Just a very quick note as its been a long day of filming! I did the two butterfly transects for the current week today (Tuesday) with Sarah from Head Office accompanying me with her camera, on the Barton transect. She was filming some of the activity for a virtual guided walk video for our upcoming virtual Lark Rise Farm show week! 

Big counts at both Lark Rise survey fields today - in Barton and also in one of the fields in the neighbouring village of Comberton called Westfield. My records were predominantly meadow browns, but there were plenty of skippers and tortoiseshells too. We're amidst the  second-brood of common blue at Westfield. And there were a good few marvellous marbled white at both sites. On our walk, Sarah and I spotted a ringlet butterfly - one on each walk. 

The flora on our flagship farm is blooming. I counted a cl Pyramidal orchid – clump of four on a single section of the survey on the Barton end of the farm and one at the end of the Westfield survey. 

Very quick note on last nights dusk survey on the Barton fields known as the ’98 land (as it was purchased in that year), I saw Barn Owl on four occasions! This is exciting however, I didn't see one carrying prey in any particular direction, so there is no evidence of where they might be breeding yet. I’ll be checking nest boxes next week.

Not much else of particular note. I did, however, see and hear a corn bunting singing around blackthorns field in Barton today, but this was during the butterfly survey so it didn't count! 

Dr Vince Lea
Head of Wildlife Monitoring 

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