20th May - Martin Down, Hampshire: Birds, Animals and Orchids

We finally were getting some summer weather, a day at Longleat on Friday was negotiated in sunshine and clouds and we only encountered rain as we drove home.  It seemed like there had been quite a bit of overnight rain as I drove to Martin Down to meet Ian.  I suspected he would be there early and I was right, pulling into the lower car park his van was there, empty.  As I started to get ready I saw him walking down the slope and when he arrived in the car park he announced he had seen two Turtle Doves!  When I had been here two weeks previously I had only heard one calling from a distance, so I hoped I would manage to see on this morning.

Martin Down at this time of year has much to entertain, grassland specialty birds, Brown Hare, many butterflies and some special orchids.  The net result of this is many photographs and that was definitely the case on this day.  As a result I have decided to split the record of the day into two posts, this one for the birds, animals and orchids, while the second post will focus on the butterflies and other insects both at Martin Down and Bentley Wood, which is on the Hampshire Wiltshire border the other side of Salisbury.

Walking up the slope towards the main hawthorn and blackthorn copse, the most likely location of the Turtle Doves and where Ian had seen them earlier.  Despite the early time, the sun was quite high in the sky, however the north easterly wind put a chill in the air,  The light was wonderful as always.

Unfortunately there was no sight or sound of the Turtle Doves, once again the Woodpigeon occupied the prime elevated branches of the hawthorn to take in the morning sunshine.  There was also plenty of bird song, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and a Garden Warbler, that we thought was singing from the top of a tree, but it turned out to be a Chiffchaff.

We waited but after awhile we concluded that the early visit was the best time to catch the doves and I had missed out.  As we made our way up to the Bokerly ditch a Red Kite drifted over and a single Raven flew over calling.

At the ditch there were signs of the Greater Butterfly Orchids, but nothing in flower.  Along the lane there was still a few Early Purple Orchids.  A Yellowhammer sang from one of the short bushes close by.

Looking back down the path there was a Brown Hare sitting in the sunshine, taking in the morning sunshine, you could just see it between two bushes.

On the other side of the ditch a Corn Bunting was singing from the top of another bush.

In full jingly jangly song.

The view as we set off to once again walk the ditch.  The grass was very wet from both the overnight rain and a heavy dew, but faced with a clear blue sky and a positive forecast we were very optimistic for the day.

The view looking east towards the clump of trees on Windmill Hill.

There was very little of interest as we descended towards the crossroads with the Jubilee Trail.  Arriving at the footpath there were Chiffchaff singing along with a Blackcap.  Two weeks ago there was no sign of any Spotted Flycatcher along the path, however this morning we were in luck as one appeared on the fence, but then promptly flew back into the trees.

We could hear Spotted Flycatcher calling, but we couldn't see them, this was around an open space with plenty of perches from which to fly catch. A Firecrest was singing in the background and there were fleeting glimpses as it moved through the conifer trees.

Then a Spotted Flycatcher appeared on one of the obvious branches.

The spotted flycatcher is a songbird (really stretching it with a very insipid song) of open woodland, parks and gardens. It has a relatively long tail, which it flicks while it sits patiently on a perch waiting for a chance to fly out and catch its insect-prey mid-air.

A streaky, greyish-brown bird, the Spotted Flycatcher is pale underneath, with a streaky crown and breast.

Spotted Flycatchers are one of the latest summer migrants to return to the UK, they don't reappear on their breeding territories until May or even June, and may only be around for a couple of months,  just long enough to rear their young.

It then flew from the the right hand side of the open glade to a perch on the other sie.

It then flew off back into the trees and out of sight.  We headed up the path checking the fields on the right hand side.  There was no sign of any Hare, the fields being occupied mostly by Rook.  In the plantation itself we could hear Song Thrush, Blackcap, yet another Firecrest and Chiffchaff.  Reaching the end of the plantation we came across a field of bright yellow rapeseed.

A bit of a marmite situation, some love the beauty of the yellow fields forming a patch work across the landscape, while others suffer badly from the pollen and heady scent.  Interestingly I was advised if you suffer then a good treatment is to find local honey that would have formed from Rapeseed pollen, and it works, where once I suffered badly today there is no problem.

a nice contrasting background, the dark of the plantation.

Water droplets were caught on the stems of the rapeseed adding a sparkling effect o the flowers.

On the far side a group of Roe Deer were grazing.

Making our way back the Firecrest was singing once again, and this time we were able to get a very brief view.

As we continued the walk alongside the ditch, butterflies started to emerge, but that will be addressed in the next post.  We made our way to the next footpath crossroads.  Two weeks ago there was no sign of the Burnt Tip Orchids, so it was a big surprise to see several clumps of this beautiful orchid.

The Burnt Orchid has suffered a massive decline in the past 50 years due to habitat loss and destruction. In Wales there is only one site where it still occurs, and it is hanging on in around 70 managed sites around the UK.

It is classified as endangered on the Red List of threatened orchids in the UK.  Its specific habitat requirements of unimproved chalk grassland has been the cause of its downfall as modern agricultural practice, reliant on herbicide and pesticide chemicals, has replaced traditional farming methods.

The common name 'burnt' refers to the appearance of the flowerhead when in bud: the flowers open from the bottom upwards and the buds on the upper part, which are a rich dark maroon, remain tightly closed, giving the impression of a singed tip.

Very little is known about pollination, but the earlier flowering Burnt Orchids appear to be pollinated by small flies which are probably attracted by the colour and scent of the flowers, since the plant does not produce nectar with which to reward pollinators.

As we walked the ditch we were constantly coming across Stonechats their call ringing out from either side of the ditch due to their concern that we were getting too close to the location of their nest.  In this mode they show well and it is a chance to photograph them, the male looking splendid.

Corn Buntings are late breeders and the males were singing from every vantage point to declare their territories.

This one singing from the top of a hawthorn bush covered in white blossom.

Almost like having a bower.

It is the start of the flowering season for the Common Spotted Orchid and the first always seem to be found in the ditch around the area of the metal box, just before you reach the old rifle ranges.

The short grass area in front of the rifle range still had a few Early Purple Orchids, but many were past their best.

We had been advised that there was a Green Hairstreak in the area and as we searched, in vain, we were scolded by a pair of Stonechat once again.

A small, dumpy chat, the stonechat is a little smaller than a robin. It has a big head and short tail. It can frequently be seen sitting on the top of gorse bushes, flicking its wings and making a call like two small stones being hit together.

The male Stonechat has a black head, brown back, black throat with a white half-collar, and orange-red breast. Females and juveniles are paler. Darker than the similar whinchat, the stonechat does not have a pale eye stripe or pale patches at the base of the tail.

We started our walk back down the ditch and came across this male Linnet, normally they fly off but this one was prepared to show off for once.

Linnets are named after their favourite food: seeds. Their common name comes from linseed, which is the seed of Flax, while their Latin name, Linaria cannabina, refers to hemp.

We flushed at least three pairs of Grey Partridge from the long grass, at least one pair flew over the bank of the ditch.  The walk was now about the butterflies as the day warmed up.

As we reached the area where the ditch climbs the hill it is always worthwhile to look back and take in the view, a landscape today of lush greens, the yellow gorse and the white blossom or may of the hawthorn.

At this time of year this place can be quite magical.

As we headed down the path back to the car park a Skylark sang from a nearby bush.

plenty were singing in the sky, but they are also quite prepared to cheat and sing from a bush or post.

That was it for the birds, we left after lunch for Bentley Wood.  Once again Martin Wood had delivered, further details of the butterflies we found can be seen in the next post.