Hawkers and Musk Orchid

During a quick trip to Dungeness DW got a message from DB about Norfolk Hawkers at Westbere so we arranged to meet up and go and look for ourselves. We parked at the crossing, which had moved! You now have to walk 1/4 mile down the track, cross and walk 1/4 mile back, seems a total, unnecessary waste of money for a 3 second crossing.
As we walked along the track we saw several Red Admirals and Speckled Wood butterflies as well as damselflies, Scarce Chaser and a sparkling female Banded Demoiselle.








We met NJ who had arrived minutes before us and after a short time he found one flying across the vegetation near the river. Eventually, on the way out he found a stunning male resting on a reed leaf.





In another pool he found a female ovipositing but it shot off and was seen with the male for a short while before disappearing.

A look around found a supporting cast of plants with Meadowsweet, Hemp Agrimony, Houndstooth and Common Valerian.








On the way home we visited Park Gate Down. The growth of grasses was luxuriant but dotted around were lots of pyramidal orchids as well as Fragrant orchids, past their best. In the last compartment we found well over 100 of the tiny Musk orchid. The meadows we lovely with several downland plants still in flower.


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