Goldie M

[Allan.W.]

Hi Goldie .
Right ……… the car park for the Western heights site is found at TR.313411 , if you come up from the docks to this point its on a bend ,and you pass through a metal arch to park.you should have a chalk bank on one side and a view across Clarendon(Dover) on the other side the bank on the Clarendon side I believe is Known as Whinless Down ,and its rumoured that Silver Spotted Skips are (or were !) present ,never walked it myself ,so can.t help there,anyway from the car park walk out to the road ,opposite you,ll notice a gate leading up to the drop redoubt ,Small Blues on the bank up the slope ,also on the road bank opposite. You may get lucky with Wall as well. Hope this helps ! Good luck. !

Regards Allan.W.

[Goldie M]

Thanks for that Allan, I'll let you know what happens Goldie

[Andrew555]

Like the Kite shots Goldie, and sounds like you have found a great Clouded Yellow site.

I saw Silver-spotted Skipper in late July last year at Queendown Warren, which is between Sittingbourne and Chatham/Gillingham.

[Goldie M]

Thanks Andrew, I'm hoping to find them next week , I'll try Temple Ewell, only because I've seen them there before and it's nearer I think, I want to also go where Allan said , Just a week now so fingers crossed Goldie

Today we were waiting for our Daughter to come back from holiday , so we decided a quick visit to Blean Wood would have to do,
it seems the Cricket was too far a way today so it's on the cards for tomorrow
It was lovely and cool in the Woods and with the Rain we had, athough not heavy, it was good for the Butterflies, so much so we'd only just got out of the car when we saw this White Admiral on the path in front of us , it was trying it's luck with a pile of dog pooh, It wasn't in great condition, part of it's wings were missing but I can't resist taking a shot of one what ever it's condition when I see one
It seems a lot of the Butterflies were passed their best.
Next we saw Purple Hair Streaks at two different spots,Comma, Peacock, Brimstone, Gate Keeper, Ringlet , Meadow Brown and a Brown Argus not bad for a short walk Goldie

[David M]

You seem to be having a great trip, Goldie, with lots of the south-centric species finding their way into your lens range!

[millerd]

A splendid Kentish selection, Goldie. Those hairstreaks are down everywhere it seems. The Silver-spts are out on the Chilterns now, so it can't be long before they appear at Temple Ewell - I saw lots last year there, but it was a bit later on. Still, it's now an eary year!

Dave

[Wurzel]

Great to see you capture the White Admiral and Purp Goldie Good luck with the Silver Spots

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! David, your right, it's been the best trip I've had down here so far and the thought I may see even more species is Great ,
hope fully Adonis and Silver Spotted Skippers will be added also Small Blue. ( fingers crossed )

Hi! Dave, I've had a great time up to now, it's very rarely you can go out and see the species your looking for right a way , Emperor's being the exception this year, so hope fully SSS to follow

Hi! Wurzel, the White Admiral wasn't in the same condition as the one's I saw earlier at East Blean and at Blean Woods but I can't resist taking shots of them The big difference this time was the fact I saw Purple HS in Blean Wood near to where my Daughter lives for the first time, now I know where to look when I come again instead of chasing off to EBW
I forgot to mention I saw Silver Washed Fritillary at EBW, last time I was there but couldn't get a shot of them they were too quick,
that was another first sighting of them for me there. Goldie

[essexbuzzard]

Good luck with seeing the Silver Spotted Skippers before you go, Goldie. They should be starting any day now, if they haven’t started already. I know Lydden Temple Ewell well, having been visiting for many years, and have found SSS are much more common at the Lydden end.

[Goldie M]

Thanks for that tip essex, `i know where you mean and will look there, next week , Goldie

[Allan.W.]

Hello Goldie ,
I was at Temple Ewell this morning for a couple of hours,and as you know hundreds ,possibly thousands of Chalkhills on the wing betwee 6.45 -8.45 ,
Just 2 Common Blues ,no Brown Args ,a few Marbles and plenty of browns ,but just the one possible fly-bye SSS,and no Adonis (excepting a possible female,need to go through my pics ),there was so much about ,that I never made it as far as Lydden end ……..definitely worth a go .

regards Allan.W.

[Goldie M]

We'll certainly be going to Temple Ewell Allan Lets hope this next week brings them all out Goldie

[David M]

I wonder whether the warm weather will have improved prospects back your way, Goldie? I noticed that the NW of England has at least had some rain lately so it'll be interesting to learn what's about when you return.

[Janet Turnbull]

Particularly envious of your Purple Hairstreaks, Goldie!
The showers have brought a few more butterflies out up here.

[Goldie M]

Hi! David, I'm looking forward to seeing a few Butterflies on my Butterfly bushes when I get back but I'll have to do a good bit of gardening first I think the rain will have done the Butterflies good, yesterday my Son-in-law watered his lawn for a short time and this morning I was taking shots of Brown Argus and a Comma plus numerous white Butterflies in the garden.

Hi! Janet, that's good news, I've seen very few Red Admirals here so hope fully they'll be in the garden when I get home
Purple Hair Streaks are also at Brockholes Janet, same place where the WLH are but just inside the gate in the Oak Tree's there if your interested. Goldie

[David M]

Hi! David, I'm looking forward to seeing a few Butterflies on my Butterfly bushes when I get back....

I think there'll be plenty for you, Goldie. Round my way, Whites seem to be everywhere and I'm sure there'll be a few Torties/Peacocks/Red Admirals/Commas too.

[Janet Turnbull]

Hi! Janet, that's good news, I've seen very few Red Admirals here so hope fully they'll be in the garden when I get home
Purple Hair Streaks are also at Brockholes Janet, same place where the WLH are but just inside the gate in the Oak Tree's there if your interested. Goldie

Thanks Goldie - I'll take a trip up there!

[Goldie M]

Well what a week it's been!!!! the last time I posted was just over a week ago, on Sunday the 22nd we went to watch Cricket, and it was so hot we felt we couldn't breathe and I had a lucky escape, during the tea break I'd walked down a road looking for Butterflies, it was so dry every where and meadow Browns were flitting about, I decided to head back to the Cricket, I'd only just sat down when we heard a huge crack and bang, where I'd been standing not long ago a huge branch from an Oak tree had fallen Was I lucky that day!!!!!
Monday the 23rd was very hot so we decided going to Temple Ewell was out, we needed cooler sea air so we decided on Reculver, needless to say we got the cool air but very few butterflies were there, so after another very good Bacon butty at the local cafe we headed for East Blean Wood.
What a difference there, I took a shot of a Gate Keeper, a Peacock and a Small White and that was it, after my experience with the Tree
on the Sunday I didn't really want to wander in the wood.

On Tuesday the 24th we went to Samphire Oh, again seeking shelter from the heat with the sea breeze I'm sorry though Allan I can't say I saw any Small Blue or Adonis ,which was disappointing never the less we did see Butterflies
Common Blue, Brown Argus, a Small White which was very milky White, a brief glimpse of a Marbled White and that was it, it just felt like we were walking in a desert, so much so we were out of the heat for the next few days staying home Goldie

[Goldie M]

The next few days were spent in my daughters garden in the mornings where we saw lots of Butterflies,
Meadow Browns, Brown Argus, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Comma, GV White, L&S Whites, Common Blue but it was the Holly Blue which landed when we were filling slightly the Dogs pool to cool him down which was the best, it landed next to the pool and didn't move to fly a way even when the dog was jumping in and out of the pool, just shows their need for water was getting hard for them.
One of the Meadow Browns that landed although slightly damaged had two spots like the one I showed in an earlier post, so we had our moments
After the bad weather had moved through we decided to go at last to Temple Ewell on the Saturday, there was a strong wind but in the sheltered areas the Chalkhills were more abundent and some even opened their wings although we searched the top hill looking for Adonis and hoping the SSS were out we saw none until we saw the female which really stood out amongst the others
but it was not to be looks like i'll have to go home with out them once again
I can't grumble, I've seen loads of Butterflies I wouldn't see at home, it's time to go now and look for some Northern species if the weather doesn't get too wet or too hot. Goldie

[Goldie M]

Some shots from Temple Ewell yesterday and then I'm off home tomorrow, Goldie