Saturday 30th. June 2012

After a showery morning , things started to clear up and brighten , so I made two local visits , the first to West Wickham Common in the hope of White Admiral or an early Purple Hairstreak , neither of which was found , and then after lunch to the Farm lake to see what was happening there . Neither visit was exactly exciting , but here are the best bits of both :

A smart Red Admiral which refused to show the upper wing .

One of three Large Skippers recorded , this a female .

A male Blackcap , singing continuously , but showing very rarely .

Except when he found someting tasty to eat .

On the Bramble , several Strangalia maculata , a very variable species of longhorn beetle .

Along the sides of the paths , lots of Dovesfoot Cranesbill / Geranium molle .

Creeping over the Ranger's fence , White Bryony / Bryonia cretica .
The Farm lake was very quiet , with no sign of the young Mallards or the young Little Grebe .

Lots of male Black-tailed Skimmers (pictured) , a single male Emperor Dragonfly andd a few damselfies , very disappointing .

Keeping up with yesterday's yellow theme , Lady's Bedstraw / Galium verum is coming into flower all around the lake . A singing Common Whitethroat , two Swallows and a very brief glimpse of a Hobby as it swooped on the surface of the lake were the only birds of real interest .