Some exciting Spring sightings

The recent warm & sunny Spring weather has really brought the insects out. On a walk last Wednesday I saw Brimstones & a Small Tortoishell butterfly plus a quite rare fly called Gonia picea. The site is also covered with tiny little Hairy Violets, all flowering beautifully. It just goes to show that it might be March and a bit chilly without the sun but wildlife is out there making the most of it 🙂

The wardens will be making the most of it too because this year’s Monkey Orchids are just starting to poke up through the grass and this can mean only 1 thing … the orchid mapping season has started!! We need to get all of the plants checked and mapped in and (hopefully) tagged before they start to flower and the visitors start arriving. The next few weeks should be really busy but it is always a fun time when we get the first chance to estimate how good a year it will be.

There is one thing for sure though, if we don’t get some rain soon we are very likely to see another drought, like we had last year, and which caused most of the flowering plants to abort. I love the sunny weather but I’m also praying for rain … and sometime soonish!

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