Nightingales, orchids and a Duke of Burgundy

As fog covered East Kent, I headed west and found myself in the hidden heart of Kent, at Denge Wood, when the sun broke through.

I parked by the Woodland Trust entrance and walked to the Warren, with Nightingales singing and day-flying moths like the Speckled Yellow flitting around the rides.

The Warren and the nearby Bonzai Bank are managed for primroses and cowslips, which are the food of the caterpillars of Duke of Burgundy Fritillaries, one of which was seen as the morning warmed up. This management also benefits the orchids which are found here:-

Common Spotted

Greater Butterfly

Lady orchid

Twayblade

and White Helleborine.

A few Common Blues were to be seen, skimming the coarse grass and when the sun is more predictable I'll visit some more places to try to find other butterflies.