Chapel Bank Orchids

I made a visit to our Chapel Bank Nature Reserve today, looking for the orchids, I found these special orchids,

Greater Butterfly Orchid

Early Purple Orchid, some 4 year old seedlings were also found, they should flower in about 3 years, as it takes about 7 years for the Early Purple to flower from seed.

The original group first found as a single plant in 1992 are still present in the same spot.

One of the more recent plants is in the later stages of bud, and should be in flower in a week or so.

New Small Blue Scrapes

With help from the Dowlands Countryside Management Project 2 new scrapes have been put in along the cutting on Hutchinsons Bank Nature Reserve, these will improve the Small Blue butterfly habitat.

Wisley Gardens

I made a visit today to Wisley, to see the Tropical Butterfly display, and a few 'Native' butterflies, in total 3 different Red Admirals.

 Emerald Swallowtail

June 2011 Review Part 1

Butterfly Conservations walk at Howell Hill was good for orchids, with Fragrant, Man , Bee and a lovely Common Spotted Orchid x Fragrant Hybrid.

Hutchinsons Bank had its first Dark Green Fritillary for the year, along with Greater Butterfly Orchid at Chapel Bank. There was also a Grassland Management course.

May 2011 Review 3

The Surprise of the Year, A Dulwich Fritillary in South London, for the first time since the 1860's. Several turned up on a South London Butterfly Transect, even outnumbering Dark Green and Silver Washed in the final butterfly figures. The Dulwich Fritillary is better known as the Glanville Fritillary, which has been spreading its distribution in Surrey in recent years.

May 2011 Review 2

The Next outing was to Denge Woodland, where Duke of Burgundy, Lady Orchid, White Helleborine, Large Skipper. We then went on to Park Gate Down for the Monkey Orchid, a very rare flower, confined to Kent and Oxfordshire.

May 2011 Review

The first of our reports for May. Oaken Wood was our first real butterfly walk of the year, with Wood White Butterfly, Greater Butterfly Orchid, Speckled Yellow Moth, Grizzled Skipper.