Chalk Fragrant

You smell them before you see them, an intense scent of cloves drifting on the breeze. Then, turning the corner, you see thousands of chalk fragrant orchids spread across the steep chalk downland slope. 

A good morning dog walk with 16 butterfly species. The first sightings of Chalk Hill Blue and Essex Skipper bringing my total for the season to 38 species. Then on to my heathland butterfly transect at noon where I had a count of more than 130 butterflies in 30 minutes, easily the best single walk count for a few years.