BACK FROM THE BRINK

On the journey home I planned a small diversion to Collards Hill in Somerset where the Large Blue has been successfully reintroduced after becoming extinct in the UK in1979

BUTTERFLY ORCHID

Since 2001 it has bred here and is doing very well,conditions seem to be perfect for them with hundreds of ant hills present.The caterpillars trick the ants into believing they are ant grubs and are taken into the ant colony where they live for the next ten months by eating the real ant grubs before emerging in June as an adult.I was lucky to find a mating pair that provided the perfect photo opportunity.This site was also pretty good for orchids,appropriately the Butterfly orchid was among them.It has been a busy week with fair weather,good accommodation, good food, but above all good beer in good pubs.GOODNIGHT.