With the chance of a dry(ish) and calm(ish) day I headed up to
Ranscombe Farm once again (Oh no! I hear you cry!).
There was immediately a new addition to the plant list with several
resplendent clumps of Nettle-leaved Bellflower nodding on the car park
embankment amongst the Field Scabious and Knapweeds.
 |
| Nettle-leaved Bellflower - Campanula trachelium |
Longhoes had changed once again and the vibrant blues of the
Viper’s Bugloss had gone down a few shades in intensity to a rich lilac but
were offset by a mosaic of yellows. Most
was Oxtounges and I think that both Hawkweed and Bristly were present along
with patches of Ragwort.
 |
| Leaning towards the sun... |
 |
| Bristly Ox Tongue |
 |
| White Viper's Bugloss |
The sky was turbulent and changed the colour of the landscape
below every few minutes with passing shadows and patches of sunlight. Self Heal, Wild Basil, Vervain, and Red Bartsia were
new species and the Long-stalked Cranesbill seems to keep growing up and
through the other plants that were not even started when I first encountered
it. A couple more patches of Sainfoin
had appeared and I was surprised to learn that these were the first for the
reserve.
 |
| Long-stalked Cranesbill |
 |
| Red Bartsia |
 |
| Self Heal |
 |
| Wild Basil |
 |
| Wild Basil |
 |
| Vervain |
I spent some time looking at Thistles as this gave me (and therefore
Enid on Messenger!) a headache last time. Think I have it sussed now with
skinny, spiky Slender, more clumpy, spiky, fat headed Welted and pale lilac clear
stemmed Creeping! We shall see!
 |
| Creeping |
 |
| Welted on left - Slender on right |
 |
| Slender |
 |
| Welted |
The Buttercup Meadow as I called it is now definitely the
Ragwort Meadow, interspersed with great roundels of Marjoram with its attendant
Skippers and Bees.
 |
| Marjoram |
 |
| Ragwort |
 |
| Small Skipper on Marjoram |
Field Bindweed in delicate shades of pink was open around
the fence line where the Gromwell was just going over and Meadow Browns and chocolate
Ringlets danced around the Brambles but it really was a little cool for many
other insects. Several Honey Bees and
Eristalis arbustorum were on Hogweed heads and I managed some shots of yet
another smart little black and yellow wasp that I think may be Cerceris
quinquefasciata but I am awaiting some experienced input first.
 |
| Ringlet |
 |
| Ringlet |
 |
| Honey Bee |
 |
Cerceris
quinquefasciata - Tim Strudwick has confirmed my id of this scarce species
|
 |
| Cerceris
quinquefasciata |
The Valley was still yellow but with a lot more Oxtongues
in bloom with dotted splashes of Thistles and Bugloss. Rain was threatening but
I pressed on finding a nice little patch of Common Flax and some Wild Oats shimmering
in the increasing breeze.
 |
| Common Flax |
 |
| Wild Oats sp |
The rain started at the point where I could head off into
Mill Wood which was quiet and still and then out in Brockles Field and down the
edge past Pyramidal Orchids, Agrimony and clambering Old Man’s Beard. The breeze had stirred up the Sweet Chestnuts
and the sickly sweet, slightly nauseating scent of the flowers crept across the
meadow.
 |
| Getting dark... |
 |
| Old Man’s Beard. |
Down into Kitchen Field where the Poppies were largely over
but the previously bare chalk was now covered in a sea of white daisy type
flowers. I had seen some a few weeks ago
and thought it was Chamomile but today actually had a sniff too. Both Camomile and Scented mayweed both smell
pleasant. This did not and it was quite pungent
therefore at the moment I am going with the aptly named Stinking Chamomile
until someone advises otherwise!
 |
| Kitchen Field |
 |
| Stinking Chamomile |
Perennial Sow Thistles with the über soft yellow heads towered
above the other ‘yellows’ and despite looking I could not find any Blue amongst
the Scarlet Pimpernel... again.
 |
| Perennial Sow Thistles |
 |
| Perennial Sow Thistles |
 |
| Perennial Sow Thistles |
 |
| Scarlet Pimpernel |
For some reason I could not refind my big patch of Wild
Liquorice but there were still sluggish Marbled White and Meadow Browns in and
out of the grasses.
 |
| Marbled White |
 |
| Andrena sp |
 |
Eupeodes latifasciatus - a new one for me
|
I took the top path alongside the Chestnut coppice with the
huge views over the Medway Valley beyond off towards the east of Maidstone and
then discovered by leaning on a peculiarly placed piece of fencing that I was
looking at the protected Meadow Clary area.
Fortunately there was still a little in flower of this now very rare
plant.
 |
| Meadow Clary |
The big Oaks, Ash and Maples kept the rain showers off as I
skirted the fields and the good cleared area of Chestnuts alongside the path
had Brambles out of the breeze and even in a little sunshine where Commas, Red
Admirals, Whites, Skippers and Browns flitted around. There were a few more bees here including
Tree Bumbles and a few Linnaemya and Sarcs.
I did find this large funky Tachinid fly though called Dexiosoma
caninum that was on the hunt for Beetles to parasitize.
 |
| Oak Apple Gall |
 |
| Wood Sage |
 |
| Comma |
 |
| Large Skipper |
 |
| Large White |
 |
| Linnaemya sp |
 |
| Linnaemya sp |
 |
| Dexiosoma
caninum |
 |
| Dexiosoma
caninum |
 |
| Rutpela maculata |
A patch of flowering White Bryony lured me off the path and
there, unsurprisingly were the almost expected Andrena florea and I then saw
them at every clump I looked at along the path.
I did check for Bryony Ladybirds but still have found none this season.
 |
| Andrena florea |
 |
| Andrena florea |
The path moves away from the Wheat and Broadbean fields and
follows a wide ride where I thought it might be good for butterflies. It was not warm enough to draw down any White
Admirals or Silver Washed Frits but there were many of the aforementioned
bramble species in the shelter here. A
female Emperor Dragonfly was making a concerted effort to catch them and the
sudden acceleration after prey was amazing but to be honest the simplicity with
which the Butterflies evaded a mauling was equally applause worthy.
 |
| Emperor Dragonfly |
 |
| Red Admiral |
Fleabane was now in
flower and will be worthy of a further insect look if it warms up again and a
male Bombus lucorum on some Bugloss was the first I have seen this year.
 |
Bombus lucorum - rubbish pic but the males are very distinctive
|
 |
| Fleabane |
 |
| Jackdaws |
A glance west saw a rapidly blackening sky once again and so
I cut up through the wheat field back to the road and the final stretch across
the reserve and thankfully made it home with no further weather related
incidents!
No comments:
Post a Comment