Sunday 31st May 2020

The last day of May.

And the month has zipped by. Really.

And here we are on the cusp of the start of summer. Or something.

It was to be another glorious day, windy later, so if I was going to do some orchiding, best get out early.

And, amazingly, Jools did not want to come with me! She had planting in the garden to do, or something.

So, after coffee, I grabbed my stuff and was out and at the car park behind the old George and Dragon pub.

From there it is a heck of a hike up the down. Through the woodland, then up the side of the first meadow, up another track through trees until you reach a gate at the tree line.

From there it is a steady climb across two meadows, with away down below, the real world waking up. Two trains rattle along towards Canterbury, along the floor of the valley going towards the portal of Lydden tunnel. I turn back round and carry on climbing.

I had been hoping to see a few basking butterflies in the cool morning light, but maybe the wind was too keen, or that they are heavy sleepers, as I don't see any.

I reach the top of the second meadow, a brief restbite as the cattle track leads friend a shallow ravine, then up one last final short slope, and from there it was downhill. Other than the fact I would have to retrace my steps back once I was done photographing.

That's the way it is.

I pass a lady sitting with her dog. She was on her mobile, apparently more interesting than the view over the valley below. I beg to differ, but what do I know?

Finally into Lydden reserve, with a few Fragrant Orchid spikes on each side, none in bloom though. I had come out to search for Bee Orchids. I had failed to find any here a week ago, and at Sandwich Bay and Pegwell Bay, so the two unopened spikes I found back then was my last hope!

Also I could do one last search for the Burnt Tip. But of that, there was no trace. And so all I had to do was find two tiny spikes on the side of the down!

I thought I could remember where I saw them, but see none. However, I walked round a few steps, out of sight of the path, and there were two spikes, one with the flowers already dry, but the other fine.

And as I looked, more spikes, six or seven in the end, and all in good state and well worth photographing.

Which I do. Of course.

And after one last look for the Burnt Tip, I sigh and begin to walk up the down, a shallower climb, and my back grumbles less.

And before I know it, I am standing at the top of the two meadows, with an easy descent back to the car park, dodging the scatter dog shit and dog shit bags. The lockdown has made other things worse too.

I decide to go via Western Heights on the way home, as there is a butterfly there, and orchids, of course. The butterfly is the Small Blue, the UK's smallest, but a conservation project has seen them thrive above Dover.

I have to say, in all my time, butterfly or orchid hunting, this was the easiest. I park the car up Military Road, walk to the other side of the road, up the small bank, look down and there is one basking.

Snap!

I chase a few more round and take shots of the Common Spotted spikes that were just coming into flower.

I also get more shots of the butterflies, and am done.

So, I drive back through town, then up past the castle, along to the Duke of Yorks and back home. All done by ten in the morning.

For lunch, I decide to try some fusion cooking: roast beef, Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes, served with gravy and stir fried vegetables. And, it worked very well.

Especially with the second from last bottle of pink fizz.

And then the hardest part is trying to stay awake all afternoon. Which I am not successful with if I'm honest.

We are getting quite good of letting time slip through our hands. And soon enough it was evening, we have cold roast beef rolls, a hot brew and an ice cream, and then Uckers.

Jools wins.

And as ever, the weekend is rounded off with a session on Twitter uploading shots for #wildflowerhour.

And, once again, that was the weekend gone.