Tuesday 30th. April 2013

Since reading that Alan / Snodland and Surrounding Area , posted that he had 24 singing male Nightingales at New Hythe , and with the leaves coming out very quickly on the trees , I made another visit to the site this morning , and I was not disappointed . I didn't manage the 24 that Alan did , but must have had half that number . If I hadn't seen a single male , just listening to that song

was magic . I took loads of shots that I still have to look through , but am just posting a couple . Mixed in with the Nightingale song were Blackcap , Chiffchaff , Common Whitethroat , Willow Warbler and Reed Warbler , of which I managed a couple of shots on the far side of the Millstream ,

just before it dived back into the Brambles . A couple of birders had Sedge Warbler in the same area , but I didn't see / hear it . As the sun lifted the temperature , and the birdsong , it really did feel like Spring at last .
About midday , I left the birds and headed off to the Downs , with butterflies and reptiles on my list .

The sun also helped the butterfly count with 13 Peacock ,

12 Brimstone , mostly males like this one , but one egg laying female also ,

3 Comma , together with singletons of Red Admiral , Large and Small White , which managed to avoid the viewfinder , and 7 Orange Tip , all males , charging around searching for mates .

as one passed by , a cloud covered the sun for a short time , and it immediately settled , fearing rain .

It wasn't for long though , and with the first rays of sunshine returning , he was ready to carry on the

search . Reptile numbers for some species were good too , with 33 Slow Worms recorded , two of

that number being this pair snugged up together . The male is on the left with the blue spots . 3 Grass

Snakes , 2 adults and a juvenile . One adult was the more normal yellow collared type , the second

was the more orangy collared type . Just two Adders were recorded , and unfortunately one , a sub. adult female was dead . It looked as if she had been crushed , possibly by an animal that had been

grazing on site , a real shame . No worries about the male though , he was off and running as the

shutter went . Whilst trying to photograph the Orange Tip , a Common Lizard scuttled right up close ,

and I managed to cup it in my hands and get some real close ups . And finally , some colour from the afternoon visit ,

Sweet Violets - Viola odorata ,

Cowslips - Primula veris ,

and it looks like a good year for Wild Strawberry - Fragaria vesca .