Sunday 19th. April 2015

With the first female Adders emerging up on the Greensand Ridge , I started wondering if I would be treated to the 'dance of the Adders' again this year . To my surprise , when I visited last Saturday , one

of the females was already mating with the only 'silverback' male that I had found on the site . I

visited again on the Sunday , but found everything quiet , the female sunning herself and looking very

satisfied with the situation , the male more mobile , being found in three different places on the visit , but seemingly with no tension between himself and other males who hadn't donned their 'silverback'

status . I did find a second 'silverback' male , but he was a good distance from the first , probably searching for a female of his own . Since then , the whole race to breed seems to have stumbled to a halt .

The second full butterfly transect at High Elms LNR proved a slight improvement on the first , but still not requiring a pencil re-sharpen , but did add Orange Tip and Small White , the first non-over wintering species found on site . On the way back home , a visit up on the Common found what must have been a mass emergence of Green Tiger Beetles . Usually I find 1 or 2  on a visit at this time of year , but this time they seemed to fly up in front with almost every step taken . I even found a pair

making sure that the species will be around next year too . On the bottom lane , the Rookery contains

10 nests this year , a steady increase , and on the wires , the first returning Swallow was found .

A visit to Hutchinson's Bank , just over the border in Surrey , in search of more Orange Tips , failed ,

but it did produce an early Green Hairstreak , which was most unexpected . A male Holly Blue was also found , but refused to get into the viewfinder . Less shy were several pairs of Brimstone ,

performing their 'aerial ballet' courtship routine , here the male below the female . When I got home , Carol had had a Holly Blue in the garden .

An amphibian survey with fellow volunteer Marcus in his local Country Park , produced 9 Great Crested Newt ( 6M ) , 17 Smooth/Common Newt (2M) and a single male Palmate Newt . With the lack of rain this Spring , the pond level was well down , which meant that the surrounding log piles , which produced good numbers of all 3 species on last year's visits , had dried out and were not being used by the newts , so all were found by netting . It's a privilege to help Marcus , who has a licence to handle these protected animals , and to get the opportunity to see the animals close up . The male in

this shot , on the left with the white tail stripe is about 10 cms. in length and the female slightly longer . Along with dragonfly and damselfly nymphs , several Caddisfly larvae in their decorated

homes , were also found .

With news from Phil/Sharp by Nature and Alan/Snodland and Surrounding  Area that the first Nightingales had arrived back at New Hythe , I couldn't wait to make a visit , but even though Phil had mentioned that there was work going on on site , I wasn't expecting to find the carnage that I found on my arrival . A new water supply for the surrounding area is being put in , right across the Country Park , but it looked more like a motorway was being constructed , with a great swathe of Nightingale territory having been torn up , and , the managers deciding to remove most of the vegetation from the Water Vole's favoured ditch at the same time . I heard a few Nightingales in the

distance , but it was a Common Whitethroat that was first to pose . In the same area I spotted another

one , this time collecting nesting materials alongside the Water Vole ditch . Down by the diver's bridge , a few ripples gave away a Water Vole amongst the little emergent vegetation that had been

left , which eventually swam out to the middle of the ditch and preened on a half submerged log , only to be disturbed by four men with a strimmer working at the end of the ditch . I then moved

across the other side of the millstream where I got the first good view of a singing Nightingale , only for the bird to be disturbed , by the same four men . I saw the bird fly over towards the diver's bridge , but stayed put having heard another Nightingale sing a few notes by the bridge over the millstream .

My wait was rewarded , when the bird moved closer to where I was standing , and gave lengthy views and sang beautifully . Moving back towards the scrub areas a few more Nightingales were heard and another down in the car park , I would estimate 6/8 birds in total . I was also treated to at

least two Willow Warblers in song , this one along the path between the two scrub areas . Several

singing Blackcaps were also found , this one on the entrance to the car park . A few Slow Worms

were found under refugia and at least 4 Speckled Woods all freshly emerged , my first sightings this

year . The only other butterflies seen were  Peacocks , which numbered 15+ , this one nectaring on Blackthorn flowers . I did meet one of the rangers who tried to assure me that when all the remedial work had been done and new plantings , the area would be better than ever . Trouble is , what damage has been done to breeding species this year , and future years before the planting matures ?
Yesterday morning I led a bird walk for the Friends of a local Country Park , arranged a couple of months ago . I arrived for a scout round an hour before the start time , on admittedly a very cool morning . I got back to the car park just before start time to find 2 members of the Friends and three people who had seen the notice and come along , making 6 of us in total . We did the walk which went down well , and even the sun came out towards the end . I don't think I'll be saying 'yes' again .
In the afternoon , a look up on the Common in cool conditions didn't find much apart from a male ,

from those feathery antennae , Common Heath moth , and a hoverfly , which I believe is a female

Eupeodes corolla .