As promised , or threatened , whichever way you look at it , I am posting a series of photos of my Hedgelaying Demonstration . With no suitable hedge in the area , one had to be manufactured . The Rangers cut the necessary Silver Birch tops , and my first task was to construct a hedge that needed laying .This duly done , the visitors started coming in .
The finished article , only to be taken down again before going home .
One of the stalls , LB.Bromley , was manned by a friend , who brought along some Privet Hawk Moth caterpillars , to show to the visitors .
They were about 6/7cm. long and about 1.5cm. across .
Before I went this morning , I was looking out the back bedroom window at the weather , when a photo opportunity that I couldn't pass on came about .
White (1-pictured below ) , Holly Blue (1) and Red Admiral (1) .
Migrant Hawkers mating , and like Steve , Migrant Hawker in flight .
Campbell , a Mallard cross with a white blaze on it's breast , and a Muscovy type duck with no 
black on it . Whilst looking around , in a really boggy bit on the edge of the top pond , I found a 
member of the Marigold family , Trifid Bur Marigold to be precise , sounding like something from outer space .
Comma , and a plant straight out of ' A Tale of Two Cities ' , Scarlet Pimpernel .
the first insect I saw was a female Silver Washed Fritillary . Really faded now , but incredible to think that , given another week , this species will have been on the wing for three months , the first one I recorded was on 3rd.July . Remembering that this is not a hibernating species , eggs layed this Summer will hatch out and the caterpillars will overwinter as such , feeding on in the 
Spring , before forming a chrysalis next June , before emerging as adults . In all , I found 3 SWF , all female , and one of them was still ovipositing . Given the weather forecast for Sunday and early next week , this could well be the last of ' the flight of 2008 ' . 
well be seen into October . Another fresh individual , was this Red Admiral , feeding on the 
Hemp Agrimony , that was the favourite of the White Letter Hairstreaks , who seem to have finished now . In all , I recorded 10 species - Large White (1) , Small White (2) , Green Veined White (1) , Small Copper (1) , Brown Argus (4) , Common Blue (10) , Red Admiral (2) , Silver Washed Fritillary (3) , Speckled Wood (2) and Meadow Brown (7) .
mould . It is Tubifera ferruginosa , and what I have found in the past , is that if you go back the next day , they have finished and disappeared . Very embarassing if you have taken someone there to show them , as happened with me once . By the Golf Course , following the purple 
coloured Russula of the other day , was this greeny specimen , Russula cyanoxantha-The Charcoal Burner , what a great name .
other fungi that you come across , but from below , the gills that are found on the likes of Field 
Mushrooms , which contain the spores , are replaced by pores or tubes , which hold and disperse the spores . This one was Boletus badius-Bay Boletus . Heading back to the car , at the kissing gate , was this stand of Coprinus 
atramentarius-Common Ink Cap .
Laccaria amethystea-Amethyst Deceiver , another great name .
set off . The fourth set of refugia produced the first Adder , a sub.adult female . All last year's young will have to be referred to as sub.adult now , as this year's juveniles should be seen between now and hibernation time . As I have said before , it is not always reptiles under the refugia . This time it was a Devil's Coach-horse , an insect that feeds after dark , and therefor 
uses the refugia during the day to shelter . Slow worms were the order of the day today , with 35 being found , sometimes with their own , sometimes with much larger homemates . These three 
were under a felt with two Grass Snakes . The smaller of the two Grass Snakes can be seen exiting stage left at speed , the larger one , and it was large , stayed for a couple of seconds , then shot off as well . I've seen it several times this Summer around the same area . One adult male 
(pictured above) was found and two more sub.adult were found on the Bank .
butterfly list was reasonable with 10 species - Meadow Brown (85) , Gatekeeper (9) , Small White (5) , Chalkhill Blue (22) pictured below , Green Veined White (2) , Brown Argos (10) , 
Common Blue (10) , Speckled Wood (4) , Large White (1) and Small Heath (1) , pictured below .
I think you'll agree , somewhat different to what we see in the fields today .
youngsters with the click of the gate . The three youngsters are as big as their parents now , and
are sporting their white flashes on their rears . Not a single dragon/damselfly was seen at the pond , and as I left it , the breeze was stiffening and bringing in the cloud cover . I had a look for Wasp Spiders , but didn't find any , I can only think that they did not breed two years ago , and as the adult dies over the Winter , there were none to go into the next year .
gall wasp Andricus kollari , sounds like he should be playing for Chelsea .
not finding much to eat , but it was interesting watching it's strategy , flying quickly , banging in to vegetation , hoping that something would be dislodged . Every now and then , it did find something , and stopped briefly to dispatch it . As I followed it along the Bramble patch , another
one joined it .
45% , and then returned to vertical . I must admit , I had to steady the grass out of view , to get the shot . I found two more Common Blues , one Speckled Wood and four Meadow Browns .
Greensand Ridge . I couldn't place it then , but have done a bit of investigating . It has the look of 
a Ragwort , but with the leaf shown above , the only one that fitted was Alpine Ragwort . When I 'Googled' the latin name for Alpine Ragwort , I found reference to a Wood Ragwort with a similar looking leaf , which is not mentioned in my Fitter/Blamey reference book . I was wondering if anyone else has come across it ?
caused by a medium breeze . The male is the lower insect , being blue/brown , and the female , 
the one above being brown/yellow . I left them to finish their snooze and headed back to the Ash tree .
juveniles a few weeks ago , have now grown into adults , like this Meadow Grasshopper , identified by the short wings that do not reach the tip of the abdomen .
light behind showed his colouring at it's best , a real BUTTERfly.
forewings . Usually , they just have the eye marking on each wing . The full count was - Small Copper (1) , Speckled Wood (2) , Meadow Brown (8) , Gatekeeper (4) , Common Blue (2) , Holly Blue (1) , Small Heath (7) and Brimstone (1) .
auricula , and it's common name is Ear Fungus . Apparently it is edible , and not only by slugs .
leave it to the experts .
whilst the sun was out , and now being used by about ten Silver Spotted Skippers . After about 20 minutes , the sun came out again , and they all left the path to feed . Anyone who has tried to photograph SSS whilst the sun is out will tell you , they lead you a merry dance . Eventually , I 
managed to get a few shots , away from the path . The underwing really shows how they get their name .
than the Chalkhill Blue , as this shot shows , with the Adonis bottom right . I was hoping that they would get closer for a better comparison , but when they did , they both landed on 
background . The normal underwing of the Adonis Blue is shown here , but whilst at Steers 
Field , I found one individual with many of the spots missing from his underwing . I think this is called abbaration , and some people look just for this sort of thing in all species of butterfly .
tower , and as you can see the weather was on the turn . On a clear day , just left of the shot , you can see the planes landing and taking off at Gatwick .
overhead , and difficult to focus on it . I'm pretty sure it's a Common Buzzard , but I know it will be corrected if I am wrong .
behold , a female Brown Hairstreak . Over the next 3/4 minutes , I saw and got shots of two other females , and I think I had two males in the Ash tree , high up , just like the Common . Just before this time spell finished , one of the females landed right alongside the path , which enabled 
me to get some shots of the underwing . The female BH is more colourfull than the male , bucking the trend of most of nature . Once that time spell finished , I didn't get another glimpse , and after half an hour , made my way home , very contented , especially seeing as I am 'grounded' tomorrow , we're hosting a family barbeque . 
admit , I have never seen anything eating these , and the hips starting to ripen on the wild Dog 
Rose .
between 25 and 50 pairs in tandem , ovipositing in the shallows around the edge of the lake . The female , behind , depositing an egg each time she dips her abdomen into the water . Probably out of desperation , some males try to break up the pair in tandem , so that he can get his chance , 
but they are not often successful once the male is locked onto his female , with his claspers , behind her head .
or early November . One Blue Tailed and a handfull of Common Blue Damselflies made up the day's count .
haven't seen a female at this site yet , but I am sure they will emerge and continue their species here into next year .
Commonest butterfly seen was the Common Blue with 14 seen , including three females , boding well for next year . Meadow Brown (5) , Small White (2) , and a single Speckled Wood made up the total .
consequences of feeding . It was very interesting just standing in the doorway of the stable , what a difference the sun makes to them finding food . When it is out they are backwards and 
forwards every few seconds . Without the sun , it was sometimes 2/3 minutes between feeds . 
The parents took no notice of me in the doorway , and were passing within inches of my head as they flew in and out . like yesterday , the shots are not as sharp as I would have liked , but didn't use flash for fear of disturbance .
has increased to three , causing constant territorial battles between them . A single Common Blue and Speckled Wood , together with 7 Meadow Browns , were all that was seen on my quick visit .
the safety of the box . This is one of the litter , fully coated and eyes wide open . Apologies for the lack of sharpness , but it was in a Hazel coppice and I didn't want to use flash . The full litter was two males and two females , all weighing in at about 8 gramms each , not bad , but needing to feed up before hibernating . Although it cannot be seen , this one had a white tip to it's tail , the only one in the litter , proving the 25% occurrance in the species .
them during the day . I believe this is a Copper Underwing , but I know two people who will put me right if I am mistaken . Last month's survey found a Wren nesting in one of the boxes . I am 
pleased to say that the nest is now empty , the youngsters having fledged in the time between visits . No other Dormice were found at this site , but reptiles were found in good numbers . The total haul was 8 Slow Worms , 10 Grass Snakes , 3 Common Lizards and 1 Adder . This Grass 
Snake was trying to warm up on top of the tin .
reptiles produced two Adders , half in / half out of the tin . The browner of the two is a female and the darker a male . Under the felt next door was a juvenile Grass Snake .
conditions . This female was laying out in a glade with refugia placed in it , but chose this spot beside some brash .
leaves in the bottom . The plastic bag is used to weigh the animals , and all information is sent to the Mammal Society , as part of their monitoring programme .
Parasol Mushroom-Lepiota procera . The size can be judged by the 35mm. film cannister .
eyes tight closed . The combined weight of the five youngsters was 8.5 grammes .
be seen again .
Male around the Farne Islands .
Female around the Farne Islands .
Female on nest on the Farne Islands .
metres away , I found this pristine female Holly Blue , nectaring on Marjoram . Normally , she would feed with her wings closed , but she must have been trying to get every last bit of warmth , whilst the sun was showing . 
are beginning to ripen , showing the hint of pink that will become vivid before the orange seeds split the seed cases and start a new generation . On the pathsides , the fungi are starting their 
show . Here , Collybia butryacea-Buttercap , quite a common one . A more vivid one is 
Marasmius rotula , showing up well against the leaf litter . A not so common one , looking like 
something just arrived from outer space is Geastrum triplex-Earthstar . This one was about 5cm. across , but they can be found up to twice that size . The 'star' bit coming from the base which splits star shaped and raises the spore sack above it . If the spore sack gets knocked or even if rain drops land on it , the spores disperse out from the top like a puffer .
and this one , still smart , albeit with it's colour really faded . Not surprising really , as I recorded the first SWF this year on 3rd.July , fully 6 weeks ago . Also , on some Silver Birch scrub , I 
found this Ladybird larvae , about 1cm. long , but I don't know what species it is . Down in the 
shady corner , the Broad-leaved Helleborine is just about finished , but hopefully carrying plenty of seed to produce many more plants next year . The numbers this year were well down on last . A quick walk on Burnt Gorse , with the threat of imminent rain , produced a few Common Blue , 2 Brown Argus , 1 Small Skipper , 20+ Meadow Browns and a single rather dapper Small Copper .
male Ruddy Darter which posed nicely for me , and eventually found a Migrant and Brown Hawker . Sad news for the Little Grebes , a single youngster now with one adult feeding it , and the other adult seemingly exiled to the far side of the lake . The Coots are still nine , their single loss not making such a dramatic impact on their number .
I call the 'boomerang' marking on the forewing . The Brown Argus does not have any spots
under the 'boomerang' marking . Size is also a factor in identifying between species , but a small Common Blue can be the same size as a large Brown Argus . Obviously the fore and rear wings are not always spread to make the identification from the underwing . The Six Spot Burnet 
moths are still doing what they always seem to be doing .
was enjoying the nectar and the early morning sun . Before leaving , I noticed that some moron has put a reasonable sized Goldfish in , lets hope there aren't more . In the meadow , I heard the tinkling of Goldfinches , feeding on the seed heads of the gone over flowers .
young Goldfinches having a meal before heading off to a face painting party , watched over by a 
very dapper Robin in his new feathers .
Purple Hairstreak eggs , including the ones found previously . Also on the Oak leaves were many 
Spangle Galls , caused by the larvae of gall wasp Neuroterus quercusbaccarum - the Quercus again referring to Oak . The odd Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper , a single Common Blue , 
together with this Small Heath , tucked well down in the grass , were all the butterflies to be seen .
having difficulty identifying it . Several are described as having a brown dorsal stripe , but they don't seem to match this one . Any ideas ?
literally overpowering . I think every insect in the area has decended on the Heather patch , to feed on the nectar on offer . Also in this area , I found a day flying moth which comes over from the Continent in variable numbers each year . It is the Silver Y , and it's name is on it's wings .
Amongst the long grass , I found another Cricket , but this time I recognised the insect . It was
becoming it's meal . That's what happened to this poor individual , well past the point of saving , and bottom line it is nature . Further along the path , I found out why there are so many Horse Flies about .
female were doing the old 'will they , won't they' routine for several minutes , then both went off in their separate directions . One resident was taking full advantage of the sunshine , and did not 
hear my approach . Still good numbers of Six Spot Burnet moths about , and some were making 
sure that there would be good numbers next year as well . This Meadow Brown had a hitch-
hicker on it's back , a Red Mite . The full butterfly count was - Speckled Wood (1) , Small White (2) , Chalkhill Blue (133) , Meadow Brown (150+ incl. mating pair) , Gatekeeper (8) , Brown Argus (11) , Common Blue (14) , Large White (6) and Small Copper (1) .
found five mating pairs , and good numbers of females , which bodes good for next year . The full count was - Chalkhill Blue (200+ incl.5 mating pairs) , Brimstone (2) , Small White (3) , Large White (9) , Common Blue (3) , Speckled Wood (1) , Gatekeeper (4) , Brown Argus (1) ,and Holly Blue (1) . The Devil's Bit Scabious is in various stages of flower , and starting to give some parts 
of the hill a purple hue .
Well , they had , but I wonder if flowering is the right word . But good to see them doing so well , thanks John for the information .
really ragged , and two reasonable individuals . The SWF are still on the wing , and still ovipositing . I found 3 males and three females , two of the females still ovipositing . Holly Blues 
were showing well , and this female ( broad dark makings on wing) , was happy to pose for a photo .
another , an aircraft that flew over whilst I was at High Elms - hope my memory is working properly , enjoy John .
4 juvenile/sub.adult Grass Snakes , 1 Slow Worm and 2 Common Lizards ( one pictured above ). Also found was 1 Brown Hawker , 2 Common Darter and large nunbers of Bees and Hoverflies , all feeding on the Heather . By far the largest number of Bees were what I would call Honey Bees . The odd Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper , and one solitary Common Blue , which I have never recorded there before , made up the interest . I have decided not to post the Grass Snakes , but instead , a few more shots from Bempton Cliffs .
Pied Wagtail in Visitor's Centre car park . 
Tree Sparrow on the cliff top .
Guillemot .
Nesting Gannets .
