It's a reflection on the variety of walks we've enjoyed direct from our house that, when we took the car to Littleferry this morning, it was only the second time the vehicle had moved from the drive since late March.
However, as soon as we had parked we realised we'd been missing out. Within yards of the car park we came across bell heather in full flower, masses of smaller wildflowers, and a fine orchid.
Minutes later we found another - very obviously, from the three lobes on the lower lip of the flower, an early marsh orchid - and....
....another and another, and bigger and bigger, until....
....we were standing looking at them in their hundreds - as Mrs MW put it so neatly, "Forests of them!"
At the same time we found something else, a proper six-spot burnet with its rear two spots well separated. We were thrilled but then....
....we started seeing more, and more, and more, until we had to walk the paths with great care to avoid treading on them.
They were feeding on a variety of flowers - these two are on purple milk-vetch - including, to our considerable joy....
....the orchids. So this is a picture of two of my favourite obsessions!
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