Sunday 8 May 2022

Kentish Nature Walks #27 - A haze of Purple and Gold - 8th May 2022

A local Kentish circuit saw me at Marden Meadows KWT reserve at lunchtime today where as I had hoped there was a glorious display of Green Winged Orchids dotted amongst the blazing yellow of Bulbous and Meadow Buttercups.

I wandered amongst them for a while and marvelled at the array of colour forms from the palest pink through to the deepest purple and noticed that the whole meadow of orchid spires was tilted towards the sun.  I suppose that this happens with all orchids that can see Sol but I suspect it is the sheer density that makes it obvious here.  I had to resist the urge to straighten up all my scenery shots!




All lean to the right please!














All the above are Green Winged Orchids

Bulbous Buttercup

Bulbous Buttercup with the recurved sepals

Meadow Buttercup

Meadow Buttercup with the flush sepals


There were many small insects on the wing but disappointingly absolutely nothing to marvel at or sneak up on bar my first Scorpion Fly of the year.

Scorpion Fly

Tetragnatha sp

Yellowhammer and Blackcaps sang and a couple of Buzzards mewed overhead.

Hemlock Water-Dropwort

Fresh green English Oak




Back at home I did a bit of garden tinkering and followed the late afternoon sunny spots around the garden with my camera recording the inverts that I found while Blue and Great Tits fed young in their respective boxes. I have still had no Swifts anywhere as yet.

Speckled Wood

Holly Blue


Myathropa florea

Myathropa florea

f Sphaerophoria

f Eupeodes luniger

f Eupeodes luniger

Episyrphus balteatus

Syrphus  sp

Platycheirus albimanus - Epistrophe eligans and Helophilus pendulus also seen

Calliphora

Calliphora




Pretty sure I have had this in the garden before - hopefully Phil can help!

Common Carder Bee

m Nomada flava

Common Green Shieldbug

Dock Bug


Almost escaped...

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