A day to remember,2011

[Nick Broomer]

Prologue
My purpose for my visit to Denbies was to photograph the butterflies of this beautiful landscape on the Northdowns in Surrey. Situated in the small village of Ranmore and behind the larger village of Westcott on the A25.

I did manage to photograph these lovely insects, but not one of the spectacle that was to unfold before my very eyes. Two other lucky individuals were also present, both ladies, one taking her dog for his early morning walk, the other, having just dropped her husband off at one of the local train stations in Dorking, decided to drop in at Denbies for half an hour, just to sit. taking in the view and the tranquillity of the countryside before heading back home.

A trip to Denbies

It was 7am when i arrived at Denbies on August 2nd. The sun was still in hiding, the sky shrouded by a mass of grey cloud. Parking my car down by the church, on the right, i grabbed my things, locked the car and set off back up the road. Reaching the junction, i crossed the main road that runs through Ranmore, then stepped onto the dew covered grass verge and headed for the gate situated between the houses.

I walked through the gate, down the side of the gardens, then turned right at the end, walked a few yards then turned left down the slope towards the small wood to the far left of Denbies, stopping to talk to a lady out walking her dog by the gate, that allows you to enter the wood and follow the path down to the track that runs parallel along the bottom of the hill.

We finished chatting, said our farewells, she walked off along the fence line with her dog, heading towards the main gate/entrance to Denbies hillside. I waited for her to get some distance away before following the same route, so if she disturbed any butterflies they would have resettled by the time i wandered along.

The woman and her dog were just short of the gate when the sun appeared from behind the shifting cloud. The suns rays passing over the stillness of the earth,
the dew glistening like a million fairylights, a million runways alight, bringing the land to life.

Then without hint or warning, they rose from their roost, from the depths of the vegetation in unison, their wings beating furiously until they reached the clear air above the grasses. Thousands of them, twisting and turning, turning and twisting like a snowstorm of butterflies. Dancing above the grasses, rejoicing, celebrating a new day. Getting their bearings, before heading down to the rich pastures of Denbies.

Wave after wave of Chalkhill Blues, like squadrons of Spitfires going to war, hunting for the best stem of grass, to sit, wings open, drowning in the warmth of the morning sun, a flower, to rest upon, to feed. The lady and her dog, engulfed by silver and blue, parts of their bodies disappearing under the mass.I just stood there in awe, in wonderment, paralysed, unable to move. My camera by my side on its tripod, unemployed, forgotten.

Then it was all over, as quickly as it had started. It was an absolutely marvellous spectacle of nature at its best, and i was there to wittness it all, to hold it within me, a memory never to be forgotten.

I walked along the fence line, happy, a smile on my face, still taking in what i had just seen. I passed through the gate to Denbies, turning right and following the path along the top. The lady and her dog away in the distance. I had`nt walked far when i came across another lady sitting just below the footpath. She said "good morning" looking up at me and smiling, "good morning" i replied cheerfully.

Then she said "did you see ................................................................................................."yes" i reply, unbelieveable was`nt it". Yes she answered, "i`ve never seen anything like it, like a snowstorm of butterflies, and to think i only came up here for half....................................... made my day".

"Made mine to".

[Lee Hurrell]

That's a lovely story, Nick, of what sounds like a breathtaking spectacle I am yet to see.

But I may well put that right this year

Best wishes,

Lee

[Susie]

Indeed, it's a lovely story. Sometimes the butterflies at Denbies can be quite breathtaking.

[Mark Colvin]

I’m worried about you Nick!

Getting poetic … you’ll start getting all romantic and slushy next …

But seriously, the use of similes and metaphors in descriptive writing really brings the words to life. In your case, A Day to Remember, 2011, I really felt as though I was there … and wish I was by the description of the events of 2nd August. I know you’ve told me this story before but this really brought it to life.

Great stuff …

Kind regards. Mark

[Nick Broomer]

Thanks Lee, Susie and Mark for your kind comments.

Anyone who loves butterflies the way we do should have been there to wittness this breathtaking spectacle, it was truly wonderful, and i hope in the near future you all get to wittness it for yourselves.

As for you Mark, me getting all romantic and slushy, you have no chance.

Thanks again to you all,

Nick.

[Jack Harrison]

Yeh! Denbies is good like, innit? Know what I mean?

(I have to counter that poetry somehow)

Jack

[Nick Broomer]

To Jack,

Yeh! Denbies is good like, innit,
You should of been there to see it,
It was such a beautiful sight,
In the bright early morning light,
I saw it, yeh! and you bleedin missed it.

[ScottD]

sounds stunning!
last year we had reports of people seeing literally hundreds of PBFs at Mabie Forest - & I missed it!

[Susie]

It is probably just as well you forgot your camera because of the spectacle, I have tried filming the butterflies when they are en-masse at Denbies and it doesn't come out well or do the amazing beauty of these creatures justice.

[Nick Broomer]

Hi Scott,

It certainly was stunning.

Make sure you get to Mabie Forest this year, and put a big smile on your face. Hundreds of P.B.F. all in the same spot, what a site that must be.

Nick.


Hi Susie,

I quite agree with you, you would need the sort of camera they use to make wildlife documentaries for tv. to do the spectacle any sort of justice.

I was on the wrong side of the sun anyway, but i will have to give it a shot, the ideal spot would be at the top of the hill, and to the left, with sun behind you.

Nick.

P.S. I hope you had a lovely birthday.

[Rogerdodge]

I had a similar experience many years ago on Braunton Burrows in North Devon.
I was out at first light in the late spring, hoping to catch some slumbering butterflies for photographic opportunities.
I was down by one of the many ponds there when I was suddenly aware of a buzzing sound that seemed to be all around me. It turned out to be hundreds (literally) of Broad Bodied Libellula Dragonflies having a mass synchronous emergence, and they were all over the reeds in front of me vibrating their wings to warm up before the maiden flight.
Quite an extraordinary experience.
I guess it is a good survival strategy, as solitary emergence could mean them all being picked off one by one by birds etc. Whereas a mass emergence will ensure many survive.

[Jack Harrison]

2nd June 2006

Muggy, warm, overcast but bright day.

Firstly to Chiddingfold where two or three Pearl-bordered Fritillaries (sadly, I think they have now died out there)

Then on to Denbies. Adonis Blues in staggering numbers.
If I aimed the camera at one individual and it flew off, I didn't need to move my feet, merely swung the camera round to another butterfly.

Seeing butterflies in such numbers was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Jack

[Susie]

I think PBF were seen there again in 2011, Jack, although I am not sure if these were introduced.

[Nick Broomer]

Hi Jack,

The last P.B.F. seen at Chiddingfold Wood was 2007, one individual.

I saw three individuals on 21. 5. 2011, all females, and looked as if they had all mated. They were at least two weeks old by the condition they were in. They were definitely not there the weekend before, so i would say they were released.

20,5,2011 104_1.jpg

One of the three females seen.

Nick.