WASPS HAWKERS AND CRAKES

WASP SPIDERWASP SPIDERrock samphire and rock sea lavenderSTARLING FLOCK

MAIN HOUSECASTLE AND MOATBLUE TAILED DAMSELLEAF HOPPER?RABBIT?BY HENRY MOORE

FOLKESTONE RAINBOWFOLKESTONE SUNSET

Having spotted a large wasp spider at Samphire Hoe on tuesday in monsoon conditions,I decided to pay a quick early visit there on thursday morning before heading off to Scotney Castle for the day.Twas a beautiful calm sunny morning and the large female spider was still there in her web.Wasp spiders were first found in britain in 1922 and are gradually spreading northwards now having reached Cambridgeshire and probably beyond.The starling flock at the Hoe is increasing daily now a rough estimate of 400 birds,the rock samphire,from which the place takes its name is now in full bloom as is the rock sea lavender.Having picked Cathy up it was off to Scotney for the day, it is a national trust property with the main house an old castle with moat and extensive gardens,well worth a visit.Ihad hoped that golden ringed dragonfly might be there but that was not to be,  several brown hawkers,lots of red eyed damsels and plenty of blue tailed damsels were there however.The day ended with a rainbow and sunset over Folkestone and a brief siting of the persoid meteor shower.Friday morning was still dry, have the weather forecasts ever been so out of touch?, so Itook the chance to visit Grove in the hope of seeing the spotted crake,which eventually obliged coming out of the reeds to poke around for a short time before reteating from whence he came,too distant for meaningful pics i am afraid.

BACKSAND PIPERS

LESSER WHITETHROATMIGRANT HAWKERLADYBIRD INVASIONSPOTTED REDSHANKSPOTTED REDSHANKSPOTTED REDSHANKSPOTTED REDSHANKWOOD SANDPIPERWOOD SANDPIPERWOOD SANDPIPER

WOOD SANDPIPERGREEN SANDPIPER.            Wednesday august 11th went to the cliffs in the morning where there was a good number and variety of warblers including reed and sedge, willow chiff chaff,whitethroat and lesser whitethroat,two ravens croaked across langdon hole and a few fulmars are hanging on,At South Foreland only three juvenile kittiwakes could be seen the rest have fledged and moved away.Several migrant hawkers were buzzing about at the top of the valley and a ladybird invasion was evident on the way back.In the afternoon Itook the long walk to Backsand,its not that far really just a bit flat and boring,it can be very rewarding though if you strike lucky.The first bird seen was the spotted redshank which was a bundle of nervous energy constantly on the move then a wood sandpiper showed up right in front of me, several green and common sandpipers greenshank and redshank were present until a low flying chopper sent everything in all directions and ended the fun.

PEREGRINE BOMBER

bombing runtarget spottedbomb doors openbombs awayWALL BROWNBROWN ARGUSCHALK HILL BLUES ON CARLINE THISTLE

Last thursday I set off for the cliffs with high hopes but it soon became obvious this would be a butterfly morning rather than a feast of migrant warblers,however my attention was drawn to a gull feeding frenzy just outside the harbour,Iassume a large shoal of herring had been found and as I watched the gulls were joined by about twenty gannets diving in for their share,pity it was too distant for any meaningful photos.Twenty species of butterfly were seen including brown argus and wall brown,holly blue and green veined white.Just beyond Fan Bay I spotted a young peregrine cruising along on the wind then circling round to run in again ,thinking he had spotted something to dive bomb,I trained my  camera on him the results were quite different!

THE YORKSHIRE POST

NORTH BAY WHITBYCAPTAIN COOKWHITBY ABBEYWHITBY ABBEYDRACULA?WHITBY KIPPERSSOUTH PIER LIGHTHOUSEHADLEYS ADDOCK N CHIPS(SUPERB)MORE STEAM PLEASEHEARTBEATTHE BAY HORSE PICKERINGTHE CROSSWAYS HOTEL (NO NOT THE CROSSROADS MOTEL)KIRKSTALL ABBEY LEEDS

Last weekend we spent in Yorkshire,primarily to see the Gambit Jazz Band at the Pickering jazz festival,however our friend Barry who plays an energetic trombone in the band was absent, so our plan to surprise him backfired.Never mind other interesting things were adequate compensation,the North York Moors steam railway,Whitby,Timothy Taylors Landlord, Black Sheep, and Tetleys bitter,The Crossways hotel(nice breakfast).Saturday was spent at Whitby along with half of yorkshire and most of geordieland,its a long time since i ve seen such a throng in one place.On the way back to Pickering we made a diversion to Goatham,where the railway station is the one used in Harry Potter films and the village is Aidensfield in Heartbeat.The jazz concert was ok but more formal than we are used to in the Louis Armstrong.The Bay Horse and the Black Swan were tested on the way back to the hotel,both passed with flying colours.After breakfast a visit to my aunt in Leeds was the order of the day and a  ritual visit to Kirkstall Abbey.This duty duly completed we headed for home.

A DAYS HOEING

RED ADMIRALCOMMON BLUEGREEN WOODPECKER(juv female)THE GOOD LOOKING ONEWALL BROWNESSEX SKIPPERCINNABAR MOTH CATERPILLARLARGE WHITE ON TEASLEHOLLY BLUECOMMAPAINTED LADY

After the weekend in Yorkshire it was back to the volunteering at Samphire Hoe, it was pretty quiet on the bird front,but there were hundreds of silver Y moths and large white butterflies arriving and quite a few red admirals and painted ladies in evidence,  presumably immigrants too. As well as the immigrants second generation common blues and wall browns were emerging, a holly blue, several peacocks, a comma and a single small tortoishell were feeding on the masses of buddleia blooms there.The 18 sheep had become 39 and four black cows have arrived to give the place a light summer trim. The first autumn wheatear was seen last week so the rarity will not be long in coming ho hum.