By late July, the Chalkhill Blues were emerging. It is not found in Essex, as there is no suitable habitat, so my nearest colony is at the Fleam Dyke, just over the border in Cambridgeshire. This excellent chalk Dyke runs across the low flat arable farmland here, a great place to spot hares!
Chalkhill numbers were much lower than last year, but they were still lovely. A warm afternoon, they didn’t start to settle until evening.
A few Brimstones and Peacocks were present though, unlike 2023, there was no mass emergence this year.