New Hythe Lakes Friday 30th July ( Part 1)

I only had a short time this morning due to picking friends up from Gatwick early this afternoon, so I decided to just spend some time around the Sunken Marsh and Brooklands lake. With birding being so quiet I decided to concentrate on what was lurking in the undergrowth instead of what was hiding in the trees.
Unfortunately the first picture is a UFO, not a good start I know. I also know it looks like a bumblebee but, it didn't fly like one and I didn't think it's eyes looked like one either. So could it be a hoverfly species? Any help would bee appreciated!

As I was hovering around and scratching my head over this I suddenly saw a movement out of the corner of my eye and was surprised to see this young Reed Warbler sitting on a reed stem completely unconcerned by my presence. I watched it for ages, hardly daring to move and then Mum turned up and junior got a nice juicy fly for lunch. I saw him being fed about half a dozen times while I stood there but the parent bird never gave me the opportunity to make it a star unfortunately. I did manage to get a few shots of junior though, I can't believe how obliging he was.

So much for a non birding post then.

There were a few butterflies around but nothing that I haven't featured often enough recently. But I did like the look of this Speckled Wood, especially against the lovely green background so I decided to make an exception and include it in the line up.

SPECKLED WOOD

In the SW corner of Brooklands Lake there's a large pile of chipped bark and I always check it out to see if anything is basking on it as it's always in full sun. While I was doing this I noticed something moving below it's surface, it looked as if it had a beating heart. I thought, that's odd, and took a few steps back, not because I was frightened you understand, but because I thought watever it was I wanted to be able to take it's picture when it broke through into the sunlight. Thank goodness for zoom lenses. Anyway it didn't show itself and it moved a couple of feet along the side of the pile but stayed just below the surface. I don't know what it was but it must have been really hot in there. I'll return to this soon and try to find out what it was.

Close by I found this Black-tailed Skimmer also basking in the heat of the sun and another one on the lakeside clinging to a reed stem. There were also some Emperor dragonflies and a couple of Brown Hawkers in the vicinity but as usual they wouldn't settle.

BLACK-TAILED SKIMMER

BLACK-TAILED SKIMMER

And finally......................

The only other dragonfly that I saw and managed to record was this Ruddy Darter and the ruddy thing had me darting around in the heat for about ten minutes before I was able bag it. I always wondered why they call them darters!

RUDDY DARTER

Dungeness RSPB Reserve 24th June

Carol and I visited Dungeness RSPB today, apart from anything else I was keen to catch up with the Purple Herons, whether I did or not is a moot point.

The first bird to be seen was this juvenile Kestrel posing at his front door doing an impression of a rather sinister Cuckoo Clock.

KESTREL

As we drove along the access track towards the visitor centre we added Pied Wagtail, Green Woodpecker, one of many Hobby's and a Marsh Harrier which floated effortlessly as it hunted on the warm breeze.

VIPER'S BUGLOSS

The first thing that struck us as we left the visitor centre was the Viper's Bugloss that currently adorns the whole site with it's spikes of bright blue flowers.

Some birds soon noted included Linnets with the male birds looking superb in their crimson livery and Oystercatchers over flying us, piping excitedly into the distance. Here also we watched four Little Egrets fly sedately by looking even whiter against the blue sky and Reed Buntings still seemed to occupy every other bush, taking advantage of the best perches to sing their unremarkable song.

FIVE SPOT BURNET

CATERPILLAR OF THE LACKEY MOTH

I spotted the caterpillar above on a bramble leaf, I couldn't miss it really with colours that bright. It's the caterpillar of The Lackey moth and so will soon turn into a rather drab brownish moth that flies during July and August. I think I like the caterpillar phase best! Also close by was the Five Spot Burnet, a day flying moth pictured below.

A quick look from Christmas Dell hide, (I feel I can use the Christmas word now seeing as the longest day is behind us) revealed little apart from Tufties a few sleeping Pochards and a flock of Lapwings put up by something probably imaginary, they always seem to be the first to panic.

GRASS SNAKE

Turning left at Denge marsh hide I soon spotted this Grass snake patrolling the margins of the lake. I got as close as I could for a picture but he soon spotted me and glided quickly and quietly into the reeds.

It was here that I thought I saw the Purple Heron in the distance but it was such a fleeting glimpse that I can't be sure. I did however spot Dennis and Doreen walking along the track so now we had four pairs of eyes to search for a better view of it.

There still didn't seem to be too many dragonflies about and the only one I managed to picture (again) was this Black Tailed Skimmer which I think had just emerged as it's wings still had that tell tale sheen to them and probably that's why I was able to get close to it.

BLACK TAILED SKIMMER

From Denge marsh hide we had further distant views of Herons which may or may not have been the quarry, the opinion of the watchers in the hide was split I think. Our attention was grabbed here by the Common Tern family on the raft, Mum, Dad and two chicks which were sheltering from predators under a piece of plastic tubing. Earlier we had watched in amazement as the parent birds chased off a huge Great Black Backed Gull. It was like David and Goliath and the outcome was one nil to the Terns thankfully.

Lunchtime entertainment near the viewing mound came in the shape of a couple of Hobby's, a superb male Marsh Harrier, a Stoat running back and forth the path and the booming of a Bittern in the reeds nearby. It certainly beats watching the football.

The final track back towards the car park revealed a Cuckoo, small parties of Swifts and Sand Martins and a moment of excitement when a Grey Heron flew directly over our heads......................or was it the Purple one?!

GT CRESTED GREBE

Christchurch, New Hythe and a poke in the eye with a sharp stick!

After a great weekend in Dorset I got home monday evening suitably exhausted and slightly sunburnt after three long days by the River Avon and three long evenings in the Fisherman's Haunt Inn. Well somebody's got to do it!
Today Carol and I had a nice walk around New Hythe lakes in the sunshine and then in the afternoon I was up a tree in the back garden doing my lumberjack impression when I managed to poke myself in the eye with a sharp stick, not recommended! The reason i'm telling you that is to explain the lack of text in this post it's a bit of a struggle using one eye, so apologies and I hope you like some of the pics. Up to the Banded Demoiselle are from Dorset and the rest are from New Hythe.

SMALL TORTOISESHELL



COMMON TERN


AND AGAIN

AND AGAIN

SEDGE WARBLER

BANDED DEMOISELLE

MEADOW BROWN

CINNABAR MOTH

COOT AND MUM

BLACK TAILED SKIMMER

AND AGAIN

BRIMSTONE