Goldie M

[David M]

Seems to be plenty going on down your way, Goldie. I'm keeping my fingers (and toes) crossed for your Grizzlie hunt.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel I missed your post, I don't know how
My ear infection is still a bit of a pest but far better than it was, I'm off to have my ears checked out again this afternoon so hope fully good news.

Hi! David, I'm seeing plenty of Butterflies but just not the ones I want to see right now I seem to be wasting my time visiting Hospitals at present

I went back to the Castle Park in Tankerton for an hour yesterday and came across yet another Holly Blue, I keep hoping for an Orange tip but so far no luck
I also saw this Speckie, which was chasing everything a way , I couldn't resist a shot of it because it's wings just looked like armour.
he was certainly ready to fight. Goldie

[Goldie M]

The Holly Blues were out in force yesterday and today, in the park they choose the Blue Bells, today in the Garden it was a case of hiding from the wind but they did me a favour by opening their wings to get warmed up I also saw a Red Admiral, this one looked quite fresh.

If the Grizzles are definitely flying at Blue Bell Hill it will only take about 35mins on the M2 so I plan to go there when it gets a bit warmer, hope fully they'll still be there Goldie

[SarahM]

I went back to the Castle Park in Tankerton for an hour yesterday and came across yet another Holly Blue, I keep hoping for an Orange tip but so far no luck

I wish I could swap one of 'my' Orange Tips for one of 'your' Holly Blues Goldie

[Allan.W.]

Excellent Holly Blue shots Goldie ! particularly the open wing shot Nice One !!. Dukes are now emerging at Bonsai bank (Denge Wood ) with two seen today, generally the earliest Kent site . There is no easy way to Bonsai bank ,once at the parking area its a straight forward walk to the site ..................its getting to the car parking area thats the problem ,the roads are VERY narrow in all directions .Apparently there is another entrance at Garlinge Green ,but my one attempt at entering from there ended in failure .............nowhere to park .
I would say your best bet ,coming from Canterbury ,head towards Petham and on too Waltham ,at Waltham take a right hand turn at TR 106486 onto
Richdore road and on to Pennypot lane ,parking at TR 007503 ,you should see a sign board just over the gate ,follow the track for roughly a third of a mile ,until you reach an open area ,which is used on open days for dissabled parking ,the track veers up to the right ,follow it for about 4-500 metres and you,ll see a gateway on your left ,follow the path until you find a flat open area ,you,ll probably see where others have been looking .
Good luck! Dingy Skips and Green Hairstreak also present .
Still no sign of any Grizzles locally ,but a few being reported at Dungeness now most days.
Regards Allan.W.

[Wurzel]

No worries Goldie fingers crossed yer lug'oles are all sorted Lovely looking Holly Blue and lovely set of shots of it Goldie

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Love those Holly Blue images, Goldie. Best of luck with the Grizzlies!

[Goldie M]

Hi! SarahM, I wish I could do that, there's so many HB's around here ,in the Garden and at the castle Gardens, I'm surprised really that the Orange Tips aren't here, it's early yet, so hope fully I'll see one.

Hi! Allan, my Daughter offered to take me to Blue Bell Hill yesterday but it was so cold and windy we thought with it being early days we'd wait for a calmer day, I hope they're flying there when I get there because she won't go again if we don't see any ( she's not a Butterfly Nut like me) Maybe the more local ones will have woke up by then
I will try Denge Wood, I know where Pennypot Lane is I've been there before, so if I follow directions from there I should be okay, there may be other people there as well which will help, I'll keep you posted Thanks again for your help it's really appreciated even if I can't follow it right away.

Thanks Wurzel, I'm enjoying it here even if I can't find what I want right a way , my family say I'm here now and plenty of time to find what I want eventually, trouble is I can't wait
My ear is much better now but I kept going dizzy and loosing my balance , it was weird , thank God for the walking stick

Thanks David, I'll try my best to find them if possible

This morning early the Holly Blues were flying again, it's still very windy and I felt sorry for them trying to get on a leaf or branch that wasn't blowing them about.the Sun has started to shine now so I'm off round the garden Goldie

[Wurzel]

"trouble is I can't wait" - I get the feeling of F.O.M.O. (fear of missing out) - over this way we can be anything up to a week and half behind the east of the country so seeing all the shots gives me that same feeling Mind you being 6 weeks behind on my PD doesn't help matters

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, I think because I'm down in the South now I'm expecting too much I have how ever been set back a bit with the Ear infection, hope fully that's nearly gone.

The day before 23rd the HB's were enjoying life even though the breeze was strong, I managed some shots of them.

Yesterday we decided to go to Denge Wood, I was disappointed when I got out of the car to see yet again all the trees cut down all along the entrance path, ( you couldn't call it a path any more) not only that but it must have been done in wet weather by tractor and deep ridges were every where, ( it was more like a building site than a woody area).

"Right" my Daughter said " there's no way you'll be able to manage with the walking stick", she was right of course, I tried but gave up, the ruts were too deep and uneven, I settled for a path to the right which was the opposite direction from where I wanted to go, needless to say I found no Hair Streaks and although I saw OT's wasn't able to get shots, I did however manage shots of a Peacock also a GVW but the Duke's will have to wait I'll settle for the Grizzlies next time.

I have shots of most things now except of course for Butterflies like the Large Tortoiseshell etc, and about five more, all of these are in the South so I'll have to keep looking Goldie

[SarahM]

Hi Goldie,
I'm pleased you've seen your Orange Tips. There is plenty of time for you to get photos & find your other species. Get yourself fully better first.
Take care,
Sarah.

[Allan.W.]

Goldie ,
The entrance path that i told you about at Denge is really quite hard standing ,and pretty wide and there is a signboard (a bit battered !) just over the metal gate/pole ,were you at the right parking area ? there is a proper car park further along tar pot lane that not to many butterfliers use ,you didn,t try to enter from there did you ?
I believe that a couple more Dukes were seen there yesterday ,still no Grizzles showing locally (yet !) but i did see one at Dungeness (along with 100+)
Small Coppers ). Thinking about the Duke site at Denge ........................i do wonder if it may be a long haul and difficult going with a walking stick,
I reckon its getting close to half a mile walk from the parking spot.......................just a thought .
Regards Allan.W.

[Goldie M]

Hi! SarahM , Thank you for your post Sarah, it's not just health it's age as well
I love the Orange Tips ,to me ( same for everyone I suppose) they herald the Spring, trouble is I'm not sure where to find the Garlic flowers here in Kent that they love, I'll keep looking though

Hi! Alan, I went up Flower Pot Lane and saw the gate and the poster, there were two cars parked there, so, I think it was the right place. I'd been there before with my Husband years ago, then ,it was a lovely entrance with lots of Butterflies , I was just taken aback with all the deep ruts, they probably wouldn't have bothered me too much years ago , but time marches on.
I look forward to hearing the Grizzles are out Allan, so please let me know when you see them

Today was cold first thing and quite windy, later when it became warmer I decided to visit Reculver, at first we saw nothing and were deciding on leaving when a couple of whites flew by and following them a Wall they'd disturbed. I must admit I was well chuffed
Trying to get shots was another matter, when this one decided to settle it was always with Wings shut, most of the time in the shadow of some large vegetation below the wall and quite a distance away , I tried my best determined to come a way with at list one decent shot, that's all I got really, one decent shot
The best is though I'm here in Kent to stay ,when the weather gets warmer I'll be able to go back now and get more shots.Goldie

[Allan.W.]

Hello Goldie ,
Yes ,definately the right place ! sounds like they,ve been busy in the wood..............oh well !
You could do worse than go to Samphire Ho ! on the beach section you should get Small Blue ,Green hairstreak (with a little luck !) definately Wall
with a chance of Clouded Yellow ,...........oh and Small Copper .
If the weathers good on Friday ,i,ll give the local Grizzle sites a look late afternoon ,and i,ll let you know . Had a bit of bad news concerning my closest Grizzle site ,it looks as though it is shortly to be built on ,shame really as this site has a small Grizzle colony and a VERY rare cricket and moth
in residence ..................................progress i suppose !
If you want a good Small Blue site ...........let me know.
Regards Allan.W.

[trevor]

Well done with the Wall, Goldie.
They are tricky and very quick. I have taken many shots of what they WERE perched on.
Also like your open wing Holly Blue.

All the best,
Trevor.

[dave brown]

Hi Goldie. I am not sure that you do have the right area at Denge Wood. I was there a couple of weeks ago and the track was not deep rutted then. Of course things could change quickly but the very deep rutted track was the small parking area at the Canterbury end of the wood. The best track to Bonsai Bank is at the Waltham end of the wood, on the same road. Go past the very deep rutted track, past a small farm on your right, past a closed and fenced industrial area on your right, past another car park on your left, past another entrance, finally the road slightly dips with the parking area on your left. Enough room for about 5/6 cars. (If you were to travel on the road for about another 200 metres you exit the wood). As Allan said the problem could be the distance if you need a walking stick as its about half a mile from the parking area. Like I said it was a hard surface a couple of weeks ago although some cutting had taken place. If you wait another week or so the weather should be better and the Dukes in better numbers. There should also be more people about you could give you details of exactly whats flying on the bank. Most people leave it to about mid May when the Lady Orchids will also be out.
If the track turns out to be potted my apologies. Things can change quickly in two/ three weeks, although the weather has been dry.
Dave.

[Wurzel]

Great to see you get the Wall Goldie That's the thing with the first shots - once they're in th bag the pressure's off and so even better shots come more easily I keep reading your diary hoping to see a Grizzlie peeking out at me

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Allan, that sounds really bad, building on a Butterfly site, especially if there's rare species there like a moth etc, pity some one doesn't say some thing about it, I always thought that building like that wasn't allowed where rare species lived.
Dave Brown has just sent me directions for an entrance to Denge Wood that may be worth looking into in another couple of weeks.
It's been too windy for me to go to samphire Oh Allan, we've been blown a way here lately, today it wasn't too bad.

Thanks Trevor, I saw only two Wall's one didn't settle at all, like you say they're tricky, every time I thought I'd got a good shot off it flew again The Holly Blues have been great in the garden I wish the Orange Tips would do the same

Thanks for the directions Dave, you never know in a couple of weeks i may not need the walking stick I was lucky with the Dukes when in the North, only being an hour away from the lakes I was able to get lots of photos so If I don't see them at least i've still got some shots of them, it's always better when there's people looking for them they always show you where they are. I'll write the directions down and see what happens in two weeks time

Hi! Wurzel, Hope fully in the next two weeks I'll see the Grizzly The Wall was very fast , I was very slow Goldie

[David M]

Great that you've seen Wall Browns this early, Goldie. If this settled spell continues I suspect the next couple of weeks should be very productive for you.

[Allan.W.]

Hello Goldie ,
Re; the entrance to Bonsai bank (Denge wood ) just had a look at Daves directions and i reckon that we,re both talking of the same entrance, but Daves coming from the opposite direction ,because the entrance that i,m talking about is also at the Waltham end of Tar pot lane ...............i may have an early morning there tomorrow (for Anania Funebris.............moth ) if i do i,ll take some pics of the parking area .
Allan.W.