BONSAI BANK HOLIDAY

According to the weathergirls monday was the only day this week with any sunshine,so I headed to the Hoe to do a butterfly transect and found a few wall browns, small heaths,dingy skippers and small whites.The early spider orchids have been very late this spring but eventually put up 8500 blooms and they are still worth a visit.

EARLY SPIDER ORCHID

SMALL HEATH

DINGY SKIPPER

 

WALL BROWN

 

After completing the transect I headed for Denge Wood to try for the Duke of Burgundy Fritillary,and on reaching Bonsai Bank found several specimens on the wing.

THE DUKE

OF BURGUNDY FRITILLARY

Males have four walking legs and females have six so I guess this is a male,

and this one too.

There were lots of Lady Orchids on the bank and Early Purple orchids in the woodland on the way from Garlinge Green as well as Bluebells still in bloom.

LADY ORCHID

EARLY PURPLE ORCHID

BLUEBELL

YELLOW ARCHANGEL

There were nightingales,willow warblers,blackcaps and chiffchaffs in song here too.

Since monday the sun has kept well hidden and looks likely to stay that way until next monday,one ray of hope I can remember the spring of 1976 being similar and that turned out not a bad summer.