the down. The wind was really whistling, and there was no sign of butterflies or orchids. We watched the ferries come and go for a while and snap the castle on a neighbouring hill, just because it looked pretty as a picture.



We headed back to the car and headed for the Elham Valley to check on the monkeys. Monkey Orchids that is. They are very rare, you might remember me mentioning them last year, or not. Anyway, we know the way now, and it is with little fuss we turn off the main road and head up the narrow lanes to the meadow, park in the layby, and gather our cameras.



There were four people there, scattered right to the back of the furthest field, and at first there did not seem to be anything about. But, soon enough flashed of pink could be seen, and as I got into the second paddock, there were dozens, most still not open, or fully open. But some the upper blooms were open and it was worth getting down on my belly to get some really close up shots.



Macro-ama.

We then set off for Lydden Hill. Now, I heard that there were a rare blue butterfly to be found there, and we had seen a conservation sign against the fence beside the road. So, along narrow and winding lanes, we made our way eastwards. At one point we came a hill into the Elham Valley, through an ancient wood, and through the trees and stunning vista opened up, two fields of oil seed rape burned bright yellow in the strong sunlight. The trees framed the view and so we stopped in passing place to just stare then snap the scene. It may not sound much, but it was rather wonderful. I also saw a few butterflies flitting around and snapped a Speckled Wood.



Off then to Lydden; we found a parking place beside the old abandoned A2, now a duelled B road, one of very few one suspects. Anyway, we set off through the gate, the down rose at a 45 degree angle above us, but I thought I would stick to the base of it in the hope that some sheltered flat areas would open up. Which is what happened. I saw right off a number of blues flitting around, and so set about trying to snap them. I did get some shots, and then Jools pointed out a brown. I looked and thought it might be a skipper; and indeed it turned out to be a Dingy Skipper, common enough but the first time I had seen one, and it kindly sat on the very top of a long stem of grass, basking in the sun. It was like shooting fish in a barrel, I took my shots and got a few fine shot.



By now it was midday, and so we headed home for a brew and to review our shots of the morning before heading to Mike’s for the BBQ. It was a great afternoon, good food and company, but I was by now shattered again, so we went home at five. I baked some short cakes for supper, which seemed like a good idea at the time. And that was the weekend.

Gone.