August, First Half.

As predicted August was going to be a busy time looking after others ie the twins school holiday plus the wife's arm in plaster but I did manage a few trips out.

1st Aug.

I made a visit to Temple Ewell hoping to see some Adonis blues but no luck although I didn't search the whole site.  It was quite different from my last visit when there were hundreds of marbled whites and chalkhill blues yet in just a couple of weeks things had changed with no marbled whites seen and numbers of chalkhill much reduced. However, I managed to see a silver-spotted skipper and took some photos of painted ladys, small tortoiseshell, large white and blues.

 Painted Lady

 Small Tortoiseshell

Large White

 Female Chalkhill Blue

 Female Chalkhill Blue

 Male Chalkhill Blue

  Male Chalkhill Blue

Common Blue

6th Aug

A short visit to Seasalter, mainly sitting on the bench talking to Geoff!  However, we did see; c.40 swifts, 1 swallow, 1 sand mardtin 9 little egrets, 2 whimbrels, 1 cormorant, 1 clouded yellow, 1 small copper and 3 com blues. 

8th Aug.

I managed to get a late pm visit to Oare although nothing of note to report except some super storm clouds passing over Elmley.

10th Aug.

Another visit to Oare seeing the huge black-tailed godwit flock plus a 100+ avocets, 1 curlew sandpiper, 6 Med gulls, 1 whitethroat, 2 swifts, no sign of the dowitcher.

11th Aug

Back to Temple Ewell seeing good numbers of chalkhill blues plus one silver-spotted skipper and going through the large gate towards the A2 several adonis blues. 

12th Aug

A visit to Seasalter plots proved very quiet for birds 2 cetti's, 2 whitethroats so I just looked at a few blue butterflies plus I found one brown argus.

 Common Blue male

 Holly Blue

Brown Argus

2nd Half of July

19th/20th July

Two days away with the lads to photograph ospreys at Gwash Trout Farm, close to Rutland Water proved to be a bit of a disappointment as after beautiful weather we encountered dull cloud and drizzle on our time away.  We had booked for two evening sessions, 4.00-9.00pm., the four of us sitting in the hide overlooking a small trout pool where on the first night we had one visit from an osprey. We had just one opportunity when it dived and missed its target and the poor light didn't help either.  The second evening had better light but unfortunately no ospreys.  During the second day we traveled around the 'reservoir' visiting a few of the hides and dodging the 'mizzle'.  We did see a pair of ospreys with two fully grown young from the aptly named 'Osprey Hide' on the south side of the 'reservoir' and a wood sandpiper. We arrived home late that night after having a one hour wait at the Dartford Crossing bridge where all the four lanes were suddenly reduced to one, but not a soul to be seen working on the bridge, just two vans!

24th +

I had a couple of visits to Oare seeing the Bonaparte's gull, turtle dove,ruff, golden plovers, 3 curlew sandpipers but no in depth visits to Seasalter.  

August is shaping up badly with the two twin 6 year olds to entertain during the holidays and to top that the other half fell over at Samphire Hoe on the 2nd and broke or rather smashed her wrist which is now in plaster and out of action for several weeks!!! 

!st Half of July, Dragonflies and Butterflies

4th July

An evening visit to Grove hoping for something to point the camera at, the only items on the menu were the Norfolk hawkers that have being so abundant this year.

5th

A day out to Sissinghurst and Scotney Castle looking for dragonflies, Scotney being the only one producing the goods, I didn't see any emeralds though. The white-legged damselfly was abundant around the lake but no small red-eyes.

White-legged Damselfly

Later that evening I went out looking for barn owls finding a couple but the camera was lacking a bit of shutter speed.

7th

I went to Sheldwich to get a shot of this field of mainly bluish flowers, Echium plantagineum I was led to believe and grown for the oil.

8th

Another visit to Temple Ewell finding heaps of chalkhill blues and marbled whites.

13th/14th

More visits to Temple Ewell photographing the butterflies, marbled whites and chalkhill blues again being the most commonly seen.

 I came across this mating pair amidst all the chalkhill blues and assumed that was what they were but 'commons' look to be a good call as well?

 Gatekeeper

Large White

 Hoverfly

Marbled White