Whilst it has been dry and sunny, a cool north easterly wind had taken the edge of the temperature and if you were caught in the breeze it could be cool. All that was to change and as I arrived at the car park at Martin Down it was very still with a beautiful blue sky.
We were back again and over the last three weeks since we were last here there has been some considerable change. Gone is the white blossom in the hawthorn bushes, the grass has grown with long strands swaying lightly as far as the eye could see and the dropwort was flowering in a sure sign we were now in summer.
Ian and I set off on the same path heading towards the Bokerley Ditch and alongside the path were several pink orchids. These were not the widespread Common Spotted Orchid, but Fragrant Orchids. There are three types of fragrant orchids, two of which can be found here at Martin Down, the Chalk Fragrant and Marsh Fragrant. This was the Marsh Fragrant Orchid.
The spike is generally taller than it is wide. Here you can see the flowers where the lip is wider than long and the sepals are usually unrolled and held out straight. While the name implies they like damp conditions they can be found in calcareous grassland as is the habitat here.
We had hoped to hear the purring of a Turtle Dove in the main plantation, but once again all we could see were many Wood Pigeons at the top of the bushes.
A Cuckoo called away in the distance and looking east the scene was so different, the ant hills that were visible three weeks agao were now obscurred by the grass.
Two Roe Deer were walking through the long grass, the scene taking on an image of the antelope in an African savannah.
We made our way up the hill towards the ditch with a lovely view behind us as the sun began to influence the temperature.
As we approached the ditch we could hear a Tree Pipit singing and picked it up as it parachuted down and into a leafless tree.
We edged closer, the Tree Pipit in a tree on the other side of the ditch.
They are not regular here so it was nice to catch up with one that was showing well.
One of the reasons for returning at this time of year was for the orchid specialties. Right in front of us was one of those, the Greater Butterfly Orchid.
The Greater Butterfly Orchid stands out amongst the grassland due to the large white flowers. It favours calcareous soils in ancient and coppiced woodland, but is equally at home on open rough downland and grazed hill pastures.
The lip usually curves backwards in the Greater Butterfly, while the Lesser points straight down. However the two species very rarely co-occur. A more reliabele distinguishing feature is the pollinia. In the Greater these are widely spaced and angled as can be seen here. In the Lesser they close together and parallel.
The Tree Pipit was still singing and I climbed the side of the ditch to get a closer look, while the pipit watched my approach it didn't stop singing.
It is possible to see the long hind claw on the feet.
I clambered back down the slope to be told the first butterflies of the day had been seen, a Meadow Brown and Small Heath and it was only 6:30 am.
I went back to the Greater Butterfly Orchids with some lovely black backgrounds.
A view from the bottom of the ditch looking through the grass with the orchids spread amongst them.
We left the orchids and started the regulation walk down the side of the ditch with the sun now quite high on our right.
More Marsh FragrantOrchids in the grass around the ditch.
We were starting to see butterflies that were warming up amongst the grass.
A rather bedraggled Adonis Blue.
A Small Heath that appears to be defying gravity and floating above the leaf.
It doesn't seem possible that just under two months ago we both were excited at the scratchy song of the Whitethroat being sung from a gorse bush on Oxey Marsh. Last week we heard them along the coastal path and didn't give them a second thought, here, today they were singing almost everywhere.
This male showed well in amongstthe Dog Rose that were in bloom along the ditch.
It then moved to the top of the branch.
The ditch now winds down towards the crossroads with the Jubilee Trail and on our right two Roe Deer, that looked like they were the two deer we had seen earlier on the side of the grassed slope, came bounding through the grass and eventually crossed in front of us and then away into the plantation.
In the sheltered area around the crossroads a Brown Argus, again looking rather worn was sunning on sum trefoil.
An immaculate newly emerged Knapweed, more of which later.
As we always do we turned to walk between the fields and the plantation. We only had a brief view of a Spotted Flycatcher on the fence, but it disappeared into the wood. A little further along we could see Brown Hares in the field, some running around while others were stretched out in the grass.
The footpath then reaches a track that comes in from the left hand side, further along the track there was a Hare sitting up right on the path. When I framed this I thought it looked like a scene from a children's book and captures the magic of the Brown Hare beautifully.
Several Brown Hare then appeared on the path and we could see that they were young "teenager" Hares and that they were looking to play or reherse what they would be up to next spring. They chased each other around the field, twisting and turning and every sooften jumping into the air to avoid each other.
Then some movement on the ground quite close to us caught my eye, at first I thought it was a Rabbit, but then realised it was a much smaller Hare, probably youndg enough to still be called a Leveret.
It was quietly eating close to the fence and gate. It seemed to know we were there but I have seen this before with Hare, they look like they have clocked you, then go and do something stupid and come closer.
Which is what this little fella did, he crawled under the fence and came on to the path in front of us.
If it was concerened it didn't stop it from chewing away.
Then it turned and walked even closer to us, sitting down on the track and again looking at us.
It was adorable, the feet and ears look far to big for it and it was as if it was still coming to terms with them.
It then started to come even closer and I couldn't resist squatting down to see how close it would come. It then realised that maybe it needed to back off and it did, turning and moving up the track.
Being the smallest it seems it was the target for the other hares and suddenly it was being chased, taking a loop out into the field and then coming back on to the track further up the hill, being chased towards us.
The little one managed to shake off the chaser by heading out into the centre of the field, but others were coming down the track, again completely oblivious of us as they ran directly at us.
Ears forward...
Then stop when it realised we were there.
A case of who blinks first
But the Hare did and it turned, slipped under the fence and headed out into the field. We walked to the end of the plantation where the rapeseed that was in full bloom three weeks ago was now just seed pods.
Coming back we came across some of the hares once again.
This one a little older, but still I suspect one of this year's leverets.
Close enough now for a portrait.
And a black and white close up on the magical eye.
The ears still with a mind of their own.
It was a wonderful Hare experience, they never fail to deliver.
Coming back onto the ditch we were now expecting butterflies as weturned left and headed towards the rifle ranges. Looking across the grasslands they appared very dry, almost like the Masai Mara
There were plenty of Small Heath on the wing now.
One or two Small Blue, but they were very worn, coming to the end of their season.
A butterfly at the start of its season is the Meadow Brown and here one was still drying out its wings.
Like the Small Blue, the Adonis Blue were comingto the end of their first season, the males looking a little worn.
At this time of year you would expect to see Pyramidal Orchids, this one was just emerging, still a bud.
An Adonis looking in better condition which could mean maybe it was a female.
Looking out of the ditch through the Dropwort with Windmill Hill in the background.
At the next crossroad of footpaths we came across this Cinnabar Moth.
Cinnabar moths start life as yellow and black caterpillars and are particularly fond of munching on ragwort plants. Their bright colours warn predators that they’re poisonous, but they only build up their poison after feeding on the ragwort. The caterpillars spend the winter as cocoons on the ground before emerging as moths in the summer.
We had seen the Burnt Tip Orchids three weeks ago when there were quite a few in bloom. I wished I had taken a photograph from above then, so fortunately there were one or two about and I was able to take the shot I wanted, showing the "burnt tip".
A little away from the orchid I was taken by the seed head of a dandelion.
Another day flying moth, the Five Spot Burnet. There is a seperate species called the Narrow Bordered Five Spot Burnet, but with the wings so tightly closed it is difficult to say if this is one
A Yellowhammer singing from the top of the hawthorn bush.
A Coomon Spotted Orchid in the grazed area by the rifle ranges. Looks very nice with the black background.
We walked past the ranges and there were several Skylark coming up from the grass to sing.
We crossed the road to walk along the path on the edge of the wood. There was very little about other than Small Heath and Meadow Brown and good numbers of Five Spot Burnets, this one of two that was nectaring on the flower of a Musk Thistle
At the end of the path where you turn right to head back to the road there was a large bank of bramble that was in flower and here we found the first Large Skipper of the year nectaring on the bramble flower.
There were also several Meadow Browns, so an opportunity to take the first and last Meadow Brown photographs of the year!
We crossed the road and made the way into the main reserve. It was now mid morning, there was no wind and it was becoming very hit and oppressive. Walking on the butterflies we had hoped to find were just not about. We did though find another Pyramidal Orchid, this time a little more advanced.
There were plenty of Five Spot Burnets, these two clearly engaged in courtship.
This one with wings open showing it lacks the narrow border on the hind wing.
From the car park we headed out towards the ditch, this provided a new view.
It was now very hot and there was very little about, several female Brimstone could be seen prospecting the young blackthorn bushes, but that was about it. We decided to go back to the car for lunch. After eating we decided to do a short circuit, we made it back to the Jubilee trail crossroads and here we found another Large Skipper.
It then settled on the Knapweed I had photographed earlier!
Walking was becoming difficult, feet hurt and the air was very humid so we decided to call it a day at 13:00, un heard of for us but for once the weather had beaten us. We made our way back to the car with Small Heath and Burnets whizzing by us. I wonder if we will return again this year?
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