Monday 1 July 2013

Heath Fritillary, Beech Leaf Noyau and Blackberry Vinegar


Heath Fritillary

I've really wanted to see a rare butterfly this year, but knew that I would have to go and hunt for one because there wouldn't be any chance of finding one here on the smallholding. So - on a warm, sunny afternoon last week  - I visited Hockley Woods where I knew the Heath Fritillary could be found.  This lovely butterfly was on the brink of extinction when it was re-introduced into habitats that have been carefully managed for it (although - even now - it only exists in a few locations, which are a couple of woods and immediate areas in the south east and a few areas in Devon and Cornwall).  Hockley Woods, near Southend, is my nearest area to discover this little butterfly.





I'd read that the Heath Fritillary loves Common Cow Wheat and Foxgloves and flies from mid-June into July. I also know it's a sun-loving butterfly and it can only be seen in the woodland glades on warm, sunny days.  Hockley Woods is a bit of drive from where I am and when I first arrived I had this feeling I'd be looking for a needle in a haystack. But, surprisingly, I saw one - and then another - fairly quickly.  They really are beautiful butterflies - and I was lucky enough to take a few pics before they flew off. 

I love the way this butterfly is settled right in the middle of this buttercup...

















I'm not sure I'll get to see another butterfly as rare as the Heath Fritillary this summer, but I'm certainly hoping to see some more of the less common ones over the coming weeks.

Foraging: Beech Leaf Noyau...

When I went on the foraging course in May, I tried some Beech Leaf Noyau and loved it - so I decided to make my own to be ready to drink at midsummer. I made two bottles - and I have to report back that they're definitely going down well here.

Beech Leaf Noyau is a liqueur made from fresh, young beech leaves soaked in gin with sugar and brandy added. The recipe I used is as follows:

Fill a large jar almost to the top with young beech leaves.  Pour some gin to just cover the leaves (I used a bottle of gin) and rest for 2-3 weeks.  Then strain off the gin, and for every pint add 14oz of sugar dissolved in half a pint of boiling water. Then add a dash of brandy (I used a large glass and a bit of brandy, so I'm guessing this has given the drink its final, golden colour). Mix and then pour into bottles when cold.







...and Blackberry Vinegar

I'd been going through the freezer (clearing out the remainder of last year's fruit and veg to make space for this year's) when I came across a tub of blackberries.  I'm not keen on eating them for dessert at the moment (we've just started on the strawberries), so I've made some Blackberry Vinegar as a salad dressing (ideal - as we've just begun the lettuces).

I've used this recipe:

Soak 1lb blackberries in a pint of white wine vinegar in a covered bowl for 4 days.  Stir occasionally during that time. After 4 days, strain and measure the juice.  Add 1lb sugar for every pint of juice. Heat the sugary juice gently in a pan until all the sugar dissolves and then bring to the boil. Let it cool and pour into bottles.

I prefer to make my own salad dressings and this summer I'm keen to try out several new and different ideas (hopefully some of these will be through more foraging).

Rose Pics

Finally, I thought I'd just add a couple of pics of some of my roses, because they're looking so gorgeous at the moment;

Ferdinand Pichard...




A lovely standard rose...


This pink rose was already climbing over the front of the cottage when we moved in. I still don't know what variety it is, but it has a beautiful scent. We've since built a pergola before the cottage and it's one of the flowers that now romps all over this (so we walk under it to the front door).



I really must find out what it is!

36 comments:

  1. A lovely post Wendy. I've written down the recipes and will try them out. Love the stripey rose in particular- they had the same at Mottisfont - I'd never seen them before and thought they were stunning. Gorgeous to walk beneath roses to your front door.

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    1. Thanks CT. When I saw the photo of the rose on your Mottisfont post I thought it was the same. I first saw this rose in a garden somewhere (I think it was Hyde Hall) and loved it, buying it soon afterwards.

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  2. The butterfly is so pretty you must have been thrilled to spot them. Your rose reminds me of one we saw at David Austin Roses at Albrighton a couple of years ago growing and climbing all across their entrance, I took a photo at the time as I thought it was so pretty and it had a gorgeous scent - it was named Gertrude Jekyll:)

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    1. I wish I could collect a selection of roses and bring them home, matching them to my unknown rose! I'll investigate Gertrude Jekyll, this rose certainly has a beautiful scent. Thanks Rosie.

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  3. Wonderful butterfly pictures, well done for finding Heath Fritillaries. The roses are beautiful, I especially love Ferdinand Pichard, it's one I'd like to try in my garden one day.

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    1. Thanks CJ. I was delighted to catch sight of the butterfly, I thought it would be a wasted journey (although Hockley Woods is ancient woodland and worth a visit in itself)

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  4. The butterfly in the buttercup is stunning-you must be thrilled to have seen such a rare and beautiful butterfly and get it on camera so well. I love roses and the unidentified pink rose is beautiful, I would love to have a rose growing up the house like that.

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    1. Thanks Suzie. We were lucky to 'inherit' our mystery rose. It looks lovely every year and never seems to suffer from any of the typical rose problems, plus it grows in some very poor soil right outside the front door.

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  5. Wonderful photos of the butterflies and roses :o)

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    1. Thanks Julie. I love this time of year - a great time to see butterflies and roses!

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  6. What a lovely butterfly and what a privilege to see it. Good hunting!

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    1. Thanks Em. I do feel privileged to see it and it's certainly given me a taste for searching for the other, less common butterflies.

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  7. I'll be keeping a lookout for that butterfly if it's in Devon, it's a beauty. I love the peachy coloured rose.. most of mine seem to be that colour, I can't resist it!

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    1. Thanks Jessica. Yes; the Heath Fritillary is in Devon, as are many of the other fritillaries. We only get a couple of those here (sadly there are many types of butterfly that are now extinct in this area)

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  8. A wonderful post to read to start my day. I now feel as if the sun must shine today. Exceptional picture of the butterfly in the buttercup - I'm sure a picture library would want to buy that one.

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    1. Thanks Ian. I'm glad you like the butterfly in the buttercup. I was just pleased to see it, let alone manage to grab a couple of pics. I did spend a lovely summer afternoon there.

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  9. Beautiful butterfly,such a pretty photo of the one in the buttercup. As you say, they are in Devon at a couple of sites that Devon Wildlife Trust manages in the north of the county, wonderful that you saw it on your walk. We have Silver Washed Fritillaries that come into the garden later on in the year, I was so pleased when they started arriving each year.
    Your roses are beautiful, especially Ferdinand Pichard, very unusual.

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    1. Thanks Pauline. How wonderful that you have Silver Washed Fritillaries in your own garden! I'm hoping to see one locally (although I won't be lucky enough to see one on the smallholding). I believe the Silver Washed and the Heath are the only Fritillaries we get in this area now.

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  10. Oh my....how lucky are you to see the Heath Fritillary, I am SO glad they are making a come back, here's to them increasing their numbers.
    That butterfly in a buttercup is one of the most delightful pics I've seen in a long while, you should enter it into a wildlife photography competition!!!

    Your Blackberry Vinegar is an absolute inspiration, I must give that a go!!!

    The roses are adorable....sighs....I can almost smell them!xxxx

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    1. Thanks Snowbird. The Heath Fritillary in the buttercup was the first one I came across; I think it looked beautiful settled in there, too - so I was lucky it stayed there long enough while I grabbed the camera. I'm pleased you think the photo works. I'm also pleased that they can still be seen here after their reintroduction and that the wood is purposefully being managed for them. It's good to hear of some positive action for wildlife.

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  11. How exciting to see the Heath Fritillary and take such wonderful pictures of it. Your recipes sound good to. You have some fantastic roses they look so healthy.
    Sarah x

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    1. Thanks Sarah. I've been very lucky with the roses, most of them are thriving where they are. I do have to protect them from rabbits, though. When I first put in my Ferdinand Pichard roses, the rabbits stripped them of the leaves overnight!

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  12. Fab butterfly/cup photo! The roses are in flower in our garden now too, but I do love those stripy ones!

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    1. Thanks Lou Mary. The Ferdinand Pichard roses are favourites of mine, too, in the garden and I'm pleased they've kept healthy and grown. I haven't had much time for rose-care this year, but they all seem to be surviving OK.

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  13. Incredible shots of the butterflies .. thank you for sharing them, they really inspire me to try and take a trip somewhere to see something special, too (though not without a better camera)! I can see you are a great rose lover, too, something else we have in common. Beautiful.

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    1. Thanks Steph. I think for the less common butterflies we'll have to visit special woods/nature reserves around here. I certainly won't get any on the smallholding, or in the immediate fields and woods.

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  14. Very well done on the Heath Fritillary. A lovely butterfly and one which I won't see unless I travel a very long way. Lovely photos of it too and like other commenters I love the one in the buttercup. Your roses are beautiful! I have never done very well with them but my mother had a lovely collection. As a child I used to make rose petal 'scent' with the fallen petals, it never got any further than the jam jar and water stage but I thought it was great ;-)

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    1. Thanks Jan. I think I've just been lucky with many of the roses I've planted here. I have lost a couple, but then I did plant them in the more shady areas. I had to smile when I read about your rose petal 'scent', I used to love doing that as a child, too.

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  15. The Heath Fritillary is brilliant Wendy, thats one butterfly I have never seen.

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    1. Hello Roy - and thanks. It is a lovely butterfly; I just hope it will increase its range.

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  16. Hi Wendy, that is so cool that you went rare butterfly hunting this year and actually found one! It is sad that so many different species are getting extinct. I hope the Heath Fritillary will survive!
    Your roses are indeed very lovely! 'Ferdinand Pichard' is one of my favorites of the striped ones, but simply won't do in my climate. I wonder if your mystery rose could be 'Madame Isaac Pereire'? Wishing you a nice weekend!
    Christina

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    1. Thanks Christina. It's a shame 'Ferdinand Pichard' doesn't do too well where you are. Fortunately - all the roses here are looking so much better this year than last year (when it rained most of the summer). I will investigate 'Madame Isaac Pereire', I'm hoping this is the year I will identify my mystery rose!

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  17. Beautiful photos of the Heath Fritillary Wendy - a species I have never seen. Like you I would have to travel to see rarer species and every year I plan to do so and never quite get round to it. So your successful jaunt has encouraged me to try yet again and make myself venture forth this year :)

    The beech drink looks delicious and thanks for providing the recipe for Blackberry Vinegar. I may well try that as I have several tubs of blackberries from last year lurking in the freezer!

    Your rose photos are lovely - I can almost smell them :)

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    1. Thanks Caroline. As it's perfect butterfly weather at the moment, I think I will try and see some of the less common ones in the next few days, but I don't suppose I'll see another rare one this year. Hope you do get to see one (or more) yourself soon!

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  18. Well done on spotting the butterfly, I love it sitting in the buttercup, it looks as though it's going to sail off somewhere! I've seen very few butterflies this year, which is very sad.

    I'm liking the sound of the Beech Leaf Noyau and all that alcohol and the roses are stunning.

    Suzy x


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    1. Thanks Suzy. I think that buttercup was made for the butterfly - it does look very comfortable in it! I've started to see more butterflies in the last week or so, now the weather is warmer, but this has to be a fraction of the butterflies seen here years ago. I imagine there used to be clouds of them over the fields.

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