Tuesday 11th. October 2011

With forecasts of colder weather on it's way , I decided to have one more look up on the Downs for newly born Adders . I did stop in , on the way , at Sevenoaks Reserve . Everything looked 'as was' on my last visit , until I got to Willow Hide on Snipe Bog Lake . The usual Canada and Greylag Geese

were in attendance as usual , but today they were joined by at least 10 Egyptian Geese , several of them juveniles that had been born on the reserve . With no sign of the Kingfisher from the hide , I made my way to the small hide on the North lake . One watcher already there said that just the odd sighting had been seen . This didn't sound very good , but the sighting of two Grass Snakes swimming in the lake kept an interest . Eventually , a Kingfisher did fly in , straight past the hide , settling right across the other side of the lake , and that was where it stayed , giving plenty of views , perched , hovering and catching fish , but never coming across to our side of the lake . I gave up in

the end , and made my way back to the car , finding this pristine looking Red Admiral on the way . By the time I got up on the Downs , the wind had got stronger , bringing more and more cloud . But ,

even though the conditions were not favourable , it wasn't long before I found the first of four newly born Adders . It was some time before I found the next one , but interest was kept with a Noon Fly /

Mesembrina meridiana , and it was only half an hour late . This was followed by a Devil's Coach

Horse / Staphylinus olens , one of the Rove Beetles , and always difficult to photograph , as it just doesn't stop even for a second , trying to hide under anything that is around . A bit different , was this

Yellow-necked Mouse / Apodemus flavicollis , which I disturbed from it's sleep , in a bed of leaves and grass . Two of the other juvenile Adders were found next to each other , but I only managed to

photograph the slower one of the pair . Butterflies were certainly in short supply today , but in a sheltered corner , I did find another two pristine Red Admirals , someone must have opened a box , a Small Copper and a Brown Argus , both being blown sideways by the strengthening wind , and a

single Speckled Wood , that had definitely seen better days .