Thank you Mike. I shall continue to keep you informed.
Looks like you saw a great selection there Goldie - I have only seen 1 SC this season.
Well, we knew it was coming
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
In fact, we have known for a long time
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
But, seeing it start to happen was very depressing
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
. I am referring to the landfill at Wrecclesham. I thought I'd nip up there as a change from Noar Hill. The first thing of note was a small fence around the entire site and about every 10 paces a piece of roofing felt had been placed next to a small plastic tub sunk into the ground - hundreds of them. Lifting a couple of these revealed several slow worms:
Then there were the goats - about 200 of them - they were everywhere
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
Really cute especially the one who persisted in following me around
By now, naively, I was beginning to think/hope that there had been a change of plan and this lovely site was about to be put to a more appropriate use. Spotting a couple of folk checking the slow worms, I made my way over to them. They were from a company which has been employed over the next 2 months to catch up and relocate the slow worms, frogs and toads, following a site survey which had been carried out 2 years ago. The lake is to be mostly filled in! They seemed very sympathetic to the plight of the wildlife and confirmed that there were also bats and dormice on the site together with badgers, deer, foxes etc. We chatted briefly about the butterflies which are resident there.
Making my way across the site it was apparent that preparations for further work are underway:
I saw Green Hairstreaks, Orange Tip, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Dingy Skippers, Small White, Large White, Small Heath, Peacocks, many moths and some beautiful Demoiselles but by now my enthusiasm had disappeared and I could not be motivated to take many shots of them.
I couldn't help thinking what a waste (no pun intended!). I know it used to be a landfill site but we have few places that are as lovely as this, home to a diverse range of species, some of which are protected. I left feeling very heavy of heart
![Crying or Very sad :cry:](./images/smilies/icon_cry.gif)