Thursday 6th. June 2013

Started the day with the Down House bird survey , recording a bit better than average for the site ,  20 species  which only included two Summer Migrants , Blackcap and Swift . As usual , I recorded butterflies on the way around , finishing up with just 3 Small Heath , very disappointing . A look on the adjoining West Kent was no better , finding just one Small Heath and one Common Blue . I made

my usual stop at Keston Ponds afterwards , where the main excitement was great splashes as the resident Carp were spawning . The main action was in the middle pond , where females were flanked

by males , waiting for her to spawn in the shallows , for them to add their milt . Even the ornamental Koi Carp that I have seen several times , had a 'shadow' , which became several when she headed for

the shallows . Up on the top pond , things were quieter , but every now and again , a large Carp broke

surface , sometimes just a few metres from where I was standing . There were also two large Pike loitering around the shoals of small fish in the top pond , but I didn't see them make any attacks .  In between the fish sightings , I spotted a dragonfly that appeared every now and again as it made it's patrols around the pond . When I managed to get a good view of it , it turned out to be the species that I failed to see on Tuesday , Downy Emerald . Hyperactive would be an understatement to describe

this species , forever on the move , apart from the occasional hover , which last mere seconds , if you are lucky . When it does want a break , it shoots up to the top of the overhanging trees and out of sight . Not the best lighting , but I had only one place to stand and the sun was behind the dragonfly .  If you want a free reaction test , I can recommend a session trying to get this species into the viewfinder . On another pond , I found what I would describe as a 'teenage' , male , Broad-bodied

chaser . As can be seen the 'teenager' was still 'blueing up' from the golden colour in which all the species emerge . When fully mature , his abdomen will be powder blue . As I photographed him , a female approached the pond , and in the wink of an eye , he clasped her , mated with her on the wing , and left her to lay her eggs , releasing a spherical egg ever time she dipped the end of her

abdomen into the water , as he patrolled overhead . She had only just started laying , when a second female appeared . In seconds , he had clasped her and again mated on the wing . The two females then performed synchronised laying , once again with the male overhead . After that performance , I think he can be referred to as a adult male . As I returned to the car to go home for

lunch , the local 'Cyril' was sorting his out too .
After lunch , I made a visit to Hutchinson's Bank , to see how the Small Blues were getting on after a few days of good weather . The answer , very well , with 15+ seen , all but one males , and the female found was in the process of starting next year's flight . I found her , a duller brown colour compared

to the male , fluttering over a patch of Kidney Vetch , even though the plants haven't started to flower yet . She was very fussy over the unopened flower buds ,  but eventually she seemed to be satisfied

by one specimen , and the end of her abdomen descended into the heart of the flower bud . When she moved on , she looked at other buds on the same plant but didn't settle on any , and eventually moved on to another plant . When she was far enough away not to interrupt her , I moved in for a look at the

flower bud that she had layed on , and there , a tiny white speck , hopefully the start of a butterfly that I will see next year . As normal , the males were engaged in aerial battles with any intruder in their

space , but that didn't seem to apply when it came to recharging the fluid levels , in this case nectar from Birdsfoot Trefoil . Lots of Brimstone , several Large White and Common Blue , a couple of Peacock and a few 'beginning to look tatty' Dingy Skippers were also seen . The surprise sighting was

a superb 'out of the box' female Brown Argus , identified as such by the orange spots reaching the leading edge of the forewing , in the male the spots stop short . Well satisfied , I headed home for a cool down .