Kentish Nature Walks #37 - Dragons, Butters and Orchids 16th June 2022

More sunshine, more insect time.  Denis and I headed down towards Canterbury for a walk along the Great Stour starting at Britain’s smallest town, Fordwich.

We wended our way along the lush footpath alongside the river for a couple of hours and only saw three other people on the track through head high grasses and nettles.  The river was crystal clear and deep with sinuous weed wafting in the currents and given the heat it did indeed look very inviting.  Crinkly Yellow Water Lily leaves were still well submerged but some had made the surface and the odd flower was poking through.  One incredibly large Chubb cruised up and down but I saw no other fish bar some tiddlers.

Chubb 

 Yellow Water Lily - still under water

Dragonflies were our main quarry here and we were not disappointed with a final count of 21 Green Eyed Hawkers amongst the many Scarce Chasers and hundreds of bouncing, fluttery Banded Demoiselles.  

Green Eyed Hawker

Green Eyed Hawker

Green Eyed Hawker - a normal view

Green Eyed Hawker

Scarce Chaser

Scarce Chaser

Banded Demoiselle

Banded Demoiselle

Banded Demoiselle

Two late Hairy Hawkers were unexpected but there were also several Emperors, Black-tailed Skimmers and Four Spotted Chasers as well as Common Blue, Red-eyed, Variable, Azure, Blue Tailed and Large Red Damselflies. 

Black-tailed Skimmer

Emperor

Emperor

Emperor

Red-eyed Damselfly

Red-eyed Damselfly

Trying to get any shots what so ever of the Green-eyes was a bit of a challenge.

There were a few Butterflies with Small Tortoiseshells and Speckled Woods in the majority along with Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Comma, Meadow Brown, Small White, Green Veined White, Holly Blue and Small Skipper as well as a few of the usual Hoverflies and Bumbles.  To be honest it was almost too warm and nothing stopped for very long.

And this Adonis Ladybird

The huge riverside Willows, Alders and Poplars were full of singing Garden Warblers (eight at least) along with Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, Song Thrushes and Tit broods.  A Kingfisher darted up river and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling from the private south side while a Cuckoo sung all around us and never once showed.

Deceased Common Shrew

Moorhen chick

A drink beckoned so we retraced ours steps adding Cetti’s and Reed Warbler and moving a recently fledged Carrion Crow off the path and into a tree off the ground where he seemed much a happier. My second Crow rescue this month after one in Cornwall. Of Beavers there were no sign bar a few chewed branches.  I need an evening visit.

A liquid top up and then a wiggle through to the vastness of Blean Woods where after lunch we had a walk amongst the shady trees and open rides and were pleased to have found a good spot for Heath Fritillaries and in the one clearing I reckon that we saw about 120 flitting around with little micro glides between a few beats.  Cow-wheat was flowering well here but they only seemed to ever stop at some of the very flew Bramble flowers open but when they did they sort of got a bit engrossed and allowed a very close approach.

Heath Fritillary

Meadow Browns, Ringlet and Large Skipper were seen and a glorious White Admiral power glided in and was then off again while a rich golden brown Hawker had the feeling of the first teneral Blue-eyed of the season.

Burnet Rose

Cow-wheat

Meadow Brown

Volucella bombylans

Volucella bombylans

Wood Ants

The woods were quiet bar a few Tits, Nuthatches and a sneezing Marsh Tit which is apparently a good bird here nowadays.

With the temperature still climbing and more sites to visit we moved on and left Canterbury behind us and made our way to Strawberry Banks where I visited on Tuesday.  Denis had not seen a few of the Orchid species present and was in for a treat.  I found a few more Bee Orchids this time and as usual every one was slightly different.

Bee Orchid - this one is full on Satanic Jelly Baby - other petal was turned down the back

Bee Orchid

Chalk Fragrant Orchid - at the pale pink end

These four are all Common Spotted Orchid at the very pale end of the spectrum

Greater Butterfly Orchid

Pyramidal Orchid

The Dark Green Fritillaries were cruising around and there were already more Marbled Whites and Meadow Browns and Brown Argus, Small Blue, Common Blue and a very worn male Adonis Blue were added along with both Small and Essex Skippers, Small Heath and Large White giving us a respectable Butterfly haul for the day. Oh and a Peacock caterpillar too!

Dark Green Fritillary

Dark Green Fritillary

Marbled White

Small Blue

Small Heaths

The Andrena florea were going at the White Bryony with some gusto and provided some more ‘predictive’ insect photographical challenges before we completed the now sweltering circuit under the watchful gaze of the cattle next door.

 Andrena florea 

 Andrena florea 

Stenurella melanura 

One last stop for the local roadside Lizard Orchids and Denis actually found a shorter flower spike that I missed on Tuesday.  This was another new species for him and a fine way to round up proceedings.

Lizard Orchid

Lizard Orchid