First Big Trip Out! Part 1 07-05-2017
The weekend had finally come and it was time for the first BIG TRIP of the season. Philzoid was due to come over on Sunday the idea being that we would go for Pearls at Bentley Wood and then make our way over to my Duke Site, hopefully to finally find a Duke. I spent the Saturday doing all the chores, even fitting in a trip to the Yellow and Blue Hell and then sitting down on the new sofa on Saturday night disaster struck. The BBC weather forecast had radically changed – from sunny intervals through to the early evening when the sun would shine unhindered it went to Black cloud and single figure temperatures all day!
The next morning it seemed like they were going to be proved right (typical I thought they only seem to get it right when the weather is atrocious
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
) but Philzoid and I had waited too long for this day and so we headed out from opposite directions to meet up. As I made my way through Salisbury it was getting noticeably brighter, as I pulled off the Southampton road it was definitely brighter so much so I had to reach for the shades. By the time we were at West Dean Farm there were patches of blue sky visible through the white-not-black clouds and as the girls and I strolled through the trees and out into the clearing the sun was shining.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
It made the most of its fleeting presence and scanned around but it was to prove futile. When it broke through a second time however the other visitor to the EC found a Pearl and kindly shared it.
We then headed off in different areas – me checking out the bottom, tussocky area and him back by the notice board. I almost trod on a Red Admiral basking in the thin sun on the path and then found a second Pearl. I was getting my shots when Philzoid arrived and he followed my voice to find my crouched over a Pearl.
We then settled back into our usual rhythm. Wandering round chatting, heads down and stopping every now and again when we think we’ve spotted something. It was hard going but another Pearl turned up the and the other visitor located a fourth Pearl – this one looked to me to be a female (larger abdomen and more rounded hind wings?) and it posed nicely wrapping it wings round a spurge.
The sun came out some more and so we made our way down towards the bottom end again stopping for a basking Lizard and the odd Brimstone. A male OT patrolled by and several Pearls were very active at in the sun in this area. We also came across the something of a rarity a Green-veined White and it posed nicely for us as did a really fresh Pearl.
Happy with the haul, possibly 8 Pearls in one small part of the Clearing we made our way back to the cars and then onto my Duke site with a Specklie waving us farewell in the Car Park. Only we didn’t go directly to my Duke Site instead with gave the north facing slope of Down near West Dean Farm a try for Duke. From the road it looks yellow there are so many Primulas but despite a different carpet, a fly-by Peacock, Brimstones and OTs and a giant Grass Snake we couldn’t locate a Duke. I was starting to feel like I might miss the species in 2017…
Have a goodun
Wurzel