Saturday 4th August 2018

And like an old friend, here comes the weekend, always a welcome sight.

With the orchid season nearly over, my thoughts to turn to other things, like butterflies, and a species I snapped on the last morning before we went on our holiday to America last year, the Silver Spotted Skipper. I know where it can be found, its on the wing now, so lets get hunting!

But first, of course, there is shopping to do, so its off to Tesco we go, but not before a detour to the cliffs to check on the last orchid of the season at the Monument. After a ten minute search, there was no sign, but it is still early. I see a cyclist coming up the road, waving like crazy, I turn to see who he is waving to, but there appears to be no one. I carry on searching.

Hi mate.

Its my orchid-hunting friend, Mark, having cycled from Faversham to Dover and now doing the coast route back home. He is in practice for a charity ride from London to Brighton, I think he is already capable of doing that, but hey. We swap news after shaking hands, and after a couple of snaps, he is off.

We get back in the car and drive to Whitfield, ready to do battle in unarmed combat for the last pint of milk or something. SOmehow its another hundred quid shop, but there is beer in with it as well, as I have worked my way through the two crates I got in Belgium. Its been thirsty work.

We were round ad loading the car by half nine, and back home having had breakfast by ten. Jools said she had some work to do in the garden, so I was on my own.

Traffic is light for a Saturday morning at the beginning of August, I turn inland to go to Temple Ewell, turning behind the old pub the the car park where there was just the one other car. I strap on my camera, tighten my belt and begin to climb up the down, first up the set of steps into the wood, then up the path with is inside a hedge, pausing to go to the meadow above the village, as this is where there should be many butterflies I was hoping for some Adonis Blues, as the second brood should have hatched. I saw what seemed like hundreds of blues, but the only Adonis was a single female. The male Common Blues were so bright having just emerged, they needed some careful study to see the hind wing marking to check that they were not Adonis.

I take many shots, follow so many brightly coloured blues, but it was already so warm that few were basking.

So I turn back to the path under the trees, and walk to the top of the down, where once through a gate there is just open grassland, and all above the grass were butterflies. Mostly Common Blues and Chalkhills, but Gatekeepers mixed in, a Small Heath or two, but I was looking for something different.

After ten minutes I see one, flying close to the grass, and sandy orange in colour, I get a shot as it rested on a small Field Scabious, before it is off again.

I see two more, the second I follow until it rests, and so getting down low and sliding down the slope, I get some side shots of the Skipper, showing the pale diamond pattern.

Job done.

I walk back down to the car park, now realising how hot and humid it was, even with a slight breeze.

Once back home, time to review the shots, and prepare lunch after helping JOols pick up the hedge clippings.

Lunch is insalata, with cold beer. Its the law on a day like this.

And despite it being high summer, it is the start of the new football season, so I will be following the game via the radio and Twitter, only the beer had gone to my head and I needed a lay down.

The second half was exciting, the Birmingham taking the lead against City, then Norwich drawing level with less than ten minutes to go. In the last minute, Brum score again, and it seems that it is another familiar story. In the 6th minute of injury time, City pull level again, to get a share of the points. Although not a win, is not a defeat either.

We have tapas for dinner; ready made ones that just needed warming up, but good enough, and very good with some ice cold beer, whilst watching Monty on TV.

In the evening, we watch Hot Fuzz, which was much better than I remember it to be honest, and had several laugh out loud moments.

Just time to sit on the patio and sip a wee dram as planes fly high over the house.