Tuesday June 17th

Late news for yesterday was a Hobby flying low past Birling Church at 8.45 last night.

A visit to New Hythe today between 9.45 and 11.30 today. Despite it being warm and sunny the lack of butterflies on the wing continues to be startling. 1 Large Skipper, my first for the year north of the scrape and single Speckled Wood in the small copse by the car-park were the only sightings. Odonata faired a bit better with 25 Black-tailed Skimmer, 1 Hairy Dragonfly, 8 Banded Demoiselle and numerous Blue Damsels including good numbers of Blue-tailed.

Large Skipper in flight

Bird sightings were thin on the ground. 1 Nightingale, 6 Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warbler, 1 Sand Martin, 1 Swallow and 10 Swift.

Banded Demoiselle (female)

In the East scrub 1 Grass Snake and 3 Slow Worm. Pyrammidal Orchid continue to emerge with at least 15 seen, also 1 'new' Bee Orchid.

At 3.45 this afternoon I was driving back into Birling when I saw a large Raptor fairly low being mobbed by Crows. I quickly realised it was a Red Kite, a second Kite then appeared alongside it and they disappeared towards New Hythe........