Thursday 2nd.September 2010

Just morning visits to the Farm Lake and High Elms before the high level cloud rolled in .
Very quiet at the first site , and although reasonably warm , very little on the wing . Just 2 Meadow Browns , 5 Common Blues and 2 Brown Argus were all the butterflies recorded . Just Coots , Moorhens and a single Little Grebe on the water , until this bird came out of the reeds . It looks to me like a juvenile , but I have not seen any young here for weeks , and can only assume that it was driven off it's own water , and settled here . My suspicions were enforced when the resident male spotted the youngster , and chased it across the lake , until it took refuge in an area of lily pads . Will be interesting to see how the battle pans out .
Even fewer dragonflies than butterflies were found , with just 4 Common Darters , and this male Migrant Hawker being recorded .
The lack of butterflies continued at High Elms , with none being seen until reaching Burnt Gorse . Even then , the first recording made was what the male Migrant Hawker at the Farm lake was looking for , a female . A few Meadow Browns were recorded before finding this specimen , which I have found several similar recently . A bit of searching when I got home , identified it as a fifth instar , the stage just before adulthood of the Common Green Shieldbug-Palomena prasina . Also found was a shiny specimen of the Sloe Bug-Dolycoris baccarum .
A single Large White , 7 Brown Argus and 8 Common Blues , including this female , which was in the act of egglaying . She stayed in this spot for some time , and when she moved off , I found a single egg on the Birds Foot Trefoil , and , unusually , two more laid on a blade of grass . These will hatch in about two weeks , and the caterpillars will overwinter as such .
As I left through the five bar gate , a Robber Fly posed on the top rail . A quick check on the Orchid Bank once again failed to find any SWFs or WLHs , so I think these two species have finished now . I did however find a nice specimen of the Treble Bar moth , along with at least two more Hornet sightings .
Still not great amounts of fungi , but on the way back to the car I found a few Wood Mushroom-
Agaricus silvicola , as their name suggests , deep in the woodland .

Wednesday 1st.September 2010

Just a few shots from the last two day's volunteering . Yesterday , up on the Greensand Ridge , just a couple of fungi , both from the same family . A fresh stand of Laccaria laccata-Deceiver , and Laccaria amethystea-Amethyst Deceiver .
Today , helping another Warden , with my favourite job-not , reed pulling , in a moat surrounding a property in South Darenth , but it did have it's good points .
As we drove onto the site , I spotted movement at the edge of the large field we were driving through . The movement turned out to be three young Foxes , probably born earlier this year . They played like three children , jumping on each other , and racing in and out of the adjoining woodland .
As I only had my old camera with me , I got out and tried to get closer . Halfway across the field , I'm sure the youngsters saw me , but carried on playing , occasionally returning to an area of long grass , near the fenceline . As I got closer , I could make out the outline of two more Foxes , probably the parents of the three youngsters , enjoying the early morning sun . As I got even closer , the nearest of the pair , heard me and in an instant , they were gone . The youngsters , who were some distance away , carried on playing , till a call from a parent had them disappearing into the woodland as well . If only I had had the new camera with me !
The same could be said later , when a Water Vole , very briefly , showed on the reeds that we were pulling . As quick as it appeared , it too , disappeared , not to be seen again .
The next sighting had me thinking , it is the first of September today , isn't is ? The reason for the question was because at least two Mayflies flew across my line of sight within a very short period of time . It wasn't till I got home that I identified Ephemera danica , a species that can be seen from May into September .
Whilst reed pulling , I came across 4 specimens of this caterpillar , and placed each safely on the bank . Once again , I needed to get home before identifying them as the caterpillars of the Fox Moth , I think , quite appropriate to start and finish the visit with Foxes .

Monday 30th.August 2010

With butterfly numbers dwindling fast , I decided to have a last visit of the year to Steers Field , on the Downs above Dorking , and the dwindling numbers were apparent as soon as I got on site . Once again , a stiff breeze was blowing across the hillside , as it was last visit , but it was no longer jumping with butterflies . Those that were about , were a mixture of very faded and reasonably fresh specimens .In the early morning light , a pair of Adonis Blues were mating , with another male waiting to take over given the opportunity .I found about 6/8 Silver-spotted Skippers , more than last visit , but it was hard work finding them , especially given the breeze . On the top path , I found several Nomada goodeniana , a species of Cuckoo Bee , this one having just caught another insect , which it carried to a tunnel on the ground , before disappearing .
Yet again , I've got it wrong . Many thenks to Gregg for identifying the above as a solitary wasp Cerceris rybyensis . The annoying thing is that I thought I was spot on this time !

On a lower track , I found this pellet , which I put on the stone to photograph . It contained snail shells and lots of other debris , possibly that of a Little Owl ? Even Chalkhill Blue numbers were well reduced , but there is still time to find a mate . At the bottom of the hillside , for the second time running , I found a second brood Dingy Skipper . Typical , never found a second brood before , now two this year .
Also at the bottom of the hillside , were good numbers of Swallows and in amongst them , a smattering of House Martins , one pictured .
Carrion Crows were the largest bird species seen after the Hirondines , but Kestrel and Sparrowhawk were also seen . The star of the day though , was a juvenile/female Common Redstart which I put up from the scrub . I've never seen them here before , so would assume that they were just passing through on passage . I hung about hoping that it would pose for a shot , but it wasn't seen again , unfortunately .
By lunchtime , a lot of family and walking groups were trekking across the hillside , so I decided to move on , even though the cloud was increasing .

My other stop was a large area of Blackthorn bushes , down near Gatwick Airport . On my last visit here , I found a single pristine male Brown Hairstreak . Within 10 metres of where I had photographed that male , I found this not at all pristine female , looking as if she has been the object of several bird attacks .Shortly after she flew off , I found another female , a Southern Hawker this time , on the nearby Brambles .Also on the Brambles was this Speckled Wood .

Having been walking all day , I was about ready to leave the second site , but decided to have a look at an area near the road . A movement in the vegetation revealed a second female Brown Hairstreak . This one was resting for a while , before returning to young Blackthorn shoots , deep in the vegetation , to lay her eggs . I watched her for 10/15 minutes , with the sound of aircraft lading and taking off , within about 1/4 of a mile from where I was standing .

Saturday 28th. August 2010

Another disappointing bird survey at Down House , produced just 16 species , with the best of the bunch being 8 Mistle Thrushes which flew in calling , landing in the London Plane in the formal garden . The butterflies did much better with 8 species being recorded , the most numerous being the Small Copper , five of which went into the book .
Almost as numerous were the Hornets recorded on site , four in total .
At the far end of the large meadow , I spotted a male and female Roe Deer , probably the same pair I posted last survey . They were feeding right over in the furthest corner .

With no cover , I was only able to get so close , before they spotted me .I got a bit closer , before they had had enough , and headed for the nearest vegetation .

In the woodland , I came across Lepiota rachodes-Shaggy Parasol .

In the same woodland , the Violet Helleborine , posted after the last survey , has now finished flowering , and the seeds are almost ready to drop , and hopefully produce more plants next year . On one of the formal lawns , Paxillus involutus-Brown Roll-rim .

On the way back home for lunch , I stopped in at High Elms for a quick look around . No sign of White-letter Hairstreaks or Silver-washed Fritillaries , but Common and Holly , female pictured , Blues were recorded , amongst others .

Also on the wing were at least another four Hornets , and I saw one catch a Hoverfly from the Hemp Agrimony , and devour it in a matter of a couple of minutes . Watching the Hornets hunt , it was amazing how few insects they managed to catch , most evading their attacks easily .
After lunch , I helped Carol in the garden , and we were visited again by an immature Southern Hawker , this time a female , when she landed on a Geranium . After getting several shots , I gave her the same offer that I gave to the male previously , and she obliged . Only trouble was , with the 100mm. lens on , I couldn't extend my arm far enough to get a decent shot .And finally , a moth found nectaring on the Hemp Agrimony at High Elms , perhaps a bit too worn to get an ID , but perhaps ?

And once again , Dean/DDD comes up with the answer , Tawny-barred Angle . Thanks very much Dean .

Wednesday 25th.August 2010

My Warden had other business first thing this morning , up on the Greensand Ridge . While he dealt with that , I went for a look for fungi after a cool night . A sample of the species found were :- Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca - False Chanterelle , Lycoperdon foetidum ,Lactarius quietus / Oak Milk-cap ,
Boletus badius / Bay boletus ,Sparassis crispa , an unusual cauliflower like species , parasitic at the base of conifers . Boletus edulis / Cep or Penny Bun , the basis of most dried Mushroom soup , Calocera viscosa , a young specimen ,Amanita rubescens / The Blusher , I managed to catch it before it changed it's hair style like Dean's ones did ,
Langermannia gigantea / Giant Puff-ball , (£1 coin for size comparison) ,
and lastly , Coprinus plicatilis . Some work did get done eventually , but that came to a halt with the onset of heavy rain , for once forecasted correctly .