Monday 21st.September 2009

After helping with the shopping this morning , I headed off for a look around Sevenoaks Wildfowl Reserve , managed by Kent Wildlife Trust . As is the norm , the sunshine I had travelling there , quickly disappeared behind clouds . The water level on most of the lakes seems very low , even though there seems to be plenty of water in the River Darenth which passes through the site . Apart from the usual geese and water fowl , the most exciting species seen were a Snipe and a Little Egret . I visited all the hides , and didn't see another person in any of them . Even the feeders outside Grebe Hide didn't manage to attract any interest , but I must admit that the constant call from this juvenile Great Crested Grebe , hastened my decision to look for wildlife elsewhere . Two species of butterfly were recorded towards the end of the visit , when the sun appeared again , 6 Comma and 3 Small White .
I had to almost pass Fackenden Down on my way back , so stopped for a look . Surprisingly , within the first five minutes of being there , I recorded Green Veined and Small White , Brown Argus and a couple of Silver Y day flying moths . I had to lift a few tins , but only found 3 Slow Worms , a single Common Lizard and an immature , female Adder . More butterfly species were recorded , with Small Copper , Brimstone , Meadow Brown , Large White and Comma going into the book .
I carried on to the nearby site that I visited last time , and found a couple of fungi growing on , or very near , the droppings of the ponies that grazed the field last Winter . The first I have identified as Panaeolus campanulatus-Bell-shaped Mottlegill , and the second , Psilocybe coprophila, actually growing out of the droppings . Both species probable brought on by the heavy rain on Friday night . Several more Small Coppers were recorded , this one nectaring on Devilsbit Scabious , as was an unexpected male Common Blue . Speckled Wood , and another Brimstone were also recorded here , along with the best butterfly sightings of the day , but no pictures , were definitely two , probable three , possible four Clouded Yellows . I saw the two at the same time , the others separately , but as they were so active in the warm sunshine , somewhere between 2/4 is as good as I can say . The warmth also put up at least three Common Buzzards , but they were so high , they would have been just specks on a photo . Just a single male Adder was found on this site . Taking both sites together , 11 species of butterfly and 4 Silver Y moths were , surprisingly recorded , albeit in small numbers .
And finally , a caterpillar found once again on the Devilsbit Scabious , a moth I'm reasonably sure