Today, on the hottest October day ever recorded in Britain, I took Monty over the Medway at East Lock and on the circular walk through the Whetsted Gravel pits.
The fields on the way to East Lock have been thoroughly cultivated - the Oil Seed Rape seedlings I saw last week have been cultivated in, so were presumably an unwanted volunteer crop.
As we look back up the hill towards the higher terraces you can see the lighter colour of the soil on the dryer land with less organic matter. Only half of this higher field has been cultivated!
Ditches cleared out, fairly destitute of apparent life. Canoists in the Medway and the canoe flume and fish staircase of the lock bypass sluice.
Ivy on the pill-box attracting bees, wasps Sphaerophoria scripta (actually the first time I've seen it on ivy).
Also Eristalis tenax, the so called drone fly from its resemblance to drone bees, with its hairy black legs held low to mimic the bees - its incredibly effective! This is a species that I've not seen much if at all during high summer, but I have noticed since the start of September, replacing the now vanished Eristalis pertenax!
E. tenax has a dark form which I seem to have come across several times in the past few weeks, with the abdominal patches very black as opposed to the normal orange as seen here, but the real characteristics in all this species' colour forms are the obviously hairy dark hind legs, particularly the tibiae.
At the first gravel pit I was photographing the hawker dragonflies as a young chap was splashing around frightening the waterfowl with some very loud and boisterous games with his three dogs. I hope he isn't going to make a habit of it - but then the weather won't always be like this! As there was so much racket I let Monty go for an extended swim in the smaller shallow gravel pit extension.
Migrant hawkers trawling for females along the bank. weaving in and out of the sedges, only one female seen, at least half a dozen males.
Male Common Darter
One possibly two Common Blue damselfly
As I got out onto the causeway leading to the the first gravel pit I saw a Small Copper butterfly, Lycaena phlaeas, just resting I think, and not nectaring, on a closed inflorescence of Bristly Oxtongue. The wings of this adult were a bit chewed up, indicating it has been around for a little while. This will be one of the third and last generation of adults to fly this year. As on previous occasions I just saw the one butterfly today, and this is quite normal for a visitor to a site where these insects occur. It should be the representative of a small colony that lives here or nearby,or perhaps it is a wanderer.
Little is known of their ability to move and establish new colonies elsewhere, but they certainly do move about. The last one I saw was on the Bourneside Meadow beside the River Bourne, and I suspected that there was a colony established there. Could there therefore be two colonies in the parish boundary, or perhaps even more if I look harder? The only other place I've seen them this year that I can remember is at Queendown Warren on the Kent Wildlife Trust Butterfly Study Day, but they are said to be quite a common butterfly.
Swans, coots, greylag geese, two little Grebes, Podiceps whistling away, reminding me of the first time I ever heard that sound, on the lakes in the magical surroundings of the Momela Game Reserve. I thought then it was one of the most beautiful sounds I had ever heard as it echoed off the surrounding hills. I keep on wanting to hear it in the UK but hardly ever do, so it was lovely to listen to the piping whistles today.
Two lapwings flew over
More hawkers, but impossible to confirm them to species as it was now nearly five and the light was already going.
Two herons went over the second gravel pit.
Gulls mainly black-headed, at least one herring gull, at least one lesser black-backed, Mute swans, Canada Geese, my first shoveller of the autumn, at least one gadwall, several great crested grebes, more coot, at least one moorhen, a group of jackdaws on the bank and a couple of jays. Two late cygnets still brown.
One female Common Darter sunning itself on a wooden post, this species is commonly seen like this, do ther members of the genus do it, several probable males, all just as you leave the pit and get into the Ash shaw.
Plenty of motor boats tied up by the side of the river and camping for the weekend - looked pretty idyllic!
There was a hot air balloon trip up above Golden Green - not so many of these seen this summer as there used to be in previous years, which is perhaps a sign of the international financial depression. So, it was really nice to see this one!
The fields on the way to East Lock have been thoroughly cultivated - the Oil Seed Rape seedlings I saw last week have been cultivated in, so were presumably an unwanted volunteer crop.
As we look back up the hill towards the higher terraces you can see the lighter colour of the soil on the dryer land with less organic matter. Only half of this higher field has been cultivated!
Ditches cleared out, fairly destitute of apparent life. Canoists in the Medway and the canoe flume and fish staircase of the lock bypass sluice.
Ivy on the pill-box attracting bees, wasps Sphaerophoria scripta (actually the first time I've seen it on ivy).
Also Eristalis tenax, the so called drone fly from its resemblance to drone bees, with its hairy black legs held low to mimic the bees - its incredibly effective! This is a species that I've not seen much if at all during high summer, but I have noticed since the start of September, replacing the now vanished Eristalis pertenax!
E. tenax has a dark form which I seem to have come across several times in the past few weeks, with the abdominal patches very black as opposed to the normal orange as seen here, but the real characteristics in all this species' colour forms are the obviously hairy dark hind legs, particularly the tibiae.
Migrant hawkers trawling for females along the bank. weaving in and out of the sedges, only one female seen, at least half a dozen males.
Male Common Darter
One possibly two Common Blue damselfly
As I got out onto the causeway leading to the the first gravel pit I saw a Small Copper butterfly, Lycaena phlaeas, just resting I think, and not nectaring, on a closed inflorescence of Bristly Oxtongue. The wings of this adult were a bit chewed up, indicating it has been around for a little while. This will be one of the third and last generation of adults to fly this year. As on previous occasions I just saw the one butterfly today, and this is quite normal for a visitor to a site where these insects occur. It should be the representative of a small colony that lives here or nearby,or perhaps it is a wanderer.
Little is known of their ability to move and establish new colonies elsewhere, but they certainly do move about. The last one I saw was on the Bourneside Meadow beside the River Bourne, and I suspected that there was a colony established there. Could there therefore be two colonies in the parish boundary, or perhaps even more if I look harder? The only other place I've seen them this year that I can remember is at Queendown Warren on the Kent Wildlife Trust Butterfly Study Day, but they are said to be quite a common butterfly.
Two lapwings flew over
More hawkers, but impossible to confirm them to species as it was now nearly five and the light was already going.
Two herons went over the second gravel pit.
Gulls mainly black-headed, at least one herring gull, at least one lesser black-backed, Mute swans, Canada Geese, my first shoveller of the autumn, at least one gadwall, several great crested grebes, more coot, at least one moorhen, a group of jackdaws on the bank and a couple of jays. Two late cygnets still brown.
One female Common Darter sunning itself on a wooden post, this species is commonly seen like this, do ther members of the genus do it, several probable males, all just as you leave the pit and get into the Ash shaw.
Plenty of motor boats tied up by the side of the river and camping for the weekend - looked pretty idyllic!
There was a hot air balloon trip up above Golden Green - not so many of these seen this summer as there used to be in previous years, which is perhaps a sign of the international financial depression. So, it was really nice to see this one!
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