Tuesday
31st July 2007 Hoverpad Pegwell
A brief look at the hoverport at lunchtime, a single Hummingbird
Hawk, about 20 Painted Ladies - either migrants or locally bred
with smaller numbers of Peacocks and Red Admirals, little
else other than the Whites. (F Solly)
Tuesday 31st July 2007 Garlinge Thanet
Just walked around the garden this morning and saw 6 large hoverflies on a
Buddleia. I think they might be either Volucella zonaria or inanis.
(Matthew White)
Sunday 29th July 2007 Park-gate Down NR
Broad-leaved Helleborines only one in flower yesterday (Friday) had
to be the windiest day to try taking any flowers but I've attached a
couple of j-pegs I took of the one flower spike that's in flower so far.
There are 4 more a lot smaller and no sign of them flowering yet so I think
I should take another look there when I get back from holiday in three
weeks time. (Jill B)
Saturday
28th July 2007 Dumpton Thanet
Just one of
the many baby Hedgehog that are around Dumpton area, this one has
taken up residents in our garden under the woodpile. (Gadget)
Saturday
28th July 2007 Temple Ewell / Lydden KWT NR
Spent the
morning walking this reserve, late summer flowers in profusion with
hundreds of Chalkhill Blues flying, a few Marbled
Whites and Essex Skippers, and three Large
Skippers, plenty of Gatekeepers. No silver
spotted skippers, Autumn Ladies tresses or Great Wart biter seen. But one Great
Green Bush Cricket seen. Met other enthusiasts there one told me
he had seen three white lettered hairstreaks near some elm trees and
another guy had seen some immature Wasp Spiders in webs. (Don Wilks)
Friday
27th July 2007 Pegwell Cliff-top to the Hoverport
A lunchtime ride along Pegwell Cliff-top to the Hoverport produced a
few Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters. Single Clouded
Yellow and Painted Lady but very little else in the way of
butterflies. (F Solly)
Friday 27th July 2007
Grove Ferry
I was at
Grove Ferry this morning drawing a few birds and things; although there
was nothing particularly exciting on the bird front I did see several
flower spikes of the carnivorous plant Great Bladderwort (Utricularia
vulgaris) in the ditches. This is quite numerous at the Stodmarsh
end, but I had not noticed at Grove before. There is also a very
good show of Frogbit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae) in
the ditch alongside Harrisons Drove. (Norman McCanch)
Sunday 22nd July 2007 Middle field SBBOT
Hoverfly
Heliophilus trivittatus Middle field SBBOT recorded and
Photographed by (Don Wilks)
Sunday 22nd July 2007
Grove Ferry
A quick session around the reserve was a nice break from the routine of
work, sleep & rain! Plenty of bits to distract my attention.
Butterflies included Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper,
Red Admiral and Large White whilst the
chorus of Marsh Frogs provided an alternative soundtrack
to the sounds of Bearded Tit and Reed Warbler that emanated from
the dense reed-beds. A female Black-tailed Skimmer
(dragonfly) gave fantastic views, perched on a trackside reed stem. A few Rabbits
were hopping around the meadow and paddock besides the entrance track
making it a very pleasant morning around the reserve. (Dylan)
Saturday
21st July 2007 Broadstairs Thanet
Along with
the usual butterflies there was a Gatekeeper in the garden today.
I also spotted this Wool Carder Bee, a very nice species. (J
Lanfear)
Wednesday
18th July 2007 Park-gate Down & Middle Field Sbbot
Don and myself went out to Park-gate Down NR this
Morning in anticipation that the Broad-Leaved Helleborine
would be out in flower, but we were out of luck about another 7 days we
think, there were a few Hoverflies Epistrophe nitidicollis
around the gate which I photographed, we decided to head for the Sbbot and
see if we could fine something of interest, the middle field had loads of
Damselflies & Dragonflies 7 Black-tailed Skimmers, 8 females
& 1 Male Emperor Dragonflies with Blue-tallied and Common Damselflies
in very good numbers but only 1 Small Red-eyed Damselflies on the pond.
(Gadget)
Sunday 15th July 2007 SBBOT Pond
The discovery of a Puss Moth Caterpillar
around the pond this morning was the only excitement of the time I
spent at the obs. (Gadget)
Saturday
14th July 2007 Middle Field Sbbot
Walked
around this meadow and the small pond looking for dragonflies. Species
seen were one Emperor male, one Black tailed Skimmer
male, plenty of Azure and Blue tailed Damselflies
and five Small Red-eyed Damselflies sitting on lily pads. Also
four nice stems of Marsh Wounwort. (Don Wilks)
Friday 13th July 2007 Dumpton Thanet
playing with a macro lens in my garden today Oedemera nobils
were in and around the flowers and a few Sphaerophoria scripta
nice lens. (Gadget)
Saturday 7th July 2007 Hoverpad Pegwell
A visit to the Hoverport in far nicer conditions than of late produced
very little. Lots of flowers - mostly Clovers and Trefoils but little in
the way of Butterflies. The most notable plants were Orange Hawkweed
and a patch of Haresfoot Clover - I can't recall having seen this
on Thanet before although it is common at Sandwich Bay. Butterflies
included a couple of Painted Ladies, single Small Tortoiseshell
and small numbers of Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Red Admiral and the
three Whites. A good scattering of Hoverflies including the large
Volucella zonaria. On the way home, I somewhat surprisingly came
across an 'helice' type Clouded Yellow as I cycled along Stirling
Way. (F Solly)
Thursday 5th July 2007 Park
Gate Down
KWT
Park Gate Down Thursday 5th July Morning.
Visited this reserve in the company of Gadget and Peter to look for late
orchids. Plenty of Fragrant, Pyramidal and
Spotted some still in good condition. Also four so called
Park Gate Late Spider
Orchids (Ophrys fuciflora) though I am doubtful as
it looks more like a bee orchid cross to me, see photograph attached
(maybe Francis can make a better identification). Best of all there were a
considerable number of Musk Orchids (Herminium monorchis).
These tiny, two to three inches high, greeny yellow orchids are very
hard to spot amongst the grass until you get your eye in. At the end of
the reserve in the woods were a few Broad-leaved heleborines, but
unfortunately still in bud. Not many butterflies though just a few Small
Skippers and Marbled White, but it was still
quite windy, though at least a dry day with some sunshine for a change. (Don Wilks, Gadget & Peter)
Thursday 5th July 2007 Stodmarsh
NNR
A rather unrewarding visit to Stodmarsh in the afternoon in what almost
immediately became virtually a westerly gale. Very little in the way of
Dragonflies with just Emperors and Black-tailed Skimmers, Common Blue,
Blue-tailed, Azure and Red-eyed Damselflies. Lots of the usual wetland
flowers, most conspicuously Meadowsweet, Yellow and Dotted
Loosestrife. A scattering of Creeping Jenny and Skullcap
in less overgrown areas and in the dyke alongside the Lampen Wall lots of
the 'carnivorous' Bladderwort just starting to flower. As I was
leaving, the attractive tortrix Pammene aurana was seen
feeding on Hogweed flowers. (F Solly)
Wednesday 4th July 2007 East
Blean & Monkton NR Thanet
I had a run
out to East Blean with Ross & Peter two lads that are staying at SBBOT
for a few days, at East Blean we recorded good numbers of Ringlets,
Meadow Browns, Heath Fritillaries, Small
Skippers but only 4 White Admirals and 5 Purple
Hairstreak, and a few Common Blue Damselflies onward to Monkton
NR and a very quick look around the reserve we observed Marbled Whites
Butterflies, Blue tailed Damselflies, Smooth Newts in the pond day
flying moth seen were Cinnabar, Six-spotted Burnet Orchids or there
remains i.e. Bee Orchids, Common Spotted Orchids, Pyramidal Orchids also
Viper's Bugloss .
(Gadget)
Tuesday 3rd July 2007 East
Blean
A visit to East Blean in far from optimum conditions - almost constant
thunder, intermittent sunny spells and showers! Lots of Ringlets,
Meadow Browns, Green-veined and Large Whites in the more open areas
with only small numbers of Heath Fritillaries, occasional Small
Skippers and two very obliging White Admirals. Whist looking
for mines, I came across the odd looking caterpillar of Purple
Hairstreak on an Oak leaf. Very little in the way of moths - although
I didn't really look and didn't do any tapping (almost unheard of) -
singles of Little Emerald, Small White Wave and Phylloporia
bistrigella were about it. (F Solly)
Tuesday 3rd July 2007 Ramsgate
Cemetery
A quick look
around the cemetery after lunch between showers, very little to report Jays,
Magpies, Woodpigeons, Carrion Crows, Parakeets and Herring
Gulls were in and around the east corner Grey Squirrels also in
good number where butterflies were few and only 3 Large Whites, 1 Meadow Browns and
1 Red Admiral. (Gadget)
