Now a pristine Hornet Moth

On Sunday 1st June, Rob H had found a fine female Hornet Moth on the same Poplar tree.

Burnt Tips finally

I travelled over to the Chilterns recently to look for Burnt Tip Orchids, a species of Orchid I have not seen before having missed a single plant at in Wiltshire 13 years ago. Whilst passing through Cambridgeshire villages, I saw a Corn Bunting perched on wires. After 2 and a half hours I thought I had found the right spot and travlled down a private road and bumped into a Field Club group who told me exactly where to find them over the hump of the distant high hill I could see. I drove back near a house where there was a parking spot for 2 cars, where I parked up and walked back down the road some 500 metres, then took a right turn taking a well worn path through a crop field. Then up some sreps, bordering a beechwood and I walked left until the path opened out to hedgerow and field, I walked up to a sign saying Private road, so I turned right and up a hill bordering the reserve, I walked further up where I saw 2 young women sat near a turnstile, they kind stated I had to take the path left skirting the hill go over the hill and in the lee of the hill where the sheep were resting by the hedge was where the fenced off Orchids were. I walked up the steep slope and saw various coloured flags marking differing plants, I recognised the beginning of flowering Fragrant Orchids. Later on I came to the stone wall hedge where the ship were resting and directly to the left of that was a circular fenced off area with white stick marking the Burnt Orchid plants all were flowering and were quite tiny, I managed to get a few shots. There was also a couple outisde the cage near a lower path, I also heard the jangling keys call of a Corn Bunting, but I couldn't see one, I also heard Yellowhammer and the call of a flying Lapwing but again not seen. I also found a further few Fragrant Orchids plus an uni'd'd Purple flower. As I walked back just before the entrance turnstyle on the left of the path a group of around 30 Spotted Orchids were seen. As I walked back I saw a decidous wood that looked perfect for helleborines I followed the fenced around for some 150 metres, I saw a wooden gate, climed over walked a further 30 metres and by the wood fence, I saw 5 White Helleborine plants, 4 flowering ones and 1 non- flowering one. Using the flash and darkening the exposure to -1 and 3/4 I managed a few pics. As I walked back to the path, I saw a Yellowhammer perched on wires singing away.

Garden Goodie then local Hornet mimic

First thing on the morning of Saturday 31st May, our cat Misty was looking at the side wall and I immediately spooted a pristine probably young female Black- tailed Skimmer perched on the wall. She stayed for long enough for me to obtain several shots of this unusual garden visitor, I don't recall seeing a female BTS in the garden before. I then received a What's App message stating 2 conjoined Hornet Moths were on a Poplar along Corton Road at the junction with Links Road, so I drove over and immediately saw them low on the tree.

Paget Bee Orchids are now flowering

During the latter part of the week, Thursday 29th May when the first flower buds appeared and then by Friday 8 flower buds had appeared and one flower had completely on the Paget Bee orchids, sadly 2 plants had died and a further 2 had disappeared but there is still a good number about. TBC

Evening goodies

In the evening of Wednesday 21st May, 2 House Martin flew north- east seen from the front garden flying over Fallowfields, sadly much lower numbers of this species this year. On Thursday 22nd May, whilst driving north along Millenium Way (around 8pm) approaching the Corton Long Lane Roundabout, around 300 metres south of there a fine Hobby flew north on the east side of the road.

Angel of the Woods in deepest Suffolk

A trip to a woodland at a traditional site on Monday 19th May in the evening revealed first 2 then thanks to Paul & Jane F I located the other 2 plants nearby totalling 4 Greater Butterfly Orchids. On the drive back, at around 8.30pm, I just turned off and saw a Red Kite flying in the field and then further along at a site I found last year, I was delighted to see a Little Owl perched on wires near a post and then it flew closer to some close wires but sadly there was no way to stop safely to admire it, so I drove along the stretch of the road a few times slowly to catch glimpses of it as I drove by.

Market Weston Fen and local Orchids

Mid morning, this Red Admiral was on the flowering Lilac bush in front of the kitchen window. I took a trip to Market Weston Fen in the hope of seeing and photographing Marsh Fritillaries, there had been 8 seen during the week so very disappointed to see no butterflies save for 1 Peacock. Always a nice site to visit though and compensation came in the form of a constantly calling Cuckoo revealed itself in a distant tall tree and another Cuckoo was seen on a tall tree on the other side. I did also however spot 3 flowering Early Marsh Orchids and obtained my best pics to date of this species plus rosettes of Southern Marsh and Spotted Orchids. By the entrance bridge, 2 Sedge Warblers were seen close by in the reeds and a Moorhen vacated her nest revealing 2 eggs, so I made a hasty exit. Finally a Scorpion Fly settled on the roof of my car as I was parked by Market Weston Fen. A look locally following a tip off from Jane F and I saw 4 Broad- Leaved Helleborines sprouting, (one was caged) plus the rosette of a Spotted Orchid too. I put sticks around them to protect them from being munched by Muntjacs, or accidently trampled. (I have e-mailed the powers that be so they will soon be caged) I saw a Muntjac in a field as I was exiting the wood. Nearby 3 Green- winged Orchids were seen plus 6 Common Twayblades (4 caged). A stop off by a roadside verge at a now traditional site (somewhere in deepest Norfolk) I was pleased to count 8 flowering spikes of Early Purple Orchids, a pity I had left it so late to admire them (mainly because of the RFF influx locally) as they were a week- 10 days past their best. [POSTSCRIPT: The Lacewing was actually a Scorpion Fly, thanks to Jane F for correcting me, I have now subsituted that into the above text].