Sunday 24th. August 2014

Thursday morning , I returned to the meadow below Biggin Hill airport with sunnier skies , but still with the strong wind blowing across the slope . I didn't see as many Clouded Yellows , just 3/4 on the visit , but the sunshine gave longer views than those of the previous afternoon . As anyone will know who has chased CYs , it's better than a morning at the gym , but worth the effort when one flicks

open it's wings , just as the shutter is pressed , but feeding seemed to be the main aim of the

specimens , all males , seen during the visit . Also seen were a pair of Sparrowhawks , playing with the wind on the fringe of the airport , and two of the local Common Buzzards that drifted overhead ,

no doubt searching for their breakfast . With just the 100mm. macro lens on , the shots had to be

heavily cropped . On Friday , I did the High Elms butterfly transect in reasonable conditions , and was surprised to record 15 species , and a total of 145 butterflies . But , taking out Common Blue , Meadow Brown and Brown Argus , a total of 111, the other 12 species only produced 34 butterflies

between them . The sunny spells brought Brimstones out to nectar , and Silver-washed Fritillaries ,

down to 4 , all females , and time has caught up with them too , they will probably have finished on the next transect . Down in the bottom glade , butterfly numbers might have been down , but Odonata numbers were definitely up , with 30/35 Migrant and 2 Brown Hawkers filling the air space , and making short work of anything that flew up into it . On the bridleway through the golf course , on the way back to the car , a Pigmy Shrew nipped across the path in front of me . A quick look at the House Martin nests on the farmhouse showed most had headed South , but there were still 3/4 birds feeding overhead . Yesterday , a quick look at Bough Beech Reservoir revealed even less waders around with no sign of the Black-tailed Godwit , and just 3 Green Sandpipers and a single Common Snipe seen from the causeway . I then moved on to the reserve with the feeders in the wood , where the flora was

a sight to behold . Lots of Common Fleabane / Pulicaria dysenterica , a member of the Daisy family ,

interspersed with my favourite Scabious , Devilsbit / Succisa pratensis , a member of the Teasle family . The best surprise was finding a few specimens of Sneezewort / Achillea ptarmica , another

member of the Daisy family , and a species that I see very rarely these days . 8 species of butterfly ,

once again , all in small numbers were recorded , they included Red Admiral and Comma , both

found feeding on the ripe blackberries . Whilst on site , 3 Grass Snakes were found , two juveniles

together , and this adult , found with a Slow Worm . The opaque film on the snake's eye indicating that it is about to slough , change it's skin . Several Southern Hawkers were on the wing during sunny

periods , like this one , all but one were immatures . A couple of Brown Hawkers who refused to stop

for the camera , and a few Ruddy Darter , completed the Odonata sightings . With the cloud thickening , I left for home , having really enjoyed my time on site .
This morning , with cloud due in by lunchtime , I spent a couple of hours wandering around up on the Common . First find was the remains of a dragonfly , regarded as towards the top of the insect foodchain , but this one obviously met it's match , snared in a spider's web , and eaten by the

occupant . In the sunshine , something shone like a jewel on the leaf of a Buckthorn . I have no idea

what had emerged from them , about 2mm in length , but it's the first time I've come across anything

like them . On the small Oak to the right , one of our smallest Ladybirds , with almost the largest number of spots of any of them , the 22-spot Ladybird / Psyllobora 22-punctata . Most of the Gorse on the Common is not in flower at the moment , but amongst the Heather , the low growing Dwarf

Gorse / Ulex minor is taking it's opportunity to do so before it's larger relative . And finally , with the

butterfly season coming to a close , as demonstrated by this very faded Common Blue , some , like

this pair of Green-veined Whites think there is still time to get the job done .