Friday 19th September

Warm with only a slight easterly breeze-the makings of an Indian Summer? There had to be a Wheatear or Whinchat around today, but despite scanning the pastures and miles of fence posts (see photo) around the East Malling patch nothing could be found. I think Warren in Hadlow is being very greedy with his Wheatear, Wagtails and Whinchats! However it turned out be another fantastic butterfly day - 38x Comma, 17x Red Admiral although the Buddleia surronding Oaken Wood, Barming, Maidstone. A trip out with Mike Easterbrook yesterday to the same plants had yielded 21x Comma, 19x Red Admiral, 1x Painted Lady and another Small Tortoiseshell! If anyone' s interested then the main area of buddleia is at TQ723556, growing through and behind hedged Sweet Chesnut.

Avian sightings were pretty much as expected with a noisy group of Jays, Green Woodpecker but also a small flock of 6x Meadow Pipit on the Research Station land. Best sighting of the day however was a Hobby hawking what I presume were dragonflies to the east of Oaken Wood. It was quite high but it's elegant twists and turns (it's tail twisting like a Kite species) and the occasional dropping down of it's talons gave made it easy to ID. Only my second record of this species on this route and my first of the year!