A bright start to the morning rounds and despite a steady westerly wind, the sunshine has brought plenty of butterflies to the wing.
Alongside Skipworth Meadow, dozens of Meadow Browns flutter along the hedgerow, above the flowers of Old Mans’s Beard, Bittersweet and Elder. At the base of the hedge, the beautiful fresh berries of Jack-in-the-Pulpit in contrasting shades of green, orange and red.
A Large White flutters past above the path, with a pair of Red Admirals circling the gateway into the Large Copse, where Speckled Woods dance in and out of the dappled shade along the path.
A beautiful view of a Large Skipper in the Saxon Field – perched motionless on a Rough Hawkbit flower displaying his vivid orange wings, with Small and Lulworth Skipper also seen.
By the time I reached the meadows, the sun was veiled with cloud, though still plenty of Marbled Whites weaving their way through the canopy of tall grasses, Ox-eye Daisies, Corky-fruited Water Dropwort and Bristly Ox-tongue. Near the Centre, a stunning black and gold Ringlet hovers above a patch of scrub – numbers of this once elusive species seem to be on the increase here.
Numbers of red and black Soldier Beetles are reaching their peak, with most Wild Carrot flowers covered in mating pairs, with Thick-kneed Flower Beetles also to be found in abundance, along with many shiny black Bloody-nose Beetles and tiny bronze Leaf Beetles.
Grasshoppers and Bush Crickets are growing fast, with a female Great Green Bush Cricket seen.
New plants in bloom include Field Scabious and Fleabane, while Pyramidal and Common Spotted Orchids can still be found in their thousands.