Wednesday 27th May
2009 Hoverport Pegwell Bay
There are nowhere near
as many Bee Orchids this year as last, but I counted 33 flower
spikes as well as 4 Southern Marsh Orchids & lots of Common
Broomrape. (Claire Ward)
Wednesday 27th May 2009 Hoverport Pegwell Bay
26 May 2009, An afternoon wander around the
Hoverport in very blustery but sunny conditions. c250 Painted Ladies
and a single Clouded Yellow put on a good show, other than that
just Common Blues and the odd White. 15 flowering spikes
of Sothern Marsh Orchid, Bee Orchids have just started flowering
and 3 Orange Hawkweed in their 'usual' spot. Moths were limited
to a Mother Shipton, Yellow Belle, Treble-bar and a
couple of Aethes williana (F Solly)
Tuesday 26th May
2009 Kingsgate Area
On my lunchtime walk
with the dog I counted 250+ Painted Ladies, 140 of which were on
the estate between Hugin Avenue and Reading Street. I also saw on Red
Admiral, one Common Blue and a Clouded Yellow by the steps
at Kingsgate Bay (John C)
Sunday 24th May 2009 Painted Ladies
As you are probably aware there is a large
immigration of Painted Ladies taking place into East Kent at the
moment. I had at least 60 at Foreness this morning (Sun). Would it be
possible to ask subscribers to Planet Thanet to send in any records
either to you or direct to Kent Branch of Butterfly Conservation. (John
Websper)
Sunday 24th May 2009 Hothfield Common
An afternoon visit to Hothfield Common just for a
change, a little early for it to be at its best, Plenty of
Cotton-grass in the bogs, a scattering of Round-leaved Sundew,
Louse-wort, Bog Pimpernel, Heath Milkwort etc. Heath-spotted
Orchid was just beginning to flower. Odonata was limited to
Broad-bodied Chasers, Black-tailed Skimmers and Large Red Damselflies.
A constant through movement of Painted Ladies, by far the
commonest Butterfly, Fox Moths were whizzing around throughout
and Common Heaths were regularly disturbed. The bogs held a number of
Brown China-marks and numerous Bactra lancealana. Just
as I was leaving, I came across a couple of Mayflies doing a very
impressive aerial display, (F Solly)
Saturday 23rd May 2009 Kingsgate Golf Course
& Pegwell Cliff-top
23/5/2009. A wander around Kingsgate Golf Course in
warm morning sunshine produced a disappointing 2 Small Blues. A
Small Heath is a rarity there these days but trying to
re-establish following an absence. A few Common Blues - numbers
much reduced due to spraying of the rough, good numbers of Painted
Ladies and the usual Whites. Several Mother Shiptons
and lots of Cocksfoot Moths were the only moths noted. The new
reservoir had ovipositing Blue-tailed Damselflies and 3
Black-tailed Skimmers. Pegwell Cliff-top also had lots of Painted
Ladies and a rarity for Thanet these days, a Wall. (F Solly)
Thursday 21st May
2009 St Peters Broadstairs Thanet
I counted over twenty
five Painted Ladies on my walk to Joss and back, numerous Whites
Butterflies, and eight Blues Butterflies (not sure what species). (John
C)
Thursday 21st May
2009 Worth Marshes
Whilst out on Worth
Marshes this afternoon a stunning (female) Four Spotted Chaser
was observed resting in the reeds along one of the ditches, this aloud
the opportunity to take some photographs, (Gadget)
Wednesday 13th May
2009 Kingsgate Late News
10/5. A nice fresh Small Blue on the golf course at Kingsgate
in the afternoon - an early date for this area. Unfortunately it is
unlikely to fare very well, much of the rough having been sprayed with
herbicide, larval food plant and nectaring sources were no where to be
seen (F Solly)
Sunday 10th May
2009 Stonelees Pegwell Bay
I searched in vain for
a Green Hairstreak but did see a Painted Lady, Blue-tailed
Damselfly & male Hairy Dragonfly, (Claire Ward)
Sunday 10th May 2009 Worth Marshes
Today I’m a very happy man; a last minute decision
saw me go to the marshes. It turned out to be a good move. All the
normal stuff and a first for me a "Four Spotted Chaser"
dragonfly, after some Charlie Chaplin capers I got some photos. "Well
chuffed" (Roly W)
Friday 8th May 2009 Fowlmead Deal
Another visit to Deal, not allot happening Small
Heath, Small Copper, the odd dragonfly in flight. One very
interesting happening in an otherwise quiet visit. I spotted a Grass
Snake lying in the grass near the lake, as I approached; the
vibration from my feet startled it. It made a quick exit to the lake at
top speed; it was approx. 12-14ins long. It was then I noticed something
in the small tussock of clover. Easing back the clover, there, was a
Common Frog, looking closer I could see two bite marks and blood
on the frog. The snake must have had hold of the frog attempting to
devour it, but there was no way it could have swallowed the frog. It
would have been the equivalent of a 12ft Boa swallowing an Elephant, but
nature told that snake to hang on. I lifted the Frog up and returned it
to the lakeside vegetation. See thumbnail for photo. (Roly W)
Thursday 7th May 2009 Chalk Hole Farm Manston
Thanet
Went for a quick stroll round the track, halfway
round spotted my first Painted Lady Butterfly. Managed a couple
of photos before it departed, otherwise very quiet, a few Green Vain
Whites and that was about it , (Roly W)
Tuesday 5th May 2009 Clowes Wood
Flowers were much in evident on the much in
provided and widen rides throughout Clowes Wood. Plenty of Bugle,
Yellow Archangel, Dog Violet, Tormentil, Milkwort, Wood Spurge etc,
a good scattering of Bitter Vetchling and the odd Sanicle
to name but a few. The only Butterfly in the poor conditions was a
Green-veined White. A small number of Tiger Beetles and a
very conspicuous yellow spider on a Bluebell caught my
eye.(F Solly)
Friday 29th April 2009 Fowlmead Deal
Late News
Went to Fowlmead, to see if any Dragonflies were
about, spotted 1 Common Darter down by the lake, but life was
very sparse in the insect world. There was 1 Slow-worm under the
old metal sheet, off the lakeside path, I had a better time by the cycle
course, a Brown Argus fluttered over the grass and I managed a
couple of pictures. Walking back to the lodge I spotted a dragonfly in
the low bush shrubs a cracking Hairy Dragonfly, again I grabbed some
photos. Those two brightened up a very quiet day. (Roly W)
