Lee Hurrell

[Wurzel]

Good luck with getting your pc sorted as I'd love to see the photos that would have accompanied the post

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks Wurzel.

The butterflies weren't stopping for photos today but I do have some of the violets.

Lee

[Lee Hurrell]

Sunday 25th March

The sun took until 1pm to burn through the low cloud today and when it did I tried somewhere else new; Trosley Country Park, just along the north downs from home.

A Comma settled on the front window of the house as we set off.

Trosley is a 170 acre site of woodland and chalk downland, part of which is a SSSI. It used to be part of Trosley Towers estate but is now managed by Kent County Council.

It holds Dark Green Fritillary, Chalkhill Blue, and Skippers both Grizzled and Dingy, so will be well worth a repeat visit or two.

One of the walks from the car park

In the end, today didn't reach the warmth of yesterday and there was a chilly wind blowing on the slopes and we had no sightings.

View along the downs looking east, perhaps showing the cloud that had kept the east of Kent even colder

In a warm sheltered spot though I saw 2 Commas, the only butterflies of the trip.

Like yesterday, violets were everywhere and the views were stunning.

The view from the top of the slopes

A fallen tree in the woods that had kept growing

[Lee Hurrell]

Monday 26th March

My first 2 Holly Blues of the year in Twyford Crescent Gardens, Acton, at lunchtime.

[Lee Hurrell]

Sunday 1st April

A visit to another new site first today - Dene Park, a fairly large Forestry Commission wood about 10 minutes south from me, through Ightham on the A227. It's quite a young wood, having been regenerated after the big storm of 1987. This is somewhere I'll be coming back to later in the year going by the reports. I noticed a lot of sallow and honeysuckle...

One of the rides

Despite it being warm enough for a T-shirt, I didn't see a single butterfly. 4 Orange Underwings and several Chiff Chaffs calling being the only sightings (or hearings) of note.

One of the Orange Underwings

I also got lost, despite following a map (I usually always carry a map, particularly for a new site). Not badly, but I ended up back at the car park when I thought I was still over the other side of the wood! Having not seen anything, I decided to try somewhere else and noticed my first cuckoo flower as I drove out of the car park, a good omen for what was to come.

Back near home, I walked through the small field above the Pilgrim's Way before the expanse of downland. This field has so far produced my first sightings of Peacock, Comma, Brimstone and Small White this year.

Almost immediately my first male Orange Tip of the year flew past me and lifted my spirits. I saw 2 other males, 8 Small Whites and 2 Peacocks here.

Another Small White seen on Pilgrim's Way and then up onto the hills.

I wanted to check where I hope Grizzled Skipper may be found but I didn't see any. I had a good look though and found several expanses of a purple flower I didn't know and some big patches of wild strawberry. I'll keep checking.

Unknown purple flower

Wild Strawberry

The habitat looks good but of course they may not be there.

Grizzled habitat?

4 Small Whites, a pair of Jays and a pair of Mistle Thrushes being the only sightings.

Closer than you usually get to a Mistle Thrush

[Lee Hurrell]

Photos added above

[Wurzel]

Alright Lee - I too haven't had any luck yet with Grizzlies But there should be plenty of time...if we can get the weather
The shot of the Mistle Thrush is great as you can really see the grey splodges that can be used to differentiate from Song.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ChrisC]

purple plantfrom its habit reminds me of ground ivy Lee.
chris

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks Wurzel and Chris.

It's surprising how much bigger of the two the Mistle Thrush is. I saw this one from a distance first and carefully got closer and it wasn't until I checked the photos I was confident what it was, it seemed so large. Also longer and sleeker in appearance.

Chris, I've looked ground ivy up, that's it I think! There were massive patches of it, all close to the ground. Does anything feed on it?

Thanks

Lee

[Lee Hurrell]

Friday 6th April - Part 1

I decided to try a known site for Grizzled Skipper close to home today. I've visited Kemsing Downs many times over the years and know the site well. Growing up not far away in Sevenoaks, I would visit with my uncle when I was younger and saw my first ever Chalk Hill Blues, Brown Argus, Grizzled and Dingy Skippers here, many years ago. Green Hairstreak is also present. In more recent years if I was passing I would stop by for a quick visit.

Part of the North Downs Way runs through the site and The Pilgrim's Way runs below it. It's one of those places with 180 degree views south and so tranquil I sometimes just sit at the top and watch the world go by below me, busy with whatever it is doing while I bask in peace and solitude.

Shore Hill, one of the slopes, is where you can normally see Grizzled Skippers so I walked up to here first. The field directly below had masses of Cowslips just beginning to show.

Shore Hill is the open area top right. The larger field below was full of cowslips. This is taken from Green Hill

Green Hill, just along the downs, is covered with Cowslips to an even greater extent and a couple of years ago I even found red Cowslips. Chalk Hill Blues also fly here.

Green Hill is in the middle distance. This is taken from Shore Hill

Part of the downland is a Nature Reserve. In recent years however, much of the downland has been taken over by scrub and some of the woodland rides had become overgrown, dark and oppressive.

So I was delighted when I found the site much transformed from my last visit, with lots of scrub gone, areas cleared of trees and the woodland paths open, light and sunny. Fences had been installed and some earth moving had gone on.

Then I found out why.

This can only be a good thing and should help the site to prosper and protect the downland butterflies from declining. I will be writing to Kent Wildlife Trust with my approval and support.

The downs and woods were full of bluebells, wood anenomies, celandines, cuckoo flower, primroses and violets.

On Shore Hill itself, there were a few large ant hills at the bottom.

Along with some multi-coloured violets showing both lilac and white.

Not many butterflies were about and I didn't find any Grizzled Skippers, despite a good search. First sighting last year for this site was 11th April and that was an early year, so I will try again in a week or two.

However, I was delighted to see my first 3 Speckled Woods of the year along with 3 male Orange Tips and a buzzard mewing over the hills.

[Lee Hurrell]

Friday 6th April - Part 2

I had intended to visit Trosley Country Park to try for Grizzled Skipper but wanted to get there trying a different route along the Pilgrim's Way. I found a NT place just out of my village called Wrotham Water, which had NT signs but I can't find any reference to it on the NT website. It was picturesque though. A couple of male Orange Tips were nectaring on violets along the lanes.

I parked on a bend and headed towards Trosley, I thought, along the North Downs Way. I was bit short though - after climbing the slopes through Hognore Wood I ended up on the A227 before Trosley and as time was getting on I decided to come back, leaving Griz Skips for another day. Another 4 male Orange Tips were flying about as I drove off and I stopped and got out to watch.

I couldn't resist a quick detour into the small field in the village on the way home. Here were 3 Peacock, 1 Comma and 3 Small White. This field has loads of this flower in it, which is really pretty - any ideas? You can see how dry the ground is...

Unknown Flower

And I was beginning to think I would only be posting landscapes this season.....

Peacock, Wrotham, 06-04-12

[Lee Hurrell]

Sunday 15th April - Nothing Ventured...

I wasn't free until about 3pm today and the sun had been in and out. 8 degrees when in but touching 10 or 11 degrees when out. The strong and chilly breeze nearly made me stay at home but I could see clouds coming over in big bands and I just had to get out for a little while. Plus I knew the south facing slopes of the downs would offer some protection from the NE wind...

I drove to Kemsing and walked up to Shore Hill, where the Cowslips were showing magnificently. No sign of any Grizzled Skippers on the slopes or in the sheltered spots though so I made my way up through the wood just as a light shower started. I sat on a bench surrounded by bluebells and wood anenomies for a while as it passed and set off in search of roosting Orange Tips. I found more Cuckoo Flower than last week but no Orange Tips.

The sun then returned for a longer spell and I returned to the slopes and thoroughly searched but again to no avail.

At nearly 5pm I walked back to the car with no sightings at all. So I took some photos of leaf buds and blossom and set off for home.

With the skies darkening I then saw my first Swallow of the year, heading north

That alone was enough to make it worthwhile. I then returned home to a massive hailstorm.

A few photos to follow.

[Lee Hurrell]

Sunday 15th April - Nothing Ventured...

I wasn't free until about 3pm today and the sun had been in and out. 8 degrees when in but touching 10 or 11 degrees when out. The strong and chilly breeze nearly made me stay at home but I could see clouds coming over in big bands and I just had to get out for a little while. Plus I knew the south facing slopes of the downs would offer some protection from the NE wind...

I drove to Kemsing and walked up to Shore Hill, where the Cowslips were showing magnificently.

Cowslips beneath Shore Hill. Note incoming rain clouds...

A pink primrose

No sign of any Grizzled Skippers on the slopes or in the sheltered spots though so I made my way up through the wood just as a light shower started. I sat on a bench surrounded by bluebells and wood anenomies for a while as it passed and set off in search of roosting Orange Tips. I found more Cuckoo Flower than last week but no Orange Tips.

Bluebells not quite at thier best yet

The sun then returned for a longer spell and I returned to the slopes and thoroughly searched but again to no avail.

At nearly 5pm I walked back to the car with no sightings at all. So I took some photos of leaf buds and blossom and set off for home.

With the skies darkening I then saw my first Swallow of the year, heading north

That alone was enough to make it worthwhile. I then returned home to a massive hailstorm.

[Gibster]

Hi Lee,

so the hail found you too did it?

I'm not sure of the species, but your mystery flower is one of the fumitories. I'm on clay here, so don't get to see too many fumitories hence I'm pretty useless on telling one from the other unless I've a wildflower guide in one hand and I'm laying on my belly with the flower at my nose!

Sure things will pick up again for you soon!

All the very best,

Seth.

[Wurzel]

It's been one of those weekends for me too with no butterflies. Still put the leg work in now and eventually it'll pay off, at least that's what I've always been led to believe

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks for the ID Seth.

Yes the hail was a good one, hadn't seen a storm like that for a while. Next door's cat wasn't too sure though

Maybe next weekend, Wurzel...

Best wishes,

Lee

[Lee Hurrell]

I found a freshly emerged Angles Shades this morning, on the steps up from the platform at Acton Town tube station.

This is a species I normally associate with summer but there are actually 2 broods a year and can be seen during any month, although mainly between May and October.

I rescued it from harm's way and placed it on a tree stump in a green space over the road.

[Lee Hurrell]

Photos from last Sunday added above.

[Lee Hurrell]

Saturday 21st April - Super Skippers

Watching the clouds come and go in the morning while I did some chores, by early afternoon I was itching to get out and during a sunny spell I nipped over to Shore Hill in Kemsing to to see if any Skippers were out.

Just inside the gate at the bottom of the slope, one, then two, then three Dingy Skippers appeared

There were at least 6, and I watched several dogfights as the males spiralled up into the the air and then disappeared. The sun came and went and I scoured the hillside for any more, or any Grizzled Skippers, but with no luck. All the Dingies were to be found at the base of the slope.

I did find this bee - one for Wurzel, perhaps?

And this bee fly resting - I don't think I've ever seen one staying still before.

After about an hour, a few spits of rain and with the sky darkening I decided to go home. However - something remarkable then happened. The clouds blew over, the sun came out and stayed out! I was in the car by this point and back in Wrotham I headed for my local downs to the site where I had hoped Grizzled Skippers may be present.

I added a Small White in the field of plenty on the way along Pilgrim's Way and then up onto the slopes and into the scrub. It was lovely to see such a lengthy sunny spell and the downs looked beautiful as ever.

In a wooded area a Speckled Wood enjoyed the sheltered sunny spots.

I reached the site and had a look round. It still looked like many places I've seen Grizzled Skippers in past and there was even more wild strawberry than last time, and all in flower.

Nothing at first, and then a grey blur caught my eye - could it be...? It was! There were 3 in this one area, all basking in the sun

I counted at least 5 over the site, maybe a couple more. I also saw my first Green Veined White of the year, a male, one other and a Small White.

Grizzled habitat - confirmed!

So I'd done it, I'd found my own Grizzled Skipper colony, not half a mile from my house. This is why I moved back to Kent...

I checked the Kent BC website and none had been reported from Wrotham over the last 10 years.

I can't overstate how happy I was to find them. I've had a truly awful past few weeks and today had put a smile back on my face.

[Vince Massimo]

So I'd done it, I'd found my own Grizzled Skipper colony, not half a mile from my house. This is why I moved back to Kent...
I checked the Kent BC website and none had been reported from Wrotham over the last 10 years.

Excellent
Well done Lee.

Vince