Monday 4 July 2011

Monday 4th July 2011

About time I got back into it.  A few sightings from today with an update for end-May through June to follow.

Nice sunny cycle to work, what looked like a fleck of dust on top of an oak tree in Oaken Wood transpired to be a distant Purple Hairstreak.  Chiffchaff and Blackcap still calling and a couple of Little Owls in their usual location at Kiln Barn Farm.


News of a Lesser Emperor dragonfly or three saw me heading off patch at lunchtime.  John Clements was bundled in the car on news of 3x Med Gulls that were strutting and feeding behind his house (a private field on the East Malling Research site).


We arrived in New Hythe to be met by Phil Sharp fresh from a soiree in Suffolk, and Jill and John Brook collecting exuviae - the Lesser Emperors were less apparent, although a Odanata pursuing a Red Admiral butterfly was a 'possible'.


Back in East Malling some butterflies of note flitted across my path; a single Ringlet (first on the research land for me) for me kept a Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral and Peacock company in the afternoon heat.  Oaken Wood turned up a Comma and a White Admiral (seen to lay eggs).


Footage of White Admiral to follow.

6 comments:

Paul said...

Good to see you(and your arrows) back mate.
I really should return to the barn to see that wonderful Little Owl once more, the last time i was there it was freezing cold!

Greenie said...

Adam ,
Blogging has not been the same without your arrows .
Good to see you back .

Derek Faulkner said...

Welcome back Adam, its been a long time.
Interesting reading your blog and other reports, to see that with the dearth of rare birds this year that twitching now seems to have transferred to butterflies. Perhaps there should be a new name for - "twuttering" perhaps.

Alan Pavey said...

Hi Adam, looking forward to more posts again :-)
Hopefully the Lesser Emperors will reappear.

Ken. said...

Hi Adam.
Nice Buttefly photo's.Good to see that you have caught up with some great species.

Warren Baker said...

Back from hibernation then Adam :-)

I wish those Med Gulls would come my way!!!