Clearwings and other animals

 Trying for the later clearwings I had lures out for Yellow-legged, Currant and then Raspberry Clearwings.

So far, no, currant and only one Yellow-legged, after the loads of orange-tailed to that lure. The Raspberry lure brought in 9 moths one day and seven another, so looks like they are doing ok around here.

Yellow-legged Clearwing

Raspberry Clearwing 

Numbers in the moth trap have dropped considerably but there have still been some nice moths, including Gypsy moth, several Jersey Tigers, Twin-spot, a second Light Crimson Underwing, Elephant and Poplar Hawkmoths and a first for the garden, a Garden Tiger.

Twin-spot

Light Crimson Underwing

Elephant and Poplar Hawkmoth and Jersey Tiger

Around Dungeness there is a family of foxes which are very tame, probably due to being fed by many of the visitors. 

We also hade at least 4 Clouded Yellow Butterflies in front of the power station but couldn’t find the reported Helice variety.

Quick trip to Knowle Wood, Barham

 Following help from DB we escaped the shingle and drove to Knowle Wood on the chalk. We were looking for Yellow Bird’s-nest, which I haven’t seen for years. The instructions said to park in a small lay-by car park and walk up the hill, turn to the right and start looking under the beeches. There was a car in the space but plenty of room for us to park.

We got out of the car, looked around and the first thing I saw was a large group of the plant just on the edge between the car park and the road.there were about 75 plants, but most were going over, with a few that were photographable.

We then wandered up footpath to the top of the hill, checking out a fungi at the side of the path. We turned right and David found another group under a yew tree, again, mostly going over. Further on we explored an open space where there were several groups of the plant. We also found some different fungi and some really nice Broad-leaved Hellaborines and the remains of what looked like White Hellaborine.

On the way back down to the car we found a large fungi along the forest track. A lovely wood and hopefully worth a return.

Over the summer 2025

  A couple of trips to Hamstreet woods complex especially for butterflies, White Admiral, Purple Hairstreak, Large Tortoiseshell and a pond full of frogs.

Some moths over recent 

Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler

 With the weather very variable, this was an odd week. Several bees in the garden, especially on the cotoneaster, included Early Bumblebee, Orange-tailed and Grey-patched Mining bees and a Flower Spider lurking. There were also some Iris Weevil, Mononychus punctumalbum, on the irises.

Along the road into the ranges there were still lots of Yellow Vetch in flower, although the plants near the Obs had been over for a while. The highlight was an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler that James found on Sunday in the trapping area. It spent all day calling from the middle of the willows and only showed very poorly, mainly in flight.the perils of parking on shingle were illustrated by a coach that had managed to get stuck.

May 20th

 Very quiet in the garden and at the observatory. I spent a bit of time watching activity in the pond. There seem to be at least 8 Newts loafing around the waterlily stems and a pair of Large-red Damselflies spent time ovipositing. There was also a pair of Azure which seemed to prefer putting their eggs under the leaves. There are also lots of little black flies, maybe fungus gnats, zigging around the surface of the pond.

In the moth trap there have been a few nice moths, including Pebble Prominent, Light Brocade, Light Tussock and another Poplar Hawkmoth.

The nameplate for the hide has been purchased and installed on the Seawatch hide and we went out to the Kerton Road Pit to see if there were any waders about. It’s a nice, peaceful place to scan with a Mini train chugging by every now and then. There was a flock of Oystercatchers on the mud with a Ringed Plover, Godwits and a couple of Common terns.