A late visit to Whetsted Gravel Pits

The bird list for the gravel pits for the day included 2 snipe, 23 gadwall, 4 tufted duck, 4 great crested grebe, 4 little grebe, 1 little egret, 1 grey heron, 140+ black-headed gulls, 1 herring gull, 70+ coot, 30+ jackdaws, 1+ moorhen, 7 swans inc. 3 immature, 1 (heard) green woodpecker,

After I attended a Kent Playing Fields meeting on behalf of the Parish, I got down to the Gravel Pits at about 4:30 in the afternoon, with the light already fading. as I crossed the first causeway, to my intense surprise I put up two Common Snipe, which no-one seems to have recorded on the Kent Ornithological website this autumn yet. This follows the single I put up on Ham Marshes last Sunday!

I did manage to get some photos but they were very poor really - I must try the tripod! Anyway here is a Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus , one of a pair quite close to the scoping point I generally use. One of the difficulties was I set the camera poorly, with exposure priority, and any advantage I might have got from a high ISO number was lost due to tiny aperture and an over-long exposure time! The bird itself is great, still retaining a slight crest and also some of the warm colouration from the summer, which now seems some time ago!

These pictures are slightly better, now that I got the exposure programme right! Also I was resting the camera on a support to reduce camera shake, and I think I could reduce the ISO number if I tried to use a support or tripod more often. Reducing the ISO number should then reduce the "noise" on the images.

This is also a slightly better shot of a Mute Swan, Cygnus olor, when again I got the wider aperture and therefore a faster exposure time!

East Peckham path and Hazel Wood

Today I went back to the West Peckham path and Hazel Wood to see if I could get the same success with hoverflies as I had had yesterday morning. I am now reasonably sure that, particularly at this time of year when the sun is so low, it is more productive to get out during the late morning rather than leave it until the later afternoon, as the shadows get so long later in the day.

Of course today I had to wait until I'd finished teaching, and having unsuccessfully checked The Swan at East Peckham on the off-chance that Peter might be there looking for a walking companion, I set off down the path with Monty at just after 3 p.m. I was happy that we were on our own and I would be able to concentrate on some insect ID and compare this afternoon's results with yesterday morning's haul.

My first impression was that the sunny patches of ivy flowers on the path were very much quieter than yesterday morning, with many fewer wasps, flies and bees than yesterday. As I got further down the path there was actually one patch in the sunshine which was "buzzing" with activity, but it was only the one, while every sunny patch of ivy yesterday morning had been as good as that single patch today. So there wasn't much to photograph, but I did come across some spiders, of which this one had to be photographed from beneath.

I think that this is another individual of the same species, this time visible from the side. I still couldn't see the pattern on the dorsum though!

I also found a whitefly, of which there are several British species to be found. The only one I really knew about is the Cabbage Whitefly, but others include the Norway Maple, Ivy, Honeysuckle, Viburnum and Ash Whiteflies.

The only other insect photographed on the path was this spectaularly ugly Tachinid fly

and at the end of the path all the Jacobs Sheep came over to the gate, presumably to see if I had any food for them!

After our encounter with the Jacobs sheet we got out into the open field and turned left towards the reservoir, alongside the edge of the wood, The verge was really quite bright with Bristly Oxtongue flowers on the remaining live plants, and we finally found a hoverfly. This turned out to be a species I hadn't identified before, although I may have seen it, Eupeodes luniger, the so-called lunar hoverfly. It took me hours to be reasonably sure I'd got it right, after several false starts, so I felt quite chuffed when I finally felt I could put this one to bed!

I then saw several different individuals, including one in Hazel Wood itself, all apparently E. luniger!
Here are several voucher pictures of the first individual to shows the ID characteristics: In the first picture you can see the underside of the abdomen and the dark bands on the sternites are definitely central and don't extend anywhere near to the margins. This puts it into the subgenus Eupeodes.

Dene Park - as the weather turned!

After teaching and a bit of admin this afternoon I got up to Dene Park as the supposed last sun of this short Indian summer faded to give way to grey cloud and the threat of rain. There was quite a strong breeze as well, so I had little thought on insects or birds today. And so it turned out, although I did hear a buzzard, Buteo buteo, calling plaintively on the Western side of the woods.

I spent a bit of time as we went round scanning for the commoner galls mainly on the herbaceous plants but I also had a look on the hazel, oak, blackthorn and sallow.

One of the herbaceous plants I found was figwort, Scrophularia nodosa, now in full fruit. The fruit is a two celled capsule, slightly glossily dark and now splitting open, with even the hard dry sepals at the base of the fruit now discarded:

Figwort is really quite a common plant in woods and hedgerows, scattered and not very obvious in the undergrowth at the side of the path at first glance, but with flowers that are beautiful on close inspection, and notably square stems (although this is a characteristic of the family Scrophulariaceae in this case, and not indicative of membership of the Lamiaceae or dead nettle family). Scrophularia is in fact the type genus of the family, which also includes Buddleija, Mullein and Foxgloves, to mention a few.

The mine I first noticed on the figwort is probably Amauromyza verbasci (Bouche, 1847), a common Dipteran mine on Buddleija, Verbascum and Scrophularia as far north as the Midlands. It is a variable blotch mine, starting off sinouous at first, then a large patch of a mine, with pupation occurring outside the mine and the large frass grains noted to be left well dispersed throughout the mine, as shown here.

This is one of the few mines supposed to be found on Scrophularia, but here is a picture of one that doesn't seem to be covered by the on-line web-site I normally consult - it looks a bit like a Phyllonorycter in its general size and shape between two veins, however I suppose it could just be another example of Amauromyza.

There were a lot of creeping buttercup, Ranunculus repens, leaves visible alongside the track. The leaves were looking particularly fresh (there has been a little rain, and a lot of dew!) and I even saw one flower out, looking a beautiful fresh golden yellow, but with an extra small petal added on the normal five. This extra petal is certainly not an unknown phenomenon, and may be induced perhaps by unfavourable conditions such as the current cooler temperatures or even possibly the shorter days.

On many of the leaves of the numerous buttercup plants there were coarse white spots. These looked coarser (larger) than the white spots normally caused by leaf-hoppers, and reminded me of the feeding marks caused by certain species of fly adults, members of the Agromyzidae group, whose larvae cause annoying serpentine mines in the leaves of cultivated chrysanthemums. And there were at least some, although not many, serpentine mines in the leaves of these buttercups! Other leaf mines in the Agromyzidae group could be blotch shaped, rather than serpentine.

There are several species of Phytomyza, a genus of fly known to be associated with larval serpentine mines, found on buttercup leaves. The commonest appears to be Phytomyza ranunculi, and pictures of these leafmines on the internet, do indeed look similar to my sightings, with the expected feeding marks shown as well. So, I think this is the most likely identification, of both the mines and the very numerous feeding marks, abundant throughout the woods. However there are perhaps other possibilities, and my photographs were too fuzzy to show the detail of the tunnel's contents required to absolutely separate the species! In particular Phytomyza ranunculivora is similar-looking so is a possible alternative ID, although it hasn't been found in R. repens in the UK as yet. However on the balance of probability, I am reasonably sure that its Phytomyza ranunculi!

There was also evidence of mining on the hogweed, Heracleum sphondylium, leaves, and I think this might possibly be Phytomyza spondylii, quite common throughout the UK. However I'm not considering this ID anywhere near as certain as the one above! One factor that has been difficult to determine is the scale of the mine in the picture in relation to the size of the suspected species.

This is another picture, but the scale and dimensions of the mine might seem different?

There were also some possible viral symptoms on some of the hogweed leaves, which might be classified as "speckly vein clearing" perhaps?

Agromyzid-like feeding marks were also seen on Hedge Woundwort, Stachys sylvatica, Selfheal, Prunella vulgaris, and a Speedwell, a Veronica species, but no associated larva mines were noticed in the limited time available.

These very different feeding marks on the leaflets of Bramble, Rubus species look very much like feeding damage by capsid bugs, which are often referred to as "cigarette burns" because of the brown edged raggedy holes, caused by the poisonous saliva released from the bugs' stylets as they are feeding. All three leaflets of this one leaf were very heavily damaged. Odd though that this damage should be so concentrated on these particular leaflets, but not noticed on any others?

On a hazel, Corylus avellana, by the Scambles at the far side of the wood, there was a folded-over leaf edge, which when opened revealed a small caterpillar, which I think must have been a Tortricoid type caterpillar, related to, or in, the genus Tortrix, typically web-spinners and leaf-rollers.

Overall of course the woods are continuing to look more and more autumnal day by day, with the seedheads of willowherb, Epilobium, ready to disperse their seeds all along the sides of the tracks...

...and the heads of Common Knapweeds, Centaurea nigra scattered around, with their delicately sculptured two layers of scaly bracts:

Cliffe Pools again

The yellow flowered crucifer that is dominantly common might perhaps be Annual Wall Rocket, Diplotaxis muralis

Common darters in Broadview

After going into college for extra meetings today, I got out into the College's Broadview Gardens to look for insects and in particular for dragonflies around the ponds.

There were reasonable numbers of Common Darters, Sympetrum striolatum, generally, at least a dozen in Broadview Gardens as a whole, but particularly concentrated today on the large wildlife pond on the Western margin of the gardens. At one time I was able to count three ovipositing pairs and four other males all in the "hotspot" of a couple of square metres of water weed and marginal vegetation in a sheltered bay in full sun. I was able to sneak up through the vegetation to try to get some photographs as they flew low over the water or rested on the marginal plants.

This photo of a pair taken in flight is very blurry, but is here to show how the male in front looks very red indeed. This seems to be to be a darker red than the orangey red that the Common Darter is supposed to show, giving rise to the exciting possibility that these individuals are Ruddy Darters, Sympetrum sanguineum, rather than just Common Darters.

However this close up below, of another individual caught resting, perhaps after mating, shows a yellow stripe on the foreleg tibiae fairly clearly. Yellow striping on any of the legs is one of the diagnostic features of all the darter species found in the UK, except the Ruddy Darter that I am trying to find. As I can see these stripes on at least some of the photos of some of the redder individuals that I have seen today, regretfully I have to admit I can't claim to have seen any Ruddy Darters today, they must all be assumed to be Common Darters!

Another diagnostic feature is the pattern of black markings on the forehead or frons of the darters. In the Ruddy Darter, this should extend down the front of the face just in front of each eye in a sort of moustache pattern. As you can see from the picture below, as well as the one above, the black marking doesn't actually extend downwards in front of each eye, which is further confirmation that these insects are in fact just Common Darters.

Another feature of the Common Darter, as opposed to the Ruddy, are the clear yellow diagonal stripes on the side of the thorax, which I think are better seen in the picture below. I think you can see the front one fairly clearly, and just the start of the second one behind it;

And then there is the shape of the abdomen from overhead. In the Ruddy Darter there should be a distinct waist, centred around segment 4. Although there is some suggestion of this in the first of the two photos below, in the end I'd have to come down on the side that there isn't a distinct narrowing, so again the overall conclusion must be Common Darter, not Ruddy.

In the second picture the male claspers are holding a female by the back of the head - this pair are resting just by the side of the pond after a frenetic bout of egg-laying. The claspers appear to be bent at 90 degrees to the horizontal, and this is also suggested in the picture below, taken in flight over the egg-laying area.

The male holds the female by his rear claspers clamped to the back of her head after copulation and they both remained joined and working in partnership while she carries out the egg-laying now that the eggs are fertilised. The male at this stage flies nearly horizontally while the female's body is perhaps horizontal initially but perhaps later when egg-laying is about to start or when flying between indisividual eggs being lad, is inclined downwards by about 45 degrees.

At the point of egg-laying itself, both abdomens are often nearly vertical - it's a bit like a harrier jet landing by changing the angle of its engines and controlling the power output! But in the case of a dragonfly it all happens very quickly indeed, within less than a second, and the pair dip down in unison(?) until the tip of the female's abdomen touches the water surface and an egg is presumably released!

At this point you can often see that the female's abdomen may be wetted by a droplet of water held between the angle created by the tip of the abdomen and the vulvar scale. The shape of the female's vulvar scale itself differs between the different species. Luckily for me the shape in the picture but two above and in this female (below) is consistent with an identification of the Common Darter!

Getting away from the dragonflies, there were a few other bees and other insects about, mainly common carder bees, Bombus pascuorum.

I only saw one hoverfly, an Eristalis species with bright orange panels on the abdomen. Even so I think this may have been another individual of Eristalis tenax, but this time, exceptionally, I think I was looking at the pale form, in contrast to the dark almost black abdomens of the individuals I have generally seen in the area over the last month.

There seemed to be the possibility of a dark face stripe, with dark possibly hairy hind legs, which are the characteristics of Eristalis tenax. However none of these characters were particularly or sufficiently clear, and I certainly wouldn't rely on this identification, there are many other possibilities.

There were even some vertebrates and the autumn birds seem to be coming into play now. The moorhens, Gallinus chloropus, on Sandell Lake were obliging as usual - there were birds on the wildlife pond as well, but far more difficult to get good views of. This is an adult bird, although I only saw the one of the adult pair here today:

Meanwhile there was a juvenile, perhaps the only remaining one here, skulking in the reeds,

To finish off, a domestic cat, perhaps the one belonging to the financial director of the college, was having a good look around in this countryside environment, far away from his or her home territory.

So, overall, a very interesting morning visit, with my uncertainty over whether I'm seeing any Ruddy Darters, fairly convincingly put to bed, although not entirely eliminated, particularly with some of those egg-laying pairs which were very highly coloured!

Whetsted gravel pits

Walked with Peter and Pickle down to the gravel pits and on the Westernmost one we saw 8 black-headed gulls, 6+ little grebes, 4 great crested grebes, 30+ coots, 10+ mallard, 2 pochard, 1 lapwing and 5 mute swans.

On the easterly pit there were 70+ Black-headed Gulls, 3 Herring Gulls, 2+ Great Crested Grebes, 15+ Common Coots, 7-8 Gadwall, 5+ Mallard, 1+ Moorhen, 6 Canada Geese and 6+ Mute Swans.

A couple of hawker dragonflies were also whizzing about, but far too quickly to identify.

We also went East along the river as far as Oak Weir Lock, and then South into the scrub around the private gravel pit.

In flower were Bristly Oxtongue, Picris echioides, Hawkweed Oxtongue, Picris hieracioides, White Deadnettle, Lamium album, and Common Toadflax, Linaria vulgaris.

Too dark for photos again I'm afraid.

Clearhedges at dusk

An interesting day, starting with a bag and flag event at 7 a.m. to highlight the issue of dog fouling in the village, and then teaching in the morning and the afternoon. For the morning session I was able to take Monty into the class, as a model animal, while we considered the characteristics of living things!

Sadly it was too dark to take photographs as we walked around Clearhedges, having finished teaching for the day at five. Its such a peaceful place with its combination of open areas completely surrounded by quiet woods, yet giving more distant views out onto the neighbouring hills and slopes with their small fields, shaws, orchards and oast houses. The whole landscape is so utterly civilised, rich and settled. The neighbouring fields sown to winter cereals are very well established now, compared to the pictures taken only a month ago, and the coppiced areas are also going to be very good next spring I think.

I was particularly impressed by the numbers of Prickly Sowthistle, Sonchus asper, in the oil seed rape stubble of the central Clearhedges field. Despite its size of anything up to a metre and its robust spiky and thistle-like appearance its actually only an annual plant! Perhaps I'll get a chance to look more closely at the botanical characteristics of this species and its three relatives on another occasion.