Thursday 16th August

I am off work this week so I managed to get out between 10.30 and 12.


Very quiet as I expected today. A Kingfisher called and flashed across the pit closest to the railway line. Also 2 Juv Green Woodpecker in the east scrub and a Great Spot over. A Sand Martin flew over and all of a sudden I was surrounded by c10 flying very low near the round pond, also 2-3 House Martin here.


Apart from the birds I saw a Small White, Speckled Wood and good numbers of Meadow Brown. A Green Veined White showed well on Water Mint. 9 Slow Worm was a good number to find in the east scrub. Plenty of Common Darter, Black Tailed Skimmer and 'blue' damsels around.

GREEN VEINED WHITE ON WATER MINT

COMMON DARTER

I had half an hour to spare so I wandered up to Holly Hill, not far from where I live and a mile or two from New Hythe. Here I added a female Adder under a sheet of corrugated iron that I laid down about 4 years ago. Also 4 Slow Worm here and a Common Lizard. This area is brilliant for butterflies. I saw 3 Chalkhill Blue, a male Common Blue, and good numbers of Small Heath here.

CHALKHILL BLUE