A GRIZZLED OLD SKIPPER FROM DUNGENESS

Thick fog greeted me at Dungeness on monday morning,I could just see the sea from the top of the bund,but not much more,there was not a lot inland either so went to the reserve which was crammed with bumble bee release enthusiasts,had a wander round anyway highlights were a spotted flycatcher two bitterns a hobby and a cuckoo birdwise with a brown argus and four spotted chaser for insects

BROWN ARGUS

FOUR SPOTTED CHASER
Having seen Owen at the bumble bee fest,he had told me where to see the grizzled skippers so it was back to the point now the sun had emerged.

GRIZZLED SKIPPER
There were half a dozen flitting about but were not easy to pin down in the strong sunlight and the heat,but with patience one eventually settled long enough to get a not very good photo.

This colourful shield bug and treble bar moth were seen at the same time.

TREBLE BAR
I was in no hurry to get home so took a stroll along the old Elham valley railway track at Peene for old times sake there were a few butterflies onthe wing including a red admiral,speckled wood,wall brown small heath and several orange tips one of which obligingly posed.

ORANGE TIP nectaring on herb robert.

Tuesday at Samphire Hoe started with three shags feeding off the sea wall, an unusual sight in late May.

TWIN SHAGS, the third was lagging behind eating a small flatfish.
The butterfly transect produced the first green hairstreak and adonis blues

GREEN HAIRSTREAK

ADONIS BLUE the black dots on the wings are unusual.

COMMON BLUE female( this blue form is also unusual.)

A RED KITE made a brief appearance along the cliff top late morning,but when challenged by the local crows it made tracks in land.
Several moths were seen during the day including CINNABAR,YELLOW BELL,MOTHER SHIPTON and TREBLE BAR and COMMON BLUE and BLUE TAILED DAMSELFLIES were out and about.

COMMON BLUE DAMSELFLY

Later on the way home this  female BLACK TAILED SKIMMER was seen.

THE BLUE CLIFFS OF DOVER

Been to the cliffs both days this weekend,only Langdon Hole on Saturday,but walked to South Foreland today.With temperatures soaring at home the cool easterly breeze on the cliffs was most welcome on saturday lunchtime and in the sunshine I found 5 small blues and another green hairstreak among the dingy skippers and orange tips.

SMALL BLUE

GREEN HAIRSTREAK

 SMALL BLUE has a wing span of 25mm
This mornings walk to St Margarets was fairly uneventful with just a few whitethroats,a couple of house martins and swallows and a single blackcap on the cliff edge.The most unusual sight was a pair of greylags flying west with a barnacle goose for company.Yellowhammers have been fairly scarce this spring but there were four males singing today.

this one near the coastguard station

and at either side of Fan Bay

there was" a little bit of bread and no cheese"

Reading Tony Morris` blog the other day about LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS,breeding  in the area,well I believe they have been nesting in Dover for some time,this week there have been sightings on the roof of Morrisons,the old telephone exchange and the Dover Discovery Centre where one was seen taking nesting material to the roof despite the prescence of the plastic eagle owls,placed at great expense to deter gulls from nesting on the roof, memo to architect,they aint that daft!

LBB GULLon the Discovery Centre parapet.

A MIXED BAG.

HOLLY BLUE in my garden.

MUSLIN MOTH

WAVED UMBER The moth trap is slowly improving with the warmer weather,Stodmarsh had a couple of surprise sightings on Wednesday and an early  morning visit to a misty Oare yesterday was very pleasant.

Quite why this mole was dead on the path at the Grove end of the reserve was not clear.

this grass snake was very much alive near the Marsh hide

as was this marsh frog

a bit too big for the snake to eat?

The hobbies were flying high

and in formation

On the road out of Stodmarsh,the cottages on the bend held the last surprise in the form of a yellow wagtail on the roof.

one for John Cantello.

On to Oare on thursday morning

a misty creek

these avocets have a nest close to the road.

GREEN VEINED WHITE

GOATS BEARD???

GREEN WOODPECKER at Dans Dock

This GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER was just a few feet away.

TURTLE DOVE at Uplees copse.

MY BLUE HAVEN

Tuesday at Samphire Hoe began with my usual wander round checking the life belts and the bird life,a blackcap was the first to claim attention ,singing loudly from across the railway tracks,four whitethroats are singing and presumably holding territory.Swifts and house martins filled the air over the main pond and the male stonechat was sitting up and calling,later the female was seen as well so perhaps they have nestlings to feed.A grey heron was in the rock pools at the west end much to the annoyance of the local gulls,at the other end the black redstarts were seen on the rocks,first time I `ve seen them for a few weeks,so maybe they too  have hungry mouths to feed,hopefully.
After it had warmed up a bit I did a butterfly transect with young Mr Wells who had paid a visit,we drew a blank on the first three sections where it was windy and exposed but in the shelter of the cliff on section four the first common blues of the year were found and my first small heaths also.Wall brown,dingy skipper,small copper and orange tip were also recorded,as well as the first damsel flies.

COMMON BLUE FREE VIEW.

SMALL HEATH

As it got warmer and the wind subsided it definitely felt like a honey buzzard or bee eater day,but no such luck but a short eared owl in off was a bonus.

MOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT

Last Friday went to Dungeness with Malcom McVail,had half an hour watching the sea and not a lot else just a few gannets about 60 common scoters,+common and sandwich terns.A serin had been seen just before we arrived and a woodlark was found later in the morning.The ARC pits were quiet too and not much was on the RSPB board and just to cap it all the rain arrived two hours early,so we went home via Scotney where we found a couple of little gulls from the farm road.

GREAT CRESTED GREBE from the Hanson hide

PEBBLE HOOK TIP found on the Willow trail

The moth trap has been on the last few nights and although there are not many moths at least there are some
to record including:-

PALE TUSSOCK

BROAD BARRED WHITE

SHEARS

GREEN CARPET

SPECTACLE

I  have spent the last three days tidying up the garden which has been neglected of late,the weather may have turned the corner,only a month to midsummer and the nights drawing in ,happy days.