I have only been north of the Thames three times since
Lockdown and the need to have some work done on my car sent me back that way. I
dropped my car off and then ambled down to Grays Chalk Pit for a brief bit of
Orchid searching. I did not go into the
gorge fully but tried to remember where I found stuff a few years ago.
The Man Orchids were back up and still looking pretty fine
in the sunshine atop the pit escarpment but like many places there were fewer
than my last visit due to the prolonged dry spring I suspect.
 |
| Man Orchids |
Common Broomrape was dotted amongst it along with Yellow
Rattle, Lucerne, Tufted vetch and Yellow Vetchling and the Sarson Stones still
look completely out of place up top.
 |
| Common Broomrape |
 |
| Yellow
Rattle |
 |
| Yellow Vetchling |
 |
| Lucerne |
 |
| Anyone for Sarsons on their fish 'n' chips? |
Common Spotted and Pyramidal Orchids were found on the lower
path along with Common Twayblade but there was not the display I had seen
before but there had also been a lot of active management of the area which was
encouraging.
 |
| Common Spotted Orchid |
 |
| Common Spotted Orchids growing in almost nothing |
 |
| Common Spotted Orchid |
 |
| Pyramidal Orchid |
 |
| Common Twayblade |
Agrimony, Round-leaved Wintergreen and Perennial Sweet Pea
were flowering but I could not find any Bee Orchids.
 |
| Agrimony |
 |
| Round-leaved Wintergreen |
 |
| Round-leaved Wintergreen |
 |
| Perennial Sweet Pea |
 |
| Perennial Sweet Pea |
Black-tailed Skimmers zoomed around the newly cleared areas despite
the lack of water for some distance and although I found a few patches of
Kidney Vetch I could not find any Small Blues at surely one of the most likely
spots in the County for them to colonise if only they could get across the
Thames at some stage!
 |
| Black-tailed Skimmer |
 |
| Black-tailed Skimmer |
 |
| Kidney Vetch |
 |
| Common Blue |
 |
| Aspen |
A quick look around the lake below Ingrebourne Hill where
the Black-necked Grebes bred all those years ago saw me add Large and Small
Skipper to the year list along with Emperors, Black-tailed Skimmers and Four
Spot Chasers while Azure, Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselflies loitered in
the grasses.
 |
| Four
Spot Chaser |
 |
| Emperor |
 |
| Blue-tailed Damselfy |
 |
| Marsh Frog |
Drake Pochards and Tufted Ducks hopefully alluded to the
nesting presence of females and a couple of Cetti’s were giving it large as
they reaffirmed their territories for a second brood and I could hear a Cuckoo
off towards the river.
 |
| Pochard |
 |
| Pochard |
 |
| Pochard |
 |
| Great Crested Grebe |
 |
| Salsify |
I made my way to my parents in Ilford and chilled in the
garden over lunch with the local Woodpigeons, Robins, Sparrows and a juvenile
Starling coming ridiculously close in order to snaffle some grub.
 |
| Starling |
 |
| Starling |
 |
| Starling |
 |
| Robin |
 |
| Robin |
 |
| Robin |
You have to marvel at the largely ignored Woody. When you visit anywhere abroad you are often
trying to find exotic pigeons and marvel at their plumage and yet this most resplendent
species with its petrol hued ruff, striking wing pattern, multi-coloured bill
and always squiffy pupiled eyeballs rarely gets a second glance as we are just
so familiar with it in Europe.
 |
| Woodpigeon |
Red Kites were quite literally pouring through Kent and some
of the dispersal was likely to come through Essex and sure enough anxious Crows
got me onto a Buzzard who in turn got me onto a immature Kite power gliding to
the north-west.
 |
| Buzzard |
 |
| Red Kite |
 |
| Osteospermums at M&Ds are enjoying the sunshine! |
After giving Dad some SD help on the allotment it was time
for me to go get the car and head for home. I had almost got through the front
door when I glanced up and there was a Red Kite heading over in the same
direction as the one in Ilford. I wondered how many I had not seen today that
had snuck behind my house on their way towards Rob’s half a mile up the road?
32 was the answer.
