Saturday 30th May II - Nightjar night

After a lovely warm day I decided to take the short trip up to Barming Woods to track down the Nightjar I'd found last week. At 21:30 I found the Nightjar churring from it's favoured song perch and watched it as it moved from perch to perch, clapping it's wings each time it launched itself into the dying light for the next 30 minutes or so. I managed a couple of record shots of this fantastic, crepuscular creature!

Saturday 30th May

Orange Hawkweed (Pilosella aurantiacum)

Bells and butterflies day. I managed a couple of lazy hours in the orchard in Barming, playing with the kids, reading the paper, listening to the bells tolling out a couple of weddings along the valley and generally chilling out - perfect! I'd hoped for Spotted Flycatcher or Cuckoo but neither materialised, a distant Cormorant and single Swallow were the only birds of note. Painted Ladies were still flying with purpose in WNW direction but a lot less than over the previous 5 days. A few Common Blues hugged the ground, struggling to fly against the strong breeze.

White-legged damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes)

Common Blue and White-legged Damselflies were all on the wing, and the first Orange Hawkweeds of the year basked in the sun. Back home a Slow Worm was found under the kid's playground matting - much the kid's delight!

Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis)

Friday 29th May

A warm, sunny day turned up some good butterfly records on the East Malling Research Station with a continous stream of Painted Ladies heading WNW. A worn Small Copper and Common Blue were also found.

Thursday 28th May

Two Mediterranian and one Black-headed Gulls dropped down on newly ploughed land on the eastern end of East Malling Research Station. The flow of Painted Ladies continued unabated throughout the day with 42 counted in less than 30 minutes at midday.

The first Bee Orchid flowers were found open in the glasshouse area (private). A total of 14 spikes have emerged.

Monday 25th May

The influx of Painted Ladies was very noticeable today with a peak count of 14 counted in 1 minute through my garden in Barming. Of the hundreds seen only two stopped feed.

The Nightjar continued to churr in Barming Woods at 21:20

Thursday 21st May

Painted Lady butterflies still streaming through the East Malling research station at lunchtime, a 20-minute walk saw a count of 18, though they were flying with some urgentecy, generally NW direction, not stopping to feed (hence no photos!).

Checking out the fields around Teston Bridge this evening I failed to relocate Barn Owl so decided to checking out some coppiced areas in Barming Woods on the off chance of a Nightjar. Entering a large coppiced area at the southern edge of the woods I was suprised to hear the familiar churr of a NIGHTJAR, maybe the first singing bird recorded here in at least 6 years, may be more. I quickly located it's song perch and had fantastic views of it both singing and flying.

Wednesday 20th May

3x Painted Ladies on strawberry flowers at East Malling Research this afternoon.