Friday 30th May 2008
Sandwich Bay SBBOT
Southern Marsh
Orchids are Showing well in the Middle field also
Clove-scented Broomrape (Orobanche
caryophyllacea) over on the golf course
with Sea Kale on the shingle. (Gadget)
Friday 30th May 2008
Beltinge
A very pleasant evening walk close to my mothing site
produced my first Painted Lady Butterfly of the year. (Barry H)
Sunday 25th May 2008
Hoverpad Pegwell
Bee Orchids seem to flower earlier each year on
the Hoverport, the first of which this year was on 21 May. A scattering of
Yellow Rattle and a variety of 'legumes' including Kidney Vetch,
Hop and Birdsfoot Trefoil, Spotted and Black Medick together with
Oxford Ragwort were the bulk of the more conspicuous flowers. (F
Solly)
Sunday 25th May 2008 Broadstairs
Garden
A few species of hoverfly on the wing today including many
Hemophilus pendulus,
a few of
Myrathropa floraea,
Syrphus ribesii
and Eupeodes
corollae and just 1 of
Episyrphus balteatus. The
best sighting though was the pictured spider,
Salticus scenicus
or Zebra spider.
It was seen to jump several centimetres to catch the black aphid which it is
consuming in one of the pictures. (Jerry Lanfear).
Tuesday 20th May 2008 Yockletts & Bonsai Area
A day out with Gadget (oh no!) The supposedly mostly
sunny day with a bit of cloud was a mostly cloudy day with a bit of sun and
cold! We initially tried for Black-veined Moth but there was virtually no
insect activity in the disappointingly poor conditions. Common Heaths
were frequent, the odd Small Purple-barred, a few Common Blues
and a single Adonis Blue was about it. The highlight by far was 3
Fallow Deer which rounded the corner just in front of us. A quick look
at Yockletts produced Lady and Fly Orchids, White Helleborine and Common
Twayblade. Lots of Bugle which attracted a nectaring Bee Fly, Yellow
Archangel, a small patch of Herb Paris and Spurge Laurel.
The stunningly attractive micro Alabonia geoffrella posed well for a
photo although a Brown Argus and Broad-bodied Chaser were less
obliging. With a bit of time spare and the prospect of some sunnier weather
(we were easily fooled) we moved on to Bonsai. Lots more Lady Orchids
here, including a white specimen and Greater Butterfly Orchids about
a week from flowering. Only about 5 Duke of Bergundy Fritts, single
Brimstone and the three Whites were the only Butterflies. A
scattering of mostly micro moths including, Anania funebris, Pyrausta
aurata, Pyrausta purpuralis, Pancalia leuwenhoekella and the macros
Speckled Yellows and Lesser Treble-bar, (Gadget & F Solly)
Tuesday 20th May 2008
Yorkletts & Denge Woods
Tuesday 20th May, private wood near Yorkletts. In dense
shade we found about 20 Birdsnest Orchids and as many
Fly Orchids, and white helleborines with a
few Lady and Early purple Orchids going
over. On to Bonzai Bank, Denge Woods where there were plenty of Lady
Orchids out and at their best, Butterfly Orchids
were still in bud. Not to many Duke of Burgundy butterflies
and those seen were all males. Brimstones,
Orange tips and one Green hairstreak seen,
we met Gadget and Francis there, as well as a couple of butterfly
enthusiasts from London. (Don Wilks)
Tuesday 20th May 2008
The Point Sandwich bay
Yellow belle moths
were flushed from grassland close to the dunes. Also on the wing were
Small Heath and Common Blue butterflies and a teneral Hairy
Dragonfly was resting up in tall dune vegetation.
(Jason M)
Tuesday 20th Mayn2008 Clifftop at Pegwell
19/5/2008. The stiff NE breeze continues - great
conditions for spring on Thanet, no birds, no moffs, Lots of Holly Blues
along the clifftop at Pegwell, a few Common Blues a single presumably
migrant Red Admiral and other than that just Small and Large
Whites. (F Solly)
Thursday 15th May 2008 Minster Thanet
Wednesday 14th May 2008, The Large Red Damselfly
was observed along with an assortment of Butterflies starting with Orange
Tip, Small Tortoiseshell, Coma, Peacock, Holly Blue, Green-veined White,
Small White and Large White. A day Flying Moth was in abundance around
nettles possibly Anthophila fabriciana,
also good numbers of seven-spotted Ladybirds were
observed along the hedgerows and Horse Chestnut was in Flower along
the Roadside of Bedlam Court Lane Minster, (Gadget)
Tuesday 13th May 2008 Kingsgate area
12/5. Nothing much going on in the Kingsgate area at
the moment although Man Orchids are just starting to flower, (F
Solly)
Sunday 11th May
2008 Sandwich Bay North Stream
Along the North
Stream on the 11th, an Azure Damselfly and 2 Hairy
Dragonflies were on the wing. (Gadget)
Thursday 8th May 2008 Bonzai Bank, Denge Woods
Morning visit to this reserve produced plenty of
Twayblade and some Lady Orchids out,
though there are a lot more to come out. Usual spring flowers, including a
clump of False Oxlips (Cowslip/primrose hybrid) Butterflies
to be seen were Orange tips, Speckled woods,
Brimstones, Green hairstreak and about six
Duke of Burgundy Fritillaries, I would judge that this time
next week should see the Lady Orchids and Duke of Burgundies at their best.
If anyone visits this reserve I would be interested if any Grizzled
Skippers are seen. (Don Wilks)
Wednesday 7th May 2008 Sandwich Bay &
Park-gate Down
Out over the bay area in glorious sunshine this
morning looking at the Green Winged Orchids they were out in
good number over the golf course, after lunch I made my way to Park-gate
Down KWT to look at more Orchids and Flowers, Early Purple Orchid in
good numbers with Common Twayblade and an arrangement of Cowslip
throughout the fields and Bluebells around the edge's and in the
woods
(Gadget)
Tuesday 6th May 2008 Stonelees / Lydden & Park
Gate Down
5/5/2008. A bit of a wander around, Started in
Stonelees where there were good numbers of Butterflies - Green-veined,
Large and Small Whites, Orange-tips, Speckled Woods, Peacocks and a
couple of Green Hairstreaks. Little else of note: A few Moths -
Common and Green Carpets, Grapholita jungiella and Pammene
rhediella. On to Lydden, a little to early for most of the downland
flowers to be doing much, Hairy Violets still flowering well as were
Cowslips. Common Milkwort, Salad Burnet, Purging Flax and
Early Spider Orchids appeared to be just starting. Butterflies were much
as Stonelees with the addition of Brimstone and Dingy Skippers.
Not much in the way of Moths, just 2 Small Purple-barred, the
odd Pyrausta despicata and a nice Pancalia
leuwenhoekella feeding on a Buttercup, A flying visit to Park Gate,
lots of Early Purple Orchids and Cowslips and the micro moth
Epichnopterix plumella - quite nice as I don't see it very
often. (F Solly)
Sunday 4th May 2008 Garden Minster Thanet
Three Grass Snake were hunting in my garden pond
today, two about three foot long and one much smaller, Frogs leaving
pond in all directions, except for one that was caught and eaten. All three
Snakes stayed in pond all day. (Don Wilks)
Sunday 4th May 2008 Garden
Broadstairs Thanet
The pond is now 5 years old
and well established so this year thought I'd see what I can see (and
photograph) just to show the benefits that a simple garden pond can have in
encouraging biodiversity. Today's great weather made it seem like the ideal
day to start. First to catch my eye were several of the hoverfly
Hemophilus pendulus. They are quite obliging as they
perched handily on vegetation and allowed some nice pics. I tried for a
while to photo some that were mating, but it wasn't to be as they never
settle for any length of time. Whilst I was watching these insects I saw
several Smooth Newts coming up to breathe. My photos were
dismal though, I wonder whether a polarizing filter would help. Next
species noted was this beetle, initially I assumed this was a lily beetle,
as we've had these before, but checking in the book suggests this is a
relative of the Cardinal beetle, named Pyrachroa serraticornis. I'm
not sure that it's a particularly aquatic in its habits so it's presence on
pond side vegetation was probably coincidental. Several
small flies were noted but will have to remain unidentified for now. The
final species was this spider which I was somewhat surprised to see shoot
across the surface of the water in the manner of a Pond Skater. Checking in
the book later, I'm fairly sure this is the excellently named
Pirata piraticus, but it could be a related species so I could
be wrong, especially as this species isn't recorded from Thanet according to
the only spider atlas I checked? (Jerry Lanfear)
Friday 3rd May 2008
Stodmarsh NNR
An afternoon visit to
Stodmarsh in rather breezy conditions, Lots of insects in the more sheltered
locations, particularly Hoverflies, The more obvious species being
Syrphus vitripennis, Leucozona lucorum, Helophilus pendulus and the
'snouted' Rhingia campestris. A few Scorpion Flies
lurked amongst the thicker foliage and Blue-tailed and Common Blue
Damselflies were sunning themselves. Orange-tips, Green-veined and
Small Whites were the only Butterflies. (F Solly)
