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 Friday 16th July

I've been away for a few days this week and didn't get back until wednesday evening. Before I went I heard the news that the famous White-tailed Plover had pitched up at Dungeness after it's grand tour of England and Wales. This bird has had a habit of turning up somewhere, staying a couple of days at most and then moving on, so I thought my chances of seeing it at Dungeness when I got back were slim. I was wrong.

There was still a strong wind blowing when I arrived at the ARC car park which was to wear me down by the end of the day. I quickly walked along to the viewing screen with everything crossed but my legs, hoping that it hadn't moved on since the latest report from yesterday afternoon. Of course it hadn't and I soon located it in the distance hunkering down from the wind behind the Purple Loosestrife growing on a slender gravel island. Too far to see much detail but I had at least seen it. My plan was to return after a circuit of the main reserve when I was sure it would be closer and would no doubt be up for a photograph. It's on it's holidays after all.

I'd like to say the birds were on the wing, but that's absurd because the wings are on the bird! (anon). Sorry, couldn't help a small (mis)quote. Anyway they weren't and who could blame them with that horrid wind. I tried to take a few bird shots but they didn't come out too well. The Great Crested Grebe below was helpful though and seemed to be enjoying the waves.

GREAT CRESTED GREBE

So again I've had to resort to other winged creatures and if you've had your fill of butterflies I suggest you look away now!

SMALL COPPER

RED ADMIRAL

GATEKEEPER

By the time I reached Christmas Dell birds noted included Oystercatchers, lots of small groups of Linnets flying past, given away by their twittering flight call, four Little Egrets, Pied Wagtails working harder than usual to catch their prey in the wind and a single Kestrel still hovering effortlessly. As I came out of the hide I saw a family group of three Sedge Warblers, an adult and two youngsters in the Gorse to the right, but the only Hirundines seen were Sand Martins which were pretty abundant all over the site today. A little further on I found this striking damselfly resting on the brambles. In my previous post I said that i'd learnt a lesson with green damselflies but I guess it's back to the drawing board.........any ideas?

Thanks to Greenie for confirming ID as Emerald Damselfly. Click on the link to visit his blog.

EMERALD DAMSELFLY

On the way to Denge marsh hide I looked up and was pleased to see a Hobby above me. It didn't stay long but it was good to see another one here as the last two visits drew a blank on this species. Once inside the hide I soon added Common Tern, adults and fledglings. A few Pochard and the usual Geese species also made the list as did a dozen or so Swifts. But star billings had to go to a Purple Heron and a Great White Egret, both seen over and into the reed beds on the far side of the lake.

The dragonflies pictured below are I believe Ruddy Darters, they were sheltering from the wind on the lee side of the brambles along with some other small darters which were a lighter colour and were probably immature specimens or females.

RUDDY DARTER

RUDDY DARTER

I've posted the picture of the Burnet below because this one does seem to be a six spotter, unlike the other ones i've snapped which all appeared to be five spotters. This was the only one of these I saw today.

SIX SPOT BURNET

Peacocks seem to be back on the wing again and this one below was as fresh as a daisy. The colours, which shone in the warm sunshine were absolutely spectacular.

PEACOCK

Still on the subject of butterflies, here's a picture of a couple of Meadow Browns enjoying a little Al Fresco session in the warm sun sheltered from the wind and prying eyes, well apart from mine of course.

MEADOW BROWNS

So, Dungeness produced the goods again for me. Only a somewhat measly 39 species of birds recorded today but that includes White-tailed Plover, Purple Heron and Great White Egret. Faaaantastic! By the way when I got back to the ARC viewpoint the WT Plover was still in exactly the same spot as it was first thing. It obviously doesn't like the wind and neither do I.

And finally.......... This young Moorhen below was mopping up the spillages under the feeders in the visitor centre car park. Bird brain he ain't.

MOORHEN

Dungeness RSPB Tuesday 6th July

I've confessed before about having a weakness for Dungeness. Not just the RSPB reserve but for all things Dungeness. The fishing boats drawn up on the shingle, the old huts and chalets, some of which are converted old railway carriages. The mix of dilapidated outbuildings and newer wooden bungalows, some selling fishing tackle and bait wrapped in newspaper, and others displaying paintings and selling home made arts and crafts from ramshackle outbuildings. The gardens full of weird and wonderful creations made from flotsam and jetson and shells that forever wash up on the pebbles following the Channel storms. I like the old lighthouse whose light would cut through the mist and whose fog horn used to boom eerily like a giant Bittern when I used to fish there through the night on occasions in my youth. And I even like the nuclear power station whose outfall of warm water just off the shoreline which we called 'the boil' attracts the fish who in turn attract the sea birds who in turn attract the birdwatchers.

Dungeness RSPB is where I headed today, once again drawn like a magnet. I soon stopped to watch a couple of Reed Warblers in the reed bed who seemed to be in nest building or repairing mode I think. Or maybe they're building an extension ready for a second brood.

REED WARBLER

While I stood and watched I noticed the Little Egret below working it's way towards me. Stopping occasionally for a lightning stab into the water catching the small fish that were basking in the shallows. I do love their yellow feet, it's like they've stood in the paint pot.

LITTLE EGRET

The early sunshine bought out a few butterflies. I saw my first Painted Lady of the year and also my first two Small Coppers pictured below.

SMALL COPPER

SMALL COPPER

Further along the track I found this fledgling Reed Bunting. It's the first i've seen as young as this but there's no mistaking it. He looks just like his Mum!

JUVENILE REED BUNTING

The Dungeness freshwater fish species this week is a Rudd. A very nice fish which has a flattish head and slightly protruding lower lip which enables it to feed off the surface, sometimes being caught by fly fishermen using dry flies. They don't usually grow much above a couple of pounds., especially given that these shoal fish are preyed upon by Grebes, Egrets and Herons and Terns. Pike and Perch are also very partial.

RUDD

GREY HERON

At the moment every Heron that moves comes under close scrutiny to make sure it isn't one of a certain Purple pair that are currently hogging the limelight. Even the reception of a long flight by a Bittern across the front of Denge Marsh hide hardly caused a ripple while I was in there this afternoon. Most people were much more interested in a fleeting, long distance glimpse of the Purple Heron which lasted two seconds and started the usual was it or wasn't it debate.

No prizes for guessing what's on the menu for the Reed Bunting below's youngsters. I can just hear them now saying 'not green caterpillars again'!

REED BUNTING

WHITETHROAT

As I walked back towards the visitor centre I stopped and listened to quite a loud high pitched buzzing. At first I couldn't tell where it was coming from but then I glanced down and noticed lots of little bees buzzing around my feet. I think they are miner bees because they were going in and out of and digging small burrows in the soil. The picture below shows one doing just that. It seems to have blue eyes but I can find no reference to that characteristic. I will try to ID them and add it to the post later.
Mamy thanks to Rob at Wight Rambles for IDing this Bee for me. Click on the link to visit his blog.

ANTHOPHORA BIMACULATA

And finally.............I saw four Common Lizards on site today. The first three I couldn't photograph because they were too quick and the fourth one I couldn't photograph because it was being carried off by one of the resident Kestrels near the entrance to the reserve. I'm pretty sure it was immediately fed to one of the fledged Kestrels which were sitting on the farmhouse chimney top. Now, what were their names again????