The April drought was forgotten as May soon became one of the wettest and coldest ever recorded. Here in East Kent the incessant north easterly wind made it difficult to summon up the enthusiasm to get out in the field.
On the odd day when the wind eased and the rain stopped a few brave birds and butterflies showed their resilience,moths however continue to be in short supply throughout the country it seems.
A couple of visits to Stodmarsh have been undertaken but apart from that just local walks when the weather permitted and my volunteer days at the Hoe.I have managed to cobble together a few presentable images for this month and some which are not so good of a couple of rarities.
SEDGE WARBLER
COMMON WHITETHROAT
LESSER WHITETHROAT
WALL BROWN
LINNET
ORANGETIP
GREYLAG GOOSE
GARDEN WARBLER
HOBBY
MUTE SWAN
-9 CYGNETS
-FOLLOWING MUM.
BROWN HARE bounding along like a kangaroo.
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BELTED GALLOWAY BULL doing conservation grazing on the water meadows at Stodmarsh.
WHERE THE SQUIRREL HIDES HIS NUTS.
HOUSE MARTINS are back at Samphire Hoe collecting the chalky mud to build their nests under the many overhanging ledges on the cliffs.Historically they would have done this before man provided houses for them to use.
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PAINTED LADY a small influx took place in mid month some looked like they had flown all the way from Morocco where the journey starts.
SMALL HEATH
ROCK PIPIT
While doing the butterfly transect at the Hoe on the 11th I paused to watch the House Martins hawking over the main pond when I chanced upon this in amongst them, a visitor more often seen around the Med although a few make it here each year.
RED RUMPED SWALLOW
-this one doesn`t have a very red rump at all so is probably a young bird.
-I watched it for ten minutes or so
-but when I looked again later there was no sign of it.
DUKE OF BURGUNDY
DRINKER MOTH CAT
SWIFT
ORANGETIP
ADONIS BLUE
DUNGENESS FROM DOVER CLIFFS an exceptionally clear morning.
ABBOTSCLIFF HOUSE WITH RAINBOW
GARDEN WARBLER
GARDEN WARBLER
SHOVELLER
A HEAVILY CROPPED SHOT OF A DISTANT PURPLE HERON AT STODMARSH
THE STODMARSH LITTLE OWL
BLACKCAP AT STODMARSH HAS BEEN RINGED,
-THE METAL RING CAN ALMOST BE READ.
GREAT CRESTED GREBE
GREEN VEINED WHITE
GVW
THE MALTESE REGISTERED TITON en route to Piraeus in Greece, this level of pollution should not be happening surely.
SPECKLED WOOD
GREEN HAIRSTREAK
ADONIS BLUE
ADONIS BLUES IN COP
MOTHER SHIPTON a day flying moth.
-MOTH OF THE MOTH
GREY DAGGER One of the first moths I ever caught when I started mothing about ten years ago.
