Wednesday 27th June

Haymaking before the rain

The strawberry season has just peaked so marginally more time to get back to my blog! A number of things of note of the last 2 weeks - most notably a Nightjar heard calling (in response to a CD) in a large felled area in Oaken Woods, Barming on Friday 15th June. However it was not heard to churr or seen, and hasn't been relocated on 2 subsequent visits. Painted Lady, Large Skipper and Meadow Brown have all been seen over Ditton Quarry in the last 10 days, along with my first Emperor Dragonfly of the season. One east facing bank of the quarry is full of Pyramidal Orchids.

A large number of Yellowhammers are calling on the East Malling Research site and are often seen perched high on top of the Alder windbreaks. A Kestrel has also been more evident of late.

In Barming I was suprised to find a Blue-tailed Damselfly sitting on the concrete post in my front garden last week, something I usually have to go down to the river to see. A quick visit to Barming Bridge last night resulted in a pair of Bullfinches which posed very well in the evening sun - quite uncharacteristic for this species. A good number of Whitethroats and single Blackcap, but no sign of any Spotted Flycatchers in the territory held by one for the last 2 years.