Monday 18 August 2014

Dene Park damply

Got in my three circuits in the half-drizzle, and noted with pleasure both the Lesser Spearwort, Ranunculus flammula, and the Goldenrod, Solidago virgaurea, in flower along the back track by the Scambles. The Lesser Spearwort has a long flowering season (ideally I would check for the furrowed flower stalks) lasting from May to September, but the Goldenrod is only recently in flower, although its official season is July to September.

In a brief burst of dry half way round the first time I was delighted to see three or more Purple Hairstreak, on the oak I often look at by the far triangle along by Point Wood. I saw two of them again in a brief burst of warm sunshine on the same tree on the third circuit. Perhaps if I looked more at other trees more carefully I might see them more widely, but still they seem "thin on the ground" this year.

There were half a dozen Migrant Hawkers in the far triangle on the first stop, and four over the grass by the car park as I left, their wings twinkling against the back-drop of the setting sun. I didn't note any Southern Hawkers. All in all a nice late afternoon, before I set out on the Daubenton's survey by the River Medway this evening.

No comments:

Post a Comment