Sunday 12 October 2008

Sunday 12th.October 2008

In that beautiful Autumnal sunshine this afternoon , I had walk on the Greensand Ridge near Westerham . Naturally , whilst there , I lifted a few refugia , and after Fackenden Down the other day , not very expectantly . Even so , it was a great day for a walk and in one corner of a meadow , I found a trio of fungi that could be seen from quite a distance . They were all Lepiota procera-Parasol Mushroom .The 35mm.film cannister , bottom left , gives a comparison for size . Eventually one of the refugia revealed some interest , not a reptile , but a Pigmy Shrew . Usually , they are gone like a rocket , but I managed to get three shots of this one , before he made tracks at speed . It was almost the last pair of refugia before I found the only reptile recorded , a good size adult
Grass Snake . It flicked it's tongue out to find out what was happening , and a second later , it too made off at speed . Birdwise , it was mainly Corvids , but a Tawny Owl was calling in a Holly thicket , but the calls soon attracted three or four Jays , who noisily sent it on it's way . Several mixed Tit flocks were seen/heard , along with a pair of Bullfinches keeping in touch with their soft 'heu' call .

On the way home , I popped in to the farm lake . Things were very quiet , and all usual residents seen apart from the Little Grebe . No damselflies were recorded , but 3 Southern and 5 Migrant Hawkers were found . Also on the wing were an estimated 35/50 Common Darters , with a good proportion in the 'wheel' and also in tandem ovipositing .

Lets hope this fine weather continues , without that morning fog .

4 comments:

Warren Baker said...

I agree Greenie no more fog! Some good pic's today, especially the Pygmy shrew and the grass snake. Send the tawny owl over please!

John Young said...

Hi Greenie, some would say that I'm well overdue to be locked away but so far i've remained free. Great pygmy shrew.

Dave Jordan said...

Hi Greenie
Spent some time on your site, love the snakes there does not seem to be that many at Cliffe or perhaps I'm looking in the wrong place.
Have you followed the guy that has a death wish "Austin Stephens" goes all over the world finding the biggest and most deadly snakes and then handling them.
All the best
Dave

Steve said...

Great Pygmy Shrew shot...never managed to get a pic of one of those