It was one of these bright interludes that encouraged me out this afternoon , and I headed for Salt Box Hill , below Biggin Hill Airport , close enough to get back quickly if the weather deteriorated . No sooner had I arrived on site , for the second day running , I recorded Common
Buzzard , thanks to a Kestrel warning me of it's presence . But with the 100mm. lens on , and the light conditions , it was just a silhouette . The ground vegetation was alive with Grasshoppers 
and Crickets , like this Dark Bush-Cricket -Pholidoptera griseoaptera , looking like some prehistoric , armoured creature . When it moved , it was identified as a female by the ovipositor 
extending from the end of her abdomen .Given the conditions , and the fact that the two Dartmoor ponies had only been taken off site a couple of weeks ago , I did not have much hope for the Butterfly transect . To say I was surprised with the totals would be an understatement . These results combine the fenced , grazed area , and the unfenced , ungrazed one :-
Meadow Brown (41) , Common Blue (37) , Brown Argus (10) , Gatekeeper (29) , Peacock ,
pictured on Lesser Burdock ( 9) , Green-veined White (2) , Ringlet (4) , Painted Lady , pictured 
on Marjoram , a most unexpected , pristine specimen (1) , Large White (4) , Comma (4) , Small Heath (20) , Silver Washed Fritillary , a first for this site , (1) , Small Tortoiseshell (1) , Small 
Copper , a very pristine specimen pictured , as they all were (4) , Large Skipper (1) , Speckled Wood (1) , Marbled White (2) , Large White (4) and Brimstone (9) .Speaking of which , a couple of individuals posed for seldomly seen shots , of the top wing ,
the proboscis , which can be unwound , to enable the insect to collect nectar from deep into a flower ,
and one of my favourite colour combinations , the sulphur yellow of the male and the purple of
the Spear Thistle flower .A totally unexpected 19 species , on a day that I would have been happy with half that number .
4 comments:
Blimey, a good flutter tally indeed greenie! Your butterfly pics are getting better every post :-)
SW Frits seem to getting everywhere this year - Simon had one in Mote Park, Maidstone today as well. Thanks for IDing fungi - another thing I'm slowly slipping into!
Adam
Fantastic stuff Greenie. Hard to pick a favourite shot but I think it has to be the Peacock for me.
I agree with Warren.
I`d have been happy to see half a dozen flutters.
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