Marbled colonist

While Ben was doing his last maths exam, I went off to visit the first Lizard Orchid ever recorded in Northamptonshire, which has turned up in a disused limestone quarry now managed as a nature reserve. It was easy to find, but was well past its best, largely as a result of lack of water. 

Fortunately there was plenty of other interest. Swathes of purplish marjoram flowers were attracting hordes of butterflies, mostly Small Skipper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Small Tortoiseshell. But on a sheltered south-facing bank I spotted three Marbled Whites, flitting restlessly among the flowers. This species has spread rapidly in recent years, and now occupies many areas of rough grassland. But this is the first time I've seen them at this site, so they may well be relatively recent colonists, particularly in view of their small numbers. Perhaps next year there'll be hundreds!

Chris and Lizzy have had their house offer accepted, though it seems to have been a generally stressful process, with the estate agent not passing the offer on to the owner until after 5pm, even though Chris had rung at 9am. Probably the first of many stressful days! The lady who's selling the house knows Lizzy's family and was very keen to sell it to them, as she knows they'll take care of her beautiful garden :)