Originally , I was going to do a hedgelaying demonstration on the 3 days of the Kent County Show at Detling , but that was scrubbed , and after 3 days toing and froing from Detling , helping to set up the site , and especially given the weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday , I'm quite happy with that decision . As I will be down on Monday , helping to dismantle it all , it would have been seven days straight , worse than being back in full time employment .
Again , given the forecast , I headed out to do the High Elms Butterfly transect , and once again , stopped at the Ash tree clearing on the Common on the way . This is turning into a bad Purple Hairstreak year , as just one quick glimpse of a singleton was all that I got . 7 species were recorded in total , but most of them were singletons too .
Arriving at High Elms , I was hoping for a good result , with Kent Butterfly Conservation arriving for a visit in just over a week's time . Conditions were good , and the results were ,
Large Skipper (2) , Red Admiral (4) , Silver-washed Fritillary (6 , including 2 ovipositing 
females ) , Marbled White (1 pictured) , Green-veined White (2) , Large White (10) , Gatekeeper 
(12 male pictured ) , Peacock (2) , Meadow Brown (127) , Speckled Wood (8) ,Small White (11) ,
females ) , Marbled White (1 pictured) , Green-veined White (2) , Large White (10) , Gatekeeper (12 male pictured ) , Peacock (2) , Meadow Brown (127) , Speckled Wood (8) ,Small White (11) ,Brimstone (4 pictured ) , Small Heath (10) , Brown Argus (2) , Ringlet (14) , Common Blue (2) , 
Small Skipper (23 including ovipositing female , pictured ) , Dark Green Fritillary (1 pictured ) ,
Purple Hairstreak (1) , Holly Blue (1) , Comma (4 pictured ) 
and a very tatty White Admiral pictured ) .
A final total of 22 species on the day , and a probable top species count for the transect .
Small Skipper (23 including ovipositing female , pictured ) , Dark Green Fritillary (1 pictured ) ,Purple Hairstreak (1) , Holly Blue (1) , Comma (4 pictured ) and a very tatty White Admiral pictured ) .A final total of 22 species on the day , and a probable top species count for the transect .After only just starting to find 6 spot Burnet moths on the wing , I also started counting those 
found today . All three stages were found , caterpillar , several cocoons , and so many adults that I
gave up , but would estimate the number in excess of 50 .
found today . All three stages were found , caterpillar , several cocoons , and so many adults that I gave up , but would estimate the number in excess of 50 .After lunch , a quick look around the Farm lake , where the largest species count were these fish , 
hundreds of them . I believe they are Rudd , but I stand to be corrected . If they carry on breeding , there will be very little invertebrate life left in the lake soon . Not so many Black-tailed Skimmers today , or Common Darters , but I did record two Brown Hawkers , frequently being harassed by the Emperor Dragonflies . Around them banks of the lake , there are now three 
clumps of Nettle-leaved Bellflower/Campanula trachelium . Even though she lost all 11 of her first brood , the resident female Mallard has five new ducklings , lets hope they do better . Here 
she was showing them how to wash and brush up .
hundreds of them . I believe they are Rudd , but I stand to be corrected . If they carry on breeding , there will be very little invertebrate life left in the lake soon . Not so many Black-tailed Skimmers today , or Common Darters , but I did record two Brown Hawkers , frequently being harassed by the Emperor Dragonflies . Around them banks of the lake , there are now three clumps of Nettle-leaved Bellflower/Campanula trachelium . Even though she lost all 11 of her first brood , the resident female Mallard has five new ducklings , lets hope they do better . Here she was showing them how to wash and brush up . Late afternoon , I received a call from High Elms , stating that a lady had reported a Camberwell Beauty on a footpath not far from the site , about two hours earlier . I knew it was a very long shot , but I headed out to the reported sighting . By now , the sun was going off the footpath and the wind was getting up . A large dark butterfly flew past me , but after chasing it down , it proved to be a Red Admiral , no sign of the Camberwell Beauty . But , I did get a sighting of a Roe buck , but in long vegetation , it disappeared before I could get the camera out .
And finally , a moth found at High Elms earlier , that I felt should be called a Double Bar , but it isn't , so , over to the man .
5 comments:
Nice selection of butterflies, Greenie, especially like the ovipostiting Small Skipper. I found some well-grown Cinnabar caterpillars on my patch today too. We don't get any species of burnet moths though, unfortunately (or at least I haven't found any).
It's about time the Burnets appeared Greenie, I think I've only seen two or three so far this year. I'd say you are right with the Rudd, they have an upturned mouth meaning they are mainly surface feeders and spend most of their time in the top half of the water, quite often falling to the Trout fisherman's dry fly. So hopefully they won't impact too much on the invertebrate life. Good count of butterfly species, 22 equals my species count for this year so far at NH.
As Phil has pointed out Greenie, your 22 species for the day also equals my years total species :-)
The man says, Shaded Broad-bar, Greenie.
Good to meet you yesterday at High Elms! Thanks for the pointers. Here's where I put my own photos: http://moremoth.blogspot.com/
Bill
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