Today was just far too hot.
I foolishly walked up the road to Rede Common at 8.30 in the hope of
finding some Hairstreaks but I never even took a single picture as everything I
saw was just hyped up on sunshine! One White-letter zoomed between the Elms and
plenty of other butterflies were zipping around but nothing at all settled and
with the back of my legs burning I decided to head back home again!
However sitting around at home was not much better and so a
jaunt out at lunchtime to have some air blowing through the windows was a good
call although I did resist sticking my head out of the window like an excitable dog.
My loop took me circuitously to Grove Ferry where I was the
only person foolish enough to venture out for a loop around.
The breeze had got up and I suspect that only
exacerbated the 30c heat. However, it was worth my effort as I saw a couple of
Green Eyed Hawkers on the way down the track before finding 14 more hunting
together in the lee of a big sallow by one of the closed hides. They were so
active but I did try to get some flight shots and just hoped that one would
eventually land.
 |
| Green Eyed Hawker |
 |
| Green Eyed Hawker |
 |
| Green Eyed Hawkers |
 |
| Green Eyed Hawker |
Common Blue, Blue-tailed and Variable Damselflies were in the
grass verges and several teneral Ruddy Darters were adopting the obelisk position
to diffuse the heat.
 |
| Blue-tailed Damselfly |
 |
| Variable Damselfly |
 |
| Frogbit |
 |
| Frogbit |
I carried on around and picked up several pinging Bearded
Tits and the usual warblers and a pair of Marsh Harriers were seen over the
reedbeds and two Green Sandpipers flicked up and away suggesting that autumn is on the way.
 |
| Dittander |
Getting views of the ditches was tricky but I did find one
where an Emperor was hunting alongside a Green Eyed who thankfully decided to
perch up for me for a while.
 |
| Green Eyed Hawker |
 |
| Green Eyed Hawker |
There were lots of very fresh Peacocks, Red Admirals and
Small Torts and many were engaged with mid-air tussles with the Hawkers but not
one was seen on the many Buddlia bushes alongside the River Stour.
 |
| Comfrey |
 |
| Buddlia |
Fish ‘n’ Chips and then another inland loop homewards to
avoid the chaos of the M2 and all the people leaving Margate and Whitstable for
the day!
No comments:
Post a Comment