LUNCHING WITH IRIS

This morning I continued my tour of iris locations in Northamptonshire with a visit to different parts of Yardley Chase (private site). After drawing a blank in the first section, I arrived at Ravenstone Road Copse at 11.15 to find a male circling round the car. As I got out it flew off along the adjacent ride. I had a walk round for an hour recording other species before returning to my car for lunch.. As I was sitting eating this, the male returned, flying over the canopy around what is an open ride intersection several times. Finally it settled, homing in on a small dropping where it fed avidly for the next half an hour or so. A couple of times it flew up into a nearby ash, but soon returned to the same spot. It was  12.45.by now and the hottest part of the day. I was a little surprised to see a male grounded in these temperatures, but it fed in the shade a couple of feet from the car. It flew into the side of the car at one point - my vehicle is now among the blessed!