A Monday morning at Dungeness was spent looking for grassland butterflies, especially the newly emerged Essex Skippers. Overall we had 7 species including one of my favourites, Marbled White.
A White Admiral decided to visit our garden, which was a first and there was Kent Black Arches, Phoenix and Buff Footman in the moth trap with the first Lesser Yellow Underwings of the year.
On Wednesday we decided to check out Dene Wood for Purple Emperors. PB and DW picked me up and we navigated through the countryside arriving at the car park, which wasn't as full as I expected.
We walked up to the triangle with the dog bin and stood around scanning the oak trees. A white Admiral flew by followed by a possible Emperor which shot off down the track before we could ID it. There were lots of butterflies about, Large and Small Whites and Meadow Browns.
After a while I strolled up the track to another 'master tree' where there were a couple of chaps standing who reported seeing PEs and then one flew in a circuit from the tops, along the trees, across the track, along the other side and back to the tree tops. I called the others and over the next hour we had good, but distant, views of at least 3 individuals chasing each other and patrolling the tops. None came very near or looked like perching anywhere in sight.
Walking further along to the next junction I had one more sighting as a PE fluttered down the side of an oak and off through the laurels. There were several White Admirals, a Peacock and Speckled Wood among the other butterflies.
As we made our way back to the carpark MC noticed a toad making it's way across the path. We made sure it was safely on the edge of the wood before heading home.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
A White Admiral decided to visit our garden, which was a first and there was Kent Black Arches, Phoenix and Buff Footman in the moth trap with the first Lesser Yellow Underwings of the year.
On Wednesday we decided to check out Dene Wood for Purple Emperors. PB and DW picked me up and we navigated through the countryside arriving at the car park, which wasn't as full as I expected.
We walked up to the triangle with the dog bin and stood around scanning the oak trees. A white Admiral flew by followed by a possible Emperor which shot off down the track before we could ID it. There were lots of butterflies about, Large and Small Whites and Meadow Browns.
After a while I strolled up the track to another 'master tree' where there were a couple of chaps standing who reported seeing PEs and then one flew in a circuit from the tops, along the trees, across the track, along the other side and back to the tree tops. I called the others and over the next hour we had good, but distant, views of at least 3 individuals chasing each other and patrolling the tops. None came very near or looked like perching anywhere in sight.
Walking further along to the next junction I had one more sighting as a PE fluttered down the side of an oak and off through the laurels. There were several White Admirals, a Peacock and Speckled Wood among the other butterflies.
As we made our way back to the carpark MC noticed a toad making it's way across the path. We made sure it was safely on the edge of the wood before heading home.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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