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)

Sunday 10th May

Another trip out to Teston, again along the River Medway from Barming Bridge but with my wife and kids. No sign of yesterday's Mandarin Duck, but good numbers of Yellowhammers and Whitethroat again.

A Grey Heron rowed lazily high across the sky, but it was on the ground on the river margins that most interest was to be found. Good numbers of Large Red Damselflies and

Banded Demoiselles were on the wing, with a smattering of butterflies, including 2x Comma, 3x Peacock, 8+ Green-veined Whites, 2 Large Whites and a Brown Argus (or female Common Blue?).

A couple of Swallows dipped over the river near Teston Bridge and hybrid Goose (Canada x Greylag?) tamely floated around the bank.