A perfect day?

22/5/2022

Sunday should have been a perfect day both for butterflies and transectuals – warm sunshine with a gentle southerly wind. Conditions were constant through all sections of our transect, but the butterfly numbers turned out more modest than expected.
With a reduced team this week we reverted to our original route sequence, starting out from the Ramblers Rest.
Although most of the sightings were made as usual on the early parts of the route, we were pleasantly surprised on section 12. Until this stage of the season, there were hardly any species to be found in this final stretch of our transect, which takes us across the middle of Chipstead Valley. But within a matter of yards we came across several Common Blues (all males), Small Heaths and Grizzled Skippers, with a final flourish by two Painted Ladies.
Further good news for our fluttery friends: more flowers are coming into bloom across the site, including the Kidney Vetch on Barn and Hither Fields and the rare Butterfly Orchid. This once again has produced several bud-packed stems, to reach their full glory later this month.