Violets.

Dog Violets. Photo:John Elliott. Click to enlarge

 The small patch of Dog Violets on the path behind the Manor House, the only one I know of in the village, is a little bigger this year than it was last year, a hopefull sign. It is an important food plant for fritillary butterflies and several moths. Though fritillarys are unlikely (our nearest ones if you want to see them are the Silver Washed Fritillarys on Black Down) our moths population, which is rapidly declining, could well do with support.

The Dorset name is 'Snake Violet' 

My Cuckoo on the move.

 The latest bulletin from the BTO brings nes of my sponsored Cuckoo, Arthur, on its journey back to the UK.

 Arthur hops over into Ivory Coast

Suffolk Cuckoo Arthur has also moved into Ivory Coast. Over the last few days he has flown 180 miles north from his last location in southern Liberia to his current location in north west Ivory Coast. Joe, Jim and Arthur are now perfectly poised to capitalise on the superabundance of insect life that emerges in response to the drought-busting rains at the end of the dry season.

 

Cuckoo Arthur's Track. 

Cuckoo Arthur was born last year in Suffolk and then flew south across Spain,down the west coast of Africa and then SE. into the rain forest of Central Africa where it spent the winter.   Now working its way back, it will be feeding up in preparation for crossing the Sahara, the most hazardest secction of its journey.