Blue Eyed Birder: Kentish Nature Walks #46 Northward Hill & Cliffe

It dawned clear and warm and looked set fair to be a very hot day indeed. My original plan was to head down to Northward Hill after lunch to look for Purple Emperors but it just felt like everything would be hiding away in the near 30C temperatures by then so I headed out at 8.30 to give it a go.

It started well with a White-letter Hairstreak in the car park that quickly headed back upwards and then a fine White Admiral that actually glided into a pocket of sunshine and perched up for a while before being seen off by a Brimstone and Small White.

White Admiral

A family of Green Woodpeckers were being very vociferous in the Ash trees and a Med Gull was anting by itself above the trees. Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns and Ringlets were out in force and at one Bramble clump there were newly emerged Green-veined Whites and a glowing Peacock without a scale out of place. I found no more White-letter Hairstreaks as I made my way through the Elms but could hear Bullfinches and the odd hweet and croak of a Nightingale or two.

Speckled Wood

Peacock

Green-veined White

Gatekeeper

Med Gull

A Broad-bodied Chaser, Southern and two Blue-eyed Hawkers patrolled the rides and the Butterfly list kept bumping along with some common additions.

Large Skipper

Red Admiral

There were a few usual Bumbles including B vestalis and once on the sandy upper path I found a colony of Anthophora bimaculata, Cerceris rybyensis and Philanthus triangulum along with a red and black species that was collecting large Shieldbug nymphs for its burrow. I am wondering if it is the delightfully named Astata boops once again but these felt a little different, perhaps because they were so active rather than roosting under a rock! I have asked for help and got an answer from Grant - Dryudella pinguis!

Philanthus triangulum

Dryudella pinguis

Burdock

I seemingly chose the right Emperor butterfly spot as three other people congregated and although they did not come down I was still pleased with couple of decent circuits of the Oak canopy. Purple Hairstreaks danced in and out of the same trees and I managed to find none perched up for a few seconds while a White-letter Hairstreak flew in and landed near my head! A couple of quick shots and she was on her way again!

Purple Hairstreak

White-letter Hairstreak

A Hummingbird Hawkmoth whizzed down the path and a Siskin flew over calling suggesting hints of autumn movement. It really was getting hot now and so I found a superb short-cut back to the car passing through a meadow thrumming with Grasshoppers and dotted with Meadow Browns, Marbled Whites and patrolling Darters and Emperor dragonflies.

Common Darter

A very odd small flowered, richly coloured Common-type Mallow

I drove the short distance to Bromhey Farm to check the Sallows there as the Emperors have been visiting from Northward Hill but I did not see any on my walk – Frank reckons the late afternoon is best. There was plenty to see though and Small Tortoiseshell, Small and Essex Skippers were new for the day along with a selection of common Hoverflies that included Volucella pellucens, Myathropa florea and Eristalis intricaria. There were more Ruddy and Common Darters on the wing down here too and the main ditch was live with Common Blue and Azure Damselflies and a swarm of Poecilobothrus nobilitatus all engaged in their wing waving mega dance off to impress the ladies.

Bit dry looking back at Northward Hill

Small Skipper

I like the shadow of this Red Admiral

Ruddy Darter

Poecilobothrus nobilitatus

Rosebay Willowherb

It was noon and I had had enough and so after a spot to eat headed for home but then got distracted and thought I would see if I could check the spot where I saw Lesser Emperors a couple of summers ago but the sneaky entry points had all been welded up so on a whim I dropped into the Eternal Lake NR on Salt Lane and had a quick shufty around the pit margins and as if by magic there was a male Lesser Emp patrolling the reed edge just in front. He even stopped for a couple of pics. I also saw a female hawking over the car park but she threw me by having four dark wing clouds but Roy W has kindly informed me that this can be fairly normal for the species as they mature.

Lesser Emperor - male

Lesser Emperor - female

Emperors, Four Spotted Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmers and three blue Damsels were all see in just a short walk and Tufted Ducks and Pochards loafed around on some floats while the Coots were fun to watch as they dived close by in the crystal clear waters.