Early June on the Mendips

 Another visit to Draycott Sleights with extensive views.  Not a long walk but a pleasant revisit to the cave and surrounding grasslands.

There were many butterflies around, but they kept on being startled as I came close. I think this is the Chalk Hill Blue.  Its sole food source is the Horse Shoe Vetch which grows in abundance.

The orchids were out, and even these were not still in the strong breeze.

Even smaller this tattered specimen of the Small Blue butterfly.  It is our smallest resident butterfly that similarly feeds solely on a different vetch.

Whilst the ant hills are veritable miniature gardens with thymes and hawkbits in flower, and yet clinging onto limestone exposures at least three different types of fern were growing in close proximity.

Amongst the other more yellow hawkbits this lighter lemon one caught my eye.

If you want to see what the views from this area are link then do go and look at this post by Jeff Bevan.