GOLDEN BROWN

Ventured next door to Sussex yesterday seeking the last butterfly of the year,the Brown Hairstreak,another that Sussex has that we in Kent do not.
I arrived on site at 9 am a beautiful sunny morning and waited,after about an hour the first fleeting glimpse in the tree tops and then she came down and spent the next hour sunning herself and I assume laying eggs in the blackthorn,she was a beauty and very cooperative,must have been a film star in a former life,and here she is:-

THE BEAUTIFUL BROWN HAIRSTREAK

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER at the Brown Hairstreak site.

Meanwhile closer to home,flycatchers have been quite numerous so far this autumn.

PIED FLYCATCHER AT SANDWICH BAY

SPOTTED FLYCATCHER in the ash grove at Langdon Hole.

LITTLE EGRET AT SAMPHIRE HOE flew from the beach at Lydden Spout right over my head.

WHEATEAR One of four at the Hoe today.

CLOUDED YELLOW at Samphire Hoe on Sunday.

 SPECKLED WOOD a fresh batch emerged at the weekend seemingly.

FEMALE ADONIS BLUE

MALE ADONIS UNDERWING.

COMMON DARTER

This ugly bug will turn into an ELEPHANT HAWKMOTH next spring.

ALL ALONE ON A SILVER SEA.

HERMOD being towed to West Africa passing Dover today, for more detail see Dover Marina.com

EYES WIDE SHUT

Wednesday morning a text from Steve Ray alerts me to a Long Eared Owl showing well at Sandwich,confirmed a few minutes later by Andrews twitter post.On arrival the bird was still there fast asleep in full view in the lower branches of a hawthorn bush.I have had partial views before but never the whole bird so this was a real treat.

After a walk round, I went back and when the sun came out it woke up for a while had a look round and went back to sleep.

Unfortunately later in the afternoon some over zealous selfish observers were not content with views from the path and disturbed the bird so that others were denied this rare chance to see this wonderful bird.
What else has happened this last week or so,at Samphire Hoe there have been several whinchats and wheatears on migration

WHINCHAT

GRASSHOPPER WARBLER

WHITETHROAT

MEDITERRANEAN GULL Bearing a white ring with the number 3515.

WASP SPIDER

WHEATEAR

 WHINCHAT

WHINCHAT

HUMMING BIRD HAWKMOTH

CLIFF DWELLING FOXES