Thursday 4th.June 2009

Not a strimmer in sight , but plenty of walking , as I had promised to help a friend turning tins in the Darenth Valley , as long as I showed him the Small Blues at Fackenden Down first . So we met at Fackenden at 0930 . The first refugia turned , produced this Grass Snake , and , by the

look of it , it had eaten it's breakfast not long ago with that bulge . As can be seen from the blurred head , it didn't stay around too long . Very soon afterwards , a female Adder was found . Very few Slow Worms were found on the way round , but two immature Adders were recorded . Butterflies were also very scarce , but the first Large Skipper of the year was found here ,

identified by the marbling on the wings , and as a male by the scent marks , black lines on the top wings . I think this one was very recently emerged , as the wings do not seem fully inflated . Getting close to the car , I was sweating as we had not found a Small Blue , but , within sight of the car , we found 3/4 specimens , I must admit I was expecting more , but it must be a small colony on this site . Other species recorded were Common Blue , Painted Lady , Small Heath and Brown Argus . My friend got his shots , and I felt relieved as we made our way to the second site , an old firing range off the Eynsford Road . We started turning tins , but we had to admit , it was a different story to Fackenden , with many bare areas under the tins . Our attention was distracted by 'mewing' above , as two , then a third Common Buzzards drifted into view . Not as close as at Dorking , but still nice to see . On the ground , we found a white variant of Fragrant Orchid , and a specimen of Deadly Nightshade-Atrope bella donna , still in it's flower stage , before producing the glossy black berries , which are extremely poisonous . Only a couple of Slow Worms and a juvenile Grass Snake were recorded for our efforts up and down the slopes , but as we were leaving , the 'mewing' once again had us looking skywards , but this time it was a single Common Buzzard and what we think was a Hobby having a barney .

There should have been a picture of the two Birds of Prey here , but a message has come up stating that I cannot post any more pictures , as my storage is full . Until I can sort things out , I will continue with just text .

Butterflies recorded were Common Blue , Meadow Brown and Large Skipper . Several Speckled Yellow , Burnet Companion and Mother Shipton moths were recorded . As we headed for the car , Common Fumitory was found in a set-aside field , and the tattiest Common Blue butterfly you have ever seen , given that they haven't been ou that long .

Our last stop was Lullingstone Golf Course , where very quickly , we came across the Henbane that John/Go Wild in Kent found last year . It is in full flower like the Deadly Nightshade , and also very poisonous . Very little was found under the refugia here either , but there was good birdsong from several Yellowhammers , Skylarks and a couple of Willow Warblers , but no sign of Turtle Dove , which used to be reliably found here . Greater Knapweed was in flower , and a superb display of Common Poppy , inched just above the cereal crop in the farmer's field . In the long grass , we put up a Brown Hare .

Butterflies recorded were Painted Lady , Common Blue , Meadow Brown ,Small Heath and a first of the year for me , Small Tortoiseshell . Cinnabar , Speckled Yellow and an unidentified one , basically beige with black or dark brown head and a dark 'boomerang' shaped mark with a spot above it , on each wing , but I can't post the picture .