A hot and dry June brings out the bee, fragrant and pyramidal orchids here on the North Downs; it seems a good year for them all even though the ground is parched. There are also droves of meadow browns, marbled whites and skippers. The dark green fritillaries are on the greater knapweed Centaurea scabiosa in…
Tag: Kent
More Spring butterflies and other insects
It has been a great spring for insects in Kent with a spell of uninterrupted warm, dry weather through April and May. The holly blues Celastrina argiolus are all over the hedgerow dogwoods Cornus sanguinea laying eggs on the flower clusters. The small blues Cupido minimus at Fackenden Down are plentiful at the base of…
First Flowering Dates
February brings out the cherry plum Prunus cerasifera; and as its the first to blossom in the hedgerows on the North Downs it always gets a mention. But it’s not a native species but introduced from Central Asia and the Balkans and cultivated from the 16th century; hence its other more exotic name of myrobalan plum….
Sissinghurst Castle Garden’s Sphinxes and Satyrs
Sphinxes and Satyrs are found on some beautiful, turquoise vases that adorn the patios and paths in the Castle Garden. A pair lining the forecourt have Satyrs as handles; these were wild, half-man, half-beast spirits associated with Dionysus, the god of wine and famed for their debauchery and outrageous behaviour. An adjacent pair are decorated…
Whitstable Seafront
Whitstable seafront lit by the afternoon sun on a high tide in October. This was taken from Shellness on the Isle of Sheppey.
Roosting Waders on a Spring Tide
On a big spring tide at Shellness in North Kent (5.71m on October 19th), the saltmarsh gets one of its few inundations and the curlews that roost at the top end of the saltmarsh eventually get moved on by the slowly rising waters. Grey plovers seek refuge on the groynes and the oystercatchers simply move…
Kent Churches
These baker’s dozen were taken when heading to and from, or sometimes within, wildlife sites. The North Kent Marshes and Dickens country around Higham feature heavily as do Oare and Romney Marshes. A couple from the heart of the Weald and downland villages provide some contrast. All are a timeless and beautiful part of the…
Sandwich Terns at Shellness
A big spring tide on a warm afternoon is a good time to watch the waders, gulls and terns gather on the shore. There is a regular post-breeding congregation of Sandwich terns and their raucous calls fill the blustery air. The terns fly up and down the shoreline and out into the bay sometimes returning…
August Insects
The weather in SE England is warm and dry through July and August; the mid-summer flowers are now late summer seeds and fruits. Coming after a wet spring, it is a great year for blackberries. The ivy flower is taking over from the bramble and will be the chief source of pollen and nectar for…
Ancient Woodlands above Luddesdown
The organic vineyards on the slopes above the hamlet of Luddesdown are maturing and the arable weeds are hopefully still thriving. The ancient woodlands within Rochester Forest are alive with the sounds of spring birdsong and we find bluebells in flower amongst the celandine as well the much more local Moschatel or ‘town hall clock’….
Hunting raptors
A female marsh harrier patiently works a patch of long grass within the grazing marshes at Cooling; it floats lazily low over the ground and seeks its small mammal or bird prey on which it will suddenly twist and pounce. A nearby flock of starlings seems unconcerned and moves restlessly across the short-grazed grassland ever…
Sissinghurst on St David’s Day
Having previously visited on a leap day, this is a visit four years and a day later under similarly blustery conditions with the clear light of early spring occasionally lighting up the deep red brick and fattening white magnolias. The place is unchanged. The white garden is green and the other gardens empty apart from…