Horseshoe Plantation and Beachy Head - 14th June

A warm sunny June day on Beachy Head. First stop Horseshoe Plantation where the ponies have really now heavily grazed the area immediately to the east of Belle Tout wood and so there are relatively few butterflies there. Fortunately the area to the west is untouched and so plenty of butterflies here including Large Skipper, Common Blue, the occasional worn Adonis Blue, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Grizzled Skipper, Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Dark Green Fritillary and Marbled White. There are also a few Bee Orchids at the top of the hill but they really are quite stunted with small flowers.

male Adonis Blue

male Common Blue

Grizzled Skipper

Large Skipper & Brown Argus

Large Skipper

Small Copper

At Shooters Bottom I found my first Small Tortoiseshells in this area - they clearly are having a very good year everywhere.

Small Tortoiseshell

Small Tortoiseshell

Finally over to Whitbread Hollow at the eastern end of Beachy Head in the area surrounding the football pitches. The grazing cattle here have now been moved on which should allow the grass to grow. Some Small Skippers and a single Grizzled Skipper as well as Large Skippers. Hopefully Essex Skippers will be here soon. Also the occasional Adonis Blue still flashing its electric blue colours.

Grizzled Skipper

Grizzled Skipper

Large Skipper

Small Skipper

Didsbury - 1st to 7th June

This week the Northern Marsh Orchids on the edge of Stenner Woods were really at their peak with >100 spikes now visible and in full flower. The Yellow Iris around the pond also looked very colourful as well as the Water-forget-me-not in the damper parts of Stenner Woods.

Northern Marsh Orchid

Northern Marsh Orchid

Northern Marsh Orchid

Northern Marsh Orchid

Northern Marsh Orchid

Water-forget-me-not

Yellow Iris

Ainsdale Dunes - 7th June

A week of cooler and wetter weather seemed to have had a positive effect on the orchids at Ainsdale Dunes. The Bee Orchids at the entrance to the reserve were now in full flower and there were noticeably more Northern Marsh Orchids and especially Early Marsh Orchids with a few Pyramidal Orchids starting to common into flower. One unusual Early Marsh Orchid had distinctly spotted leaves and so I assume this is a hybrid Early Marsh x Common Spotted Orchid. Other flowers I noticed included Biting Stonecrop, Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea and Common Restharrow. Common Blues, Dark Green Fritillaries and Small Heaths were the most frequently encountered butterflies.

Bee Orchid

Bee Orchid

Northern Marsh Orchid

Pyramidal Orchid

Early Marsh x Common Spotted Orchid

Early Marsh Orchid

Common Restharrow

male Common Blue

Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea

Biting Stonecrop

Small Heath

Warton Crag & Gait Barrows - 2nd June

Another trip up to Warton Crag where the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries were still around although with reduced numbers compared to a couple of weeks ago. However some pristine Dark Green Fritillaries were on the wing including one that was very obliging and regularly settled. Also a few Northern Brown Argus as well as Dingy Skippers and Common Blues.

male Dark Green Fritillary

male Dark Green Fritillary

male Dark Green Fritillary

Northern Brown Argus

male Common Blue

Prior to visiting Warton Crag I dropped in at Gait Barrows to scout for possible Dark-red Helleborines. I found one likely candidate not yet in flower but made a note of its location for a return visit. In the neighbouring meadows there were some very attractive Northern Marsh Orchids. Other notable flowers included Bloody Cranesbill and Green Spleenwort.

Dark-red Helleborine

Northern Marsh Orchid

Bloody Cranesbill

Green Spleenwort

Ainsdale Dunes - 31st May

A warm and sunny day and the first trip of the year to Ainsdale Dunes to see the flowers and butterflies. Compare to this time last year there seemed to be fewer Early Marsh and Northern Marsh Orchids in flower, perhaps a consequence of the very warm and dry weather in May. The first of the Bee Orchids were just beginning to flower and we also found a couple of Round-leaved Wintergreen which are a speciality of this area. There is also a fair amount of Asparagus dotted throughout the reserve and Sea Spurge. Also our first Dark Green Fritillaries of the year - as with all butterflies in 2020, an early sighting.

Round-leaved Wintergreen

Asparagus

Asparagus

Sea Spurge

Northern Marsh Orchid

Northern Marsh Orchid

Northern Marsh Orchid

Bee Orchid

Bee Orchid

Stockbury Hill Wood & Queendown Warren - 28th May

Thanks to the very friendly man I met at Yockletts Bank a couple of days ago who told me about the five Lesser Butterfly Orchids at Stockbury Hill Wood near Maidstone in Kent. They turned out to be quite easy to find, just off the main path, with a couple of spikes just about in perfect condition. There were also a few Lady Orchids still in flower although most were past their best.

Lesser Butterfly Orchid

Lesser Butterfly Orchid

Lesser Butterfly Orchid

Lesser Butterfly Orchid

Lesser Butterfly Orchid

Lesser Butterfly Orchid

Lady Orchid

Later in the morning I drove to nearby Queendown Warren NNR where the Adonis Blues were out in good numbers together with some Common Blues, 1 Grizzled Skipper and my first Large Skipper of the year. There were also a few Man Orchids dotted around the reserve and the Fragrant Orchids were just starting to come into bloom.

female Adonis Blue

Grizzled Skipper

male Adonis Blue

Man Orchid

Man Orchid