Thyme and Kidney Vetch

Nothing that remarkable about these species on chalk grassland, except these are growing in the butterfly scrapes we've made in a field that was growing wheat for over 40 years and then sown with a rye grass monoculture to feed cattle for a further 10 years. These scrapes were excavated to expose banks of pure chalk 2 years ago. In the following year I recorded 82 species appearing from the buried seed bank or from wind or animal-borne seeds. We then scattered seed collected from the nature reserve, especially from plants that would be good for butterflies and other insects. I am now starting to see the results. As well as thyme and kidney vetch, there are flowers like bird's-foot trefoil, small scabious, clustered bellflower and marjoram. In a few years time this should be a butterfly oasis.