I started at Summer Leys near Wellingborough for a bit of birding and to enjoy some of the orchids on show here. Once the rain had relented I headed for the main Pioneer Hide seeing a fair few Southern Marsh Orchids between here and the car. Most were past their best but one or two were still looking in decent shape.
The scrape was alive with birds including an adult and 2 fairly well grown Redshank, 3 adult LRP, and quite a few adult and chick Lapwings. The 2nd-summer Mediterranean Gull that has been present since the spring soon flew around the scrape before joing a small group of Black Headed Gulls.
Having taken in everything here, I drove round to Mary's lake and went for a wander to the meadows at the back of the lake to look for more Orchids. I soon found a lonely, beautiful little Pyramidal Orchid.
Further on, I came across a handful of Bee Orchid and a Marbled White under a leaf, sheltering from the light drizzle.
This area also produced plenty more Pyramidal Orchids. They really are proper stunning! The sun tried it's best to break through for a short while, suddenly bringing out quite a few Marbled White seemingly from nowhere!
I headed back to the car. Despite the cloudy and breezy conditions, I decided to pay Glapthorn Cow Pasture a visit for the Black Hairstreaks. It would probably be my only chance this year to see them so thought sod it, I'd give it a go. If you don't buy a ticket, you don't win the raffle!
After the never-ending drive up past Oundle and across to Glapthorn, I arrived to find not a single car parked up. It appeared I was the only one there. Not really surprising though. The continued cloud and wind were hardly conducive for butterflying!! Still, I remained optimistic and to be honest, pretty cheered by the fact I had the place to myself in Black Hairstreak season, an occurrence pretty much as rare as the species themselves!
Walking along the path further encouragment came with several Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood were still flying around despite the lack of sun. I walked down to the favoured Hairstreak nectaring spot and began meticulously gazing across the sea of bramble flowers for a twirling hairstreak. After no more than a minute had gone by when a butterfly crusied past my pace and circled the bramble in front of me before landing. It was dark and my immediate reaction was Ringlet, but no it bloody wasn't, it was a Black Hairstreak!! WOW how lucky was that!
It sat on a leaf for about 15 seconds, angling it's wings to the sky, trying and presumably failing to gain some heat. It then shot off up into the far more familiar surroundings of the top of a nearby blackthorn. Hearing how frustrated people have been getting there waiting hours and hours for one to come down, I was just a little bit smug, not only finding one straight away, but also to have it completely to myself!
Over the next hour and a half or so, I saw anywhere between 5-10 in the same general area around the tops of the blackthorn, however despite a few periods of prolonged sun, I had no further sightings up close. Still, I went home very happy!!
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