Saturday 2nd July 2022

It am the the weekend.

For the last two years, I have been dragging Jools to Warehorn so I can try to snap one of the UK's most elusive butterflies, the White Letter Hairstreak.

Last year I did see one, but it was 20m off the ground in the elm tree beside the canal.

I think over the two years, we must have gone at least six times, and to get a single distant view is most disappointing.

It was to be a fine, if breezy day. So, seemed perfect to go. Nice and early.

Only I fell back to sleep and stumbled out of bed at twenty past seven.

We have coffee. Breakfast and second coffee, and once the bird food had been put out, the washing hung out and we put our shoes on, it was time to go.

Jubilee Way as only just passable due to queueing lorries waiting to go into the port, but we got through after a scare, and so were able to go along Townwall Street and up the A20 to Folkestone.

Trucks were waiting in line all the way back to Capel, which a few years ago was typical, so maybe its just volume of traffic?

Along to Ashford, where I had thought of trying Sevington church, but due to traffic in the area I gave it a miss. The traffic is caused by the upgrading of the main road into town to cope with added freight traffic and new housing. Upgrade means a downgrade until built, so we inched our way through the cones and out onto the Brenzett road.

We turn off and drive through Ham Street, out the other side before turning through Warehorn where smokers were outside the Woolpack polluting the morning air. Over the level crossing and parking a little further on.

Would this be the day?

I grabbed the camera and my small camera bag with the big lens in case there were Turtle Doves to snap, and as I cam prepared, there were none.

Of course.

Once we passed under the railway bridge, Jools carried on walking getting her steps for the day, thus leaving me to scour the hedgerows and brambles for the legend that is the butterfly.

I climbed the bank and began to look. A single Comma was basking well, and I was about to grab a shot where I saw some movement to my right.

Despite it being a bright day, there were few butterflies about, but there was something moving on a bramble flower. I got a shot and realised it was the Hairstreak.

It took off at the sound of the camera, but settled nearby, not as close so I couldn't get perfect shots, but close enough to get shots more than adequate.

In fact the butterfly fed for over ten minutes, then crawled an inch to another flower where it fed for another ten minutes. I got lots of shots, not great, but good enough.

All done within ten minutes of arriving on site. Now where was Jools?

Jools was out of site, having walked round the bend in the canal, so I looked for more butterflies. There was a large number of Ringlets, a few Commas and Small Torties, as well as a few damsels species and either a Norfolk or Brown Hawker, which never settled.

Jools returned, so we walked back to the car. It was only ten to eleven.

OK if we go to Ham Street I asked.

It was.

So, a few minutes drive through Hame Street, turning off down the dead end road for the reserve.

After paying the fee, we walked into the resrve, and straight away pass two White Admirals basking. I failed to see the first one, but did get the second, and it seemed that this was going to be a butterfly-rich visit. Doubly so when I snapped a Silver-washed fritillary on a fern, but after that, I got nothing.

We walked to the intersection, then back. The strong sun seemed to have sent the insects to take shelter, so no Purple Hairstreaks either.

We walked back tot he car, and from there back onto the main road for the run back to Ashford, through the roadworks and back home.

I made bacon butties for lunch, as we had left before we could have them for second breakfast in the morning.

We rested for a few hours, because in the evening we were going out.

Out again with our neighbours, Bev and Steve, to the Dining Club in Deal.

We met outside at six, and Bev drove us into town, so we could go into the Just Reproach for a swifter or two before eating.

The bar was busy, but there was a table, I had a sweet IPA which reminded me of the Halloween ale Old Specked Hen made a few years back, which was an "aquired" taste, I liked that, but this was even sweeter, and a real struggle to finish the pint. So, for something different I had an imperial stout next, which was very tart and dry. And strong at 8.4%.

At seven we walked to the Club, were shown to a table on the ground floor, and our bottles of wine opened to allow them to breathe.

We had:

SHRIMP ASOPAO with PAN FRIED PRAWNS, VEGETABLE DIPS & SPICES.

BLACK BEAN SOUP with CORN BREAD, SOUR CREAM

TAQUITOS which were BLACK PORK, PIMENTOS, CRISPY CORN TORTILLA, SALAD LEAVES

A main course of TARADONE; SMOKED BEEF HACHE, SPICED RICE, GREEN SLAW, SUMAC SAUCE

And finally, PINEAPPLE MOJITO FOOL for dessert. SALT & CHILLI ROASTED PINEAPPLE.

We needed no cheese board.

The final two courses are hazy in my memory as the wine flowed for Steve and myself.

I believe I had a good time.

Bev drove us home, arriving at Chez Jelltex at ten to eleven. And straight to bed.