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 .