Oh no... not butterflies and plants again! 6th August 2020

A slight change in plans today saw me take Sam out for a few hours locally instead.  He really wanted to see my butterflies of recent days so it was back to Queendown Warren on a warm but grey morning.  It was a little slow to get going as the temperature rose a couple more degrees everything appeared. A random contingent of Gravesend, Medway and Sheppey birders had gathered and we had a good amble up and down the slopes looking at the Silver Spotted Skippers and various Blues. Once again only one male Adonis was seen but like my first visit refused to play ball.

Silver Spotted Skipper

Silver Spotted Skipper

Silver Spotted Skipper

Chalk Hill Blue

Chalk Hill Blue

Chalk Hill Blue

Adonis Blue

Common Blue

Brown Argus

Meadow Brown

Meadow Brown

I found a Stripe Winged Grasshopper – well actually it found Tim’s leg and I managed to get some shots of some micro moths including Oncocera semirubella, Pyrausta despicata, aurata and nigrata and an Acleris sp – with help as ever from Antony.

Stripe Winged Grasshopper

White Marjoram

Hemp Agrimony

Oncocera semirubella

Acleris sp

Pyrausta despicata

Volucella inanis

Syrphus ribesii

Syritta pipiens

Eristalis pertinax

On Tuesday I had just been about to take a shot of one of the un-opened Autumn Ladies Tresses when that Adonis distracted me.  I only remembered them this morning and it was worth another visit for these diminutive orchids along and the spirals of tiny white flowers were just opening up.

Autumn Ladies Tresses

Autumn Ladies Tresses

Autumn Ladies Tresses

A fresh Small Tortoiseshell was good to see but with things to do we left the flickering pasture of blues and browns and headed off to The Larches.

Small Tortoiseshell

It was ever so slightly brighter and warmer than my visit on the 25^th July with Antony and there were still many Yellow Bird’s Nests poking though the Beech leaf litter.  I like the alternative name of Dutchman’s Pipe and it would cause less confusion with Bird’s Nest Orchid!

Yellow Bird’s Nest

Yellow Bird’s Nest

Sam was amazed at these weird little plants and for the second time today I turned to find him flat on the floor taking pictures.

The Broad-leaved Helleborines were still flowering although many had bloomed and gone over since the 25^th.  The odd one was still blooming but seems to be within Broad-leaved variation.

Broad-leaved Helleborine

Broad-leaved Helleborine

Broad-leaved Helleborine

Broad-leaved Helleborine

Broad-leaved Helleborine

Up in the meadow there were now insects galore with Common Blues and Small Whites drifting around and we were both delighted to find three male Adonis Blues who were somewhat more obliging than the Queensdown ones and posed wonderfully with their wings open.

Adonis Blue

Adonis Blue

Adonis Blue

Adonis Blue

I discovered a clump of Stinking Hellebore which I think was new for me in the UK and found some Blue Fleabane alongside the path where countless Meadow, Rufous, and Field Grasshoppers pinged away in front of us. A fine female Speckled Bush Cricket posed nicely.

Rufous Grasshopper

Speckled Bush Cricket

Blue Fleabane

Stinking Hellebore

A Treble Bar was a good moth to find and a sulphurous Brimstone patrolled the Willowherb stand and Carline Thistles dotted the ground looking dry even before they have finished flowering. The one little patch of Wild Carrot had several Tumbling Flower Beetles and some tiny bees on it and several chunky dark legged Robber Flies perched menacingly.

Treble Bar

Carline Thistle

Carline Thistle

Tumbling Flower Beetles

Robber Fly sp

It  was now too ht out in the glad so we called it a day and made for the shady path back to the car  but still managed to find a patch of Ploughman’s Spikenard to show Sam along with a leaf mine on Wild Raspberry and some fruiting Tutsan.

Wild Raspberry mine probably Stigmella aurella

Ploughman’s Spikenard

Tutsan

It was a windows down run home from here after a splendid morning out. 

After a post cup of tea siesta I headed out again before dinner to check out a local water body where Lesser Emperors had been reported. I was delighted to discover about six patrolling the waters although they never stopped once for me.

This is such a striking dragonfly and they must have been here a while to be in such numbers – and sorry, I can’t say where they were as it is a very private site.

Lesser Emperor

Lesser Emperor

There was plenty else to see with a late Black-tailed Skimmer, Migrant and Brown Hawkers, an egg laying Emperor, Azure, Small Red-eyed, Common Blue, Blue-tailed and Willow Emerald Damsels and Ruddy and Common Darter.

Willow Emerald Damsel

Willow Emerald Damsels

Willow Emerald Damsels egg laying

Common Darter

Emperor

Emperor and Common Blue Damsels

Brown Hawker

Little Egrets, Kingfishers, Cetti’s Warblers and Painted Lady, Gypsy Moths, Oak Eggars and Jersey Tigers made for a pleasant evening excursion but it was hotter now that it had been all day and I escaped for home once more.

Jersey Tiger

Kingfisher