Cheers chaps,spring goes by and summer kicks in,allbeit in a rather restrained way this year.
Every weekend seemed to be in that cycle of cloud and rain and worse,wind.Not many opportunities to get out this season,too much family stuff going on...
na its alright really.
Saturday 27th June 2015
Sharpenhoe Clappers,Bedfordshire
If ever a place could conjure up various thoughts,band name?,beer name?...Sharpenhoe Clappers has to be it.A lovely national trust reserve on the Chilterns.
Visiting a friend in Flitwick for the weekend with some vague idea of finding Black Hairstreaks at Finemere.........that idea lasted about as long as that sentence.
Anyways,a bit of rain but a gorgeous Saturday morning,and some reports of Dark Green Fritillaries popping up on the Chilterns,couple of miles drive at sun up,Sharpenhoe Clappers.(Its got to be said out loud.)
Leaving the car park you are immediately drawn to the lush herb and orchid rich meadow that is there.
- Sharpenhoe car park meadow.
Of course,its Marbled White emergence time as well,even in England sometimes its best to get to these sites early for summer butterflies.
The Marbled Whites were stretching out all over the place.
- Sharpenhoe Marbled White
I quickly wanted a look at the Beech Trees at the Northern bit of the site,so wandered round the ridge path to the hillfort with the trees on it.
Big bank of nettles....
- Sharpenhoe Small Tortoiseshell
Then onto the Western facing slope,good lump of Knapweed,and with the sun still relatively low,good chance to get those underside shots without exposure problems.
- Sharpenhoe Marbled White 2
Had a good look around the Beech's for any Birds Nest Orchids,but none.I'd already noted the probable Dark Green area,so back round the ridge to the meadow.
- Sharpenhoe facing back towards the car park and lower meadows.
All was getting ready to go...
- Sharpenhoe Large Skipper
Hang on I'm not at my best yet!
- Sharpenhoe Marbled White 3
A rather graceful older girl,I thought
- Sharpenhoe Female Common Blue
The Dark Greens arrived,once again as big orange blobs against the green warming up,all males.Only had about half hour before mayhem kicked in and flight was the norm.
The breeze over this side,an easterly,was sheltered by the bigger hill with the Beech Trees,normal prevailance would be a Westerly,which I imagine would give this side a windy outlook,luck and all that.
- Sharpenhoe Dark Green Fritillary
- Sharpenhoe Dark Green Fritillary 2
- Sharpenhoe Dark Green Fritillary 3
Another posing Large Skipper
- Sharpenhoe Large Skipper 2
Good orchid spikes,Spotted,Fragrant and Pyramidials, a Small Blue colony worth noting,although they were all getting on.
- Sharpenhoe Orchids
The Dark Greens all hang around the bowl with the road at the bottom,but on sunny days that "hanging around" is rather....flighty!
The Chilterns.
- Sharpenhoe Eastern meadow
The Dark Green Fritillary.
- Sharpenhoe Dark Green Fritillary 4
Cool.