I left for Fontmell at 10.45am to be sure that I was not late. As this was my first guided walk I did not know what happens and did not want to get left. I need not have been concerned.

I arrived at the Spreadeagle Hill car park, to find it full, but I parked in the layby. I collected my back pack and made my way to the park where a number of people were congregating. I had spoken to Bill Shreeves several times, but not met him.

We made our way along the top path and over the style and waited for the stragglers to catch up. Bill then introduced himself and some other members of the group, including Laurie de Walley and Brian Dicker. The weather at this point was not looking too good, but we were hopeful. Two of the group had come down from Worcester and others from Somerset and Wiltshire.

Our target species were Chalkhill Blue, Adonis Blue, Brown Argus and Silver Spotted Skipper. Identification of the various Blues also. Especially females.

We started to descend to the style and the first shout was not butterfly, but someone had spotted an Autumn Ladies Tresses Orchid. We were to spread out across the slope of the down to look for the various species and shout when we saw one. It was not long before the first Adonis Blue was seen, and then Chalkhill Blue. I was fortunate to get several good pictures with my digital camera, and in fact the only one I did not get a good shot of was the Skipper. We proceeded across the down, as well as up and down, as the shouts went up, and we all managed to see each of the species we were looking for, and the sun broke through to warm things up too.

At around 1pm, we stopped for lunch, and whilst Brian Dicker was telling us what was going on in the branch I spotted a Clouded Yellow. Sorry Brian, no contest, I crept down the hill to get a shot of it which it obligingly waited for me to take.After lunch the two members of the group from Worcester decided to go looking for another species, and Bill gave them directions to Melbury Down.

Some of the group stayed on that part of the down, and some others went looking for the Brown Argus further along the down. We indeed did find several and I got some good shots. The Small Skippers we found were just that and not Essex Skippers. We made our way back across the down in the sunshine, and sat talking for a while, before I had to leave. As I walked along the path I saw two more Silver Spotted Skippers, and plenty of Adonis and Common Blues. We did not count the numbers but we had seen good numbers of most of those we were looking for.

I enjoyed my first field trip very much and work permitting will be the first of many. Thanks to Bill for all the help he gave us it was excellent.

The weather was kind to us, brightening up to allow the Silver Spotted Skippers to fly. The species we saw were Adonis, Common and Chalkhill Blues, Brown Argus, Silver Spotted and small Skippers, Brimstones, Clouded Yellow, Painted Ladies, Small Tortoiseshells, Meadow Browns, Small Heaths and Speckled Woods.. So we did quite well.

Geoff Hobson.