Birding and other distractions

I was keen to see Chalkhill Blue so headed over to the far side of the banks this morning. I saw about ten on the wing, all looking fresh and fairly active in the sunny conditions.  A single Small Tortoiseshell was the first of the species for a couple of weeks. Following that I checked out the valley which was again alive with butterflies. Perhaps fewer Peacocks than last week though plenty of Gatekeeper.  Common Blue are starting to increase, and Small Copper were again not difficult to find.  I notice that the male Common Blue shown below has a faint row of barely visible spots along the middle of the hind wings. Highlight was finding a melanistic (black) adder, though probably a different individual to that seen last week as further along the valley. The adder was indeed very black and therefore with little evidence of the zig-zag pattern on the upperparts. Chalkhill Blue Chalkhill Blue Gatekeeper Large White Common Blue male Common Blue female Brimstone Melanistic ad...

I walked from Allen's Hill to the Black Barn Pools. On arrival it was high tide in the river, so waders were numerous on the pools, especially Black-tailed Godwit. There were probably around 1000+ godwits though difficult to accurately assess the number as heat haze and distance was a problem. Several Greenshanks were seen and 30 adult Dunlin, though best of all were two adult Little Stint. Nearby the Common Lizard found on the previous visit was still present in the same area. On the Radar Pool the number of fledged Mediterranean Gulls suggested a very good breeding season.  The same did not appear to be the case for Black-headed Gulls, at least for this brood. It is known that Mediterranean Gulls prey on young Black-headed which might account for the low numbers to be seen. There was a profusion of Buddleia bushes in full flower so it was a disappointment that only moderate numbers of butterflies were present.  Odonata included Ruddy Darter and Common Blue Damselfly.

A very enjoyable morning walk down the banks then along the valley.  Weather was mostly sunny for the first hour but then clouded over. PV looked a picture with an abundance of flowers. Butterflies were very active, particularly Peacocks, at least 50 being seen.  They were frequently found on bare ground of the path, presumably absorbing heat or taking salts.  Peacocks A total of 17 butterfly species were seen, one of the first being a Small Copper on the Banks. A female Silver-washed Fritillary then posed well for the camera in PV. Both Small and Essex Skippers were present, the latter more common and in a head on view showing the 'dipped in black ink' antennal tips, which are a key id feature for the species in comparison to other skippers. Small Copper Silver-washed Fritillary Red Admiral Green-veined White Marbled White Common Blue Peacock Reptiles seen were two adders and three slow-worms. The first adder, a melanistic individual, remained well hidden amongst vegetat...

A trip to east Kent enabled a quick check to be made of the Wall Lizards at Folkestone  Warren.  In contrast to the previous day's encounter with Wall Lizard these are the green-backed (Italian) form, and hence more colourful.  They are accustomed to people at this site, and hence relatively tame, enabling the following pictures to be taken with my phone. Seven lizards were seen in total.   The lizard shown in the middle picture has lost or partially lost a number of toes on the back legs, most noticeable on the left leg as viewed in the image.

The afternoon began by checking the Wall Lizard report near Faversham.  About seven were found along a flint wall, and which proved to be the brown-backed form of the species. These included a couple of sub-adults probably born the previous year, so in all likelihood a well established colony is present.  The differences between the sexes seemed less obvious than I have seen elsewhere with this form. Afterwards we went to Oare marshes, arriving about 3 pm, with high tide being some three hours later. The timing of the visit was therefore optimal for birds roosting on the east flood, and in due course included large numbers of Black-tailed Godwits, several Whimbrel, a male Ruff, though best of all the Lesser Yellowlegs and Bonaparte's Gull which both flew in after 5 pm.  The yellowlegs was quite close but the gull more distant, just in front of the pack of godwits. The gull still has a full black hood and has been returning to Oare every year for the last eight years.

My first visit to Knepp, famous for the rewilding project of a farm in West Sussex. The weather had finally improved after a dreary week, being mostly sunny on the day. I was there four hours, the first two of which were somewhat uneventful apart from numerous Gatekeeper butterflies.  Then things definitely improved, starting with views of White Storks following the introduction of the species to Knepp. Three youngsters were seen, having left their oak-tree nest in the last two days.  The birds can be seen in the bottom right hand corner of the picture below, the nest being in the upper branches of the tree. However, my main objective was to see Purple Emperor, Knepp being one of best sites in the country to see this butterfly, dubbed 'His Imperial Majesty' by enthusiasts such as Matthew Oates who recently wrote a book about it.  For a time the only purple butterfly I could find was Purple Hairstreak, about 6 being seen in total, and reasonably close. A delightful butterf...

A windy day but reasonably warm so butterflies were quite active. Small White was the most numerous species, especially along the transect at the top of the escarpment where 51 were recorded. Good to find the first Peacock since the Spring, having recently emerged no doubt and therefore looking pristine.  As usual I couldn't resist having a quick look for reptiles, finding an immature slow-worm and two female adders. The individual shown below looks very gravid, so an encouraging sign.

The first of two butterfly surveys, the second one being in August.  This uses the same transects as for the Breeding Bird Survey.  The weather was sunny for the first half an hour, but then became much cloudier. Fortunately the sunnier conditions coincided with the area in the valley where most butterflies are expected, and there I recorded totals of 54 Marbled Whites and 43 Meadow Browns. A single Dark Green Fritillary also flew through. The remainder of the survey was very much quieter, particularly in the woods. Whilst walking round I had a quick look for reptiles, finding one apparently very pregnant female slow-worm, and a male adder.  The adder was found in the same place as that on 7th June, and appeared to be the same individual on the basis of head markings, general body colouration and overall size.