Orchids in Kent

Today was an early season foray into deepest Kent. More of a recce trip to familarise ourselves with some of the main orchid sites. An early start left us plenty of time to have a long walk around Denge Forest, the truth is that I had lost my bearings and we were lost too. 

First up was Bonsai Bank, a place that I visited mid May last year and I knew that we should catch up with some early Lady Orchids and hopefully a Duke of Burgundy butterfly as a bonus.  And so it proved, lots of emerging orchids,one or two almost in full flower and some cracking newly emerged Dukes.

Why do they always get a bit of  grass over the wing?

We also found evidence of other orchids,  Common Twayblades were well on their way and Greater Butterfly were not far behind. Early Purples were in good numbers but starting to go over.


Next site was Yockletts Bank, we only circumnavigated the northern section but managed to find more Lady Orchids, lots of Common Twayblades and just a single Fly Orchid. Had we been more diligent I am sure we could have found more Fly Orchids but we were early in the season and we wanted to press on.

There can be a wide variation in colour

A bonus Green Hairstreak

Third Venue was Park Gate Down were we found a host of Early Purple Orchids and precious little else. Another couple of weeks and the EPOs will have disappeared, to be replace by Monkey and Fly Orchids.

Final venue was Samphire Hoe, two reasons to pay a visit. Firstly the Early Spider Orchids but more importantly to have a cup of tea at the cafe. When we arrived we surveyed the area and Martin stated that it was a large area to cover and wondered where we might find the orchids. No problem - we asked the cheerful wardens who directed us to the overflow car park. Sure enough in the central circle of the car park and beneath the low wooden fence on the perimeter were plenty of ESOs. Click, click, click - job done and time for tea.

All in all a great day out which will make our visit in a fortnight's time much easier and give us the opportunity to visit one or two extra venues.

Some from earlier in the week, Pearl-bordered Fritillaries from the main ride of Rewell Wood in West Sussex - an annual event to witness their emergence.

Two Sussex Beauties

The time when the accent switches from birds to butterflies fast approaches. Right now we are on the cusp, torn between dashing to the coast to watch the passage of seabirds or to venture into the Sussex countryside in search of freshly emerged butterflies. Today, with such fine weather and high temperatures predicted, the butterflies won. We started, rather later than usual, at Kithurst meadow, the closest site for Duke of Burgundy and usually reliable. Two earlier visits had resulted in nothing being found but with high temperatures over the Bank Holiday weekend there was a good chance that they would be on the wing. And so it proved, as we parked a returning butterfly enthusiast confirmed that they were about and we didn't hang about as we made our way down the hill.

With one target in the bag we decided to give Rewell Wood the once over for some fresh Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. Last week when we visited we had encountered some serious mud where heavy plant had churned up the tracks. The reasoning was that we should approach from Fairmile Bottom, much drier tracks that way. Only a third of the way up the hill I was beginning to regret that decision, perhaps the other way in was muddy but at least it was flat. Still, as we spotted our first PbF all the pain disappeared and we set about trying to get reasonable records of some fairly fast flying subjects. Finally one specimen posed for us and we were happy. The walk back to the car was a doddle, virtually down hill all the way.

Earlier butterfly forays had given me a Grizzled Skipper at Mill Hill though precious little else was flying in the cool south westerly breeze. At Anchor Bottom I recorded the first blooms of Green-winged Orchid.

Duke of Burgundy

Note that the title is in the singular - as that is precisely what I found, a single specimen. Unfortunately a cool breeze seemed to deter the butterflies today, all I had were several Grizzled Skippers, Brimstones and one fleeting encounter with "The Duke".  Not the photo opportunity that I expected but at least a tick on the butterfly list.

 
Oddly enough it was today's walk that provided the entertainment, simply great to have part of the South Downs Way to yourself. I saw only two other walkers as I journeyed up and down to Heyshott Escarpment. My walk started from the SDW car park opposite Hillbarn Lane on the A286, just south of Cocking. The path here is a gentle rise up to the Ordnance Survey trig point on Heyshott Down, a fantastic height of 233 metres!  Once I was past the sawmill I shared the scenery with half a dozen Buzzards and sundry sheep.

South Downs Way looking west

As you near the top there are four curious stones set just off the path, exactly what these are is the subject of discussion on the web, theories range from pre-historic grave markers to Parish boundary markers and sheep dog graves. It is interesting that they sit between two sets of "Cross Dykes", which are considered to be Bronze Age territory or boundary markers. Whatever, at least they are protected from farm machinery by posts erected by, I believe, WSCC. One downside is that hundreds of passing curious walkers have rubbed the lichen from the stones to see if there are any engraved symbols. As far as I can tell the third stone, going east, has a "W" and the fourth "W T", information that could have been added in the more recent past.

A couple of hundred yards past the stones there is a gate which leads to Heyshott escarpment, just aim for the trig point and you will be rewarded with some great views. The path down to where the DoB can be found is somewhat "mountain goat country", if you have dodgy knees or ankles then an alternative route might be better.

 

First stone encountered when travelling east

Stone 1

Stone 2

Stone 3 - "W"

Stone 4

Plainly "W" - "T"

Trig point

Heyshott escarpment - DoB country

Heyshott village

The path down is  - steep!



Early Purple Orchids abound.