Kent Field Club

@kentfieldclub

Kent Field Club, founded in 1955, aims to study, record, and deepen the understanding and appreciation of the natural history of Kent, UK. Find more, see our publications, and/or join us here

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Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· 1d

Our Saturday meeting ought to have been destroyed by drought, but instead the 4ha Forge Field site (part of Leeds Castle Estate) kept 6 naturalists busy for 4 hours, turning up a range of interesting insects and plants. There's so little acid grassland left in Kent, & it needs more love! #KentNature

A glass tube holds a jewel-wasp with metallic red and green colouring. Hedychrum rutilans. Photo by Julia Chandler.

A stout, almost hairless bee, with black-and-white markings. Epeolus variegatus. Photo by Julia Chandler.

A largely grey fly, seen from the side. Its abdomen, to the right, has pale grey patches against black. The eyes, to the left, are narrowly banded. Stomorhina lunata. Photo by Richard Moyse.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· 2d

We thought the acid grassland at Forge Field nr Leeds Castle would be shrivelled-up for our field meeting yesterday. Well, it was dry but very far from lifeless, with Harebell, Tormentil, insects inc. Liorhyssus hyalinus (pictured), Pantaloon Bee, Red-banded Sand-wasp, & much more. #KentNature

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· 15d

Dry, hot and sunny for our meeting at @kentwildlife.bsky.social's new Ironhurst Valley Nature Reserve last Saturday. The reserve straddles the boundary between Watsonian West Kent and East Sussex, marked in places just by a small ditch and crossed by a tiny bridge.

A cattle pasture looking dry and brown under blue skies. A line of trees marks the course of the River Teise. A small group of people stand in the distance to the left of the image.

A forever arable field, with trees yo the left and in the background. A group of people, some sitting and some standing.

Rough, marshy grassland was dry underfoot, but remained green.

A small wooden bridge, witha handrail on the near side, across a small ditch. The path which crosses the ditch disappears into some trees.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· 20d

Highlight of our field meeting last weekend near Deal - this nymph of the shieldbug Arma custos, swept by Laurence Clemons. A species found new to the UK in 2024 by Simon Warry, and this nymph confirms that it's now breeding here. #UKBugs #Shieldbugs @britishbugs.bsky.social @rockwolf74.bsky.social

A shieldbug nymph, facing to the right, on a leaf. It is with marked with dark patches and fine, dark dots against a pale brown background, and has black-edged white spots around the edge of its abdomen. Photo by Simon Warry.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Jul 13

Last Saturday, we were in the Low Weald, in meadows & wet woodland being managed with conservation in mind. Common insects included the tortoise beetle Cassida vibex, while wet woodland held big stands of Yellow Loosestrife & the scarce Yellow-loosestrife Bee Macropis europaea. #KentNature #Bees

A field of tall grasses, with trees to the right. A number of people are in the field. The person nearest, to the right of the image, holds an insect net.

In the bottom of a glass tube is a green beetle with a broad, dark brown stripe running lengthways along line where its elytra meet. It is shaped roughly like a tortoise's shell. Photo by Julia Chandler.

A mass of plants with yellow flowers, in front of a background of darker trees.

A bee in a glass tube. It is seen from the side, and its body is almost entirely black, except for the front of its head (to the left) which is yellow. It has raised one of its hind legs, showing that the femur and tibia are both swollen in shape.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Jun 15

On Saturday, we visited The Downs, Herne Bay, a section of regraded and stabilized clay sea-cliff. Hog's Fennel and Shrubby Sea-blite were botanical highlights, while invertebrates included Long-horned Bee Eucera longicornis, and Brown-banded Carder Bee Bombus humilis. #KentNature

A scattered group of naturalists on a grassy slope, under a blue sky. They all have heads down.

A large, bushy plant of Hog's Fennel, with two people behind, and blue sea and skyin the background.

A bush of Shrubby Sea-blite, with rocks behind, under a blue sky.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Jun 11

The Kent Wildlife Conference is always busy, engaging, exciting - and this year's (on Sat 24 October) will be no different. Subjects include Nightingales, GCNs & Francis Rose's 'lost' Flora of Kent. You really don't want to miss out. Really. Full details & booking here: tinyurl.com/WildConf2026

A speaker addresses the audience at last year's Kent Wildlife Conference.

Lunch at last year's Kent Wildlife Conference, with delegates networking.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Jun 7

If you've enjoyed our book about Ranscombe Farm, and want to see the place & the plants face-to-face (or if you haven't got the book, but would like a copy at the bargain price of £9), then why not join the free guided walk with the author on Weds 10 June? Details & booking here tinyurl.com/yc7rtpmn

Cover of a book showing a field of poppies. The title reads, " Ranscombe - stories from a nature reserve and what they say about plants, conservation and us".

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· May 20

As it's World Bee Day, you might like to know that Geoff Allen's excellent book on the Bees, Wasps & Ants of Kent is still available from our website www.kentfieldclub.org.uk/bees-wasps-a.... #bees #hymenoptera

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· May 18

It's not every day you get to record in the grounds of a real castle! Yesterday, we were at Allington Castle nr Maidstone finding some interesting plants & invertebrates. Names in alt text. #KentNature

Clockwise from top left: Crosswort Cruciata laevipes; Wood Club-rush Scirpus sylvaticus; the pale form of Bush-vetch Vicia sepium; Hemlock Water-dropwort Oenanthe croccata, in front of the castle; Man Orchid Orchis anthropophora; Sweet-flag Acorus calamus.

Clockwise from top left: Denticulate Leatherbug Coriomeris denticulatus; 18-spot Ladybird Myrrha octodecimguttata; Cassida vibex, a tortoise beetle; Bishop's-mitre shieldbug Aelia acuminata; Chaetorellia jaceae, a picture-winged fly; Stag Beetle Lucanus cervus; Striped Thistle Longhorn Beetle Agapanthia cardui; Spotted March Ladybird Coccidula scutellata.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· May 3

Yesterday's field meeting on the Leeds Castle estate was very productive. Lots of stuff to sort out still, but species recorded on the day included Early & Changing Forget-me-nots, Sandrunner shieldbug, Grizzled Skipper, various Orthoptera, Viviparous Lizard, and more. #KentNature

A view of a deep, sandy depression, with small figures standing in it.

A Grizzled Skipper, brown with square, white speckled, on a buttercup flower.

Tiny blue flowers of Early Forget-me-not in the foreground, with mixed open vegetation behind.

A Common Groundhopper sits on a dead leaf, and is similar in colour to some of the background vegetation.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Apr 19

A beautiful day yesterday for our field meeting at Parsonage Wood in the Kent #HighWeald, a SSSI & @kentwildlife.bsky.social reserve. Amongst other species recorded (inc. important bryophtes) were Hay-scented Buckler-fern & Thin-spiked Wood-sedge, shown here, & Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. #KentNature

A group of Kent Field Club members, plus some guests, having lunch in the woodland.

A deep ghyll cut by a stream in Parsonage Wood.

Hay-scented Buckler-fern, one of the important species of ghyll woodland in the High Weald.

Thin-spiked Wood-sedge forms a tuftof green leaves on the woodland floor.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Apr 12

The steep, steep-sided ghyll woodland of the High Weald are unique features formed by water acting on interbedded soft clays & hard sandstones. Damp, humid conditions support species mainly associated with western Britain, including the moss Dichodontium pellucidum & Hay-scented Buckler-fern ...

A view down into a steep-sided, wooded valley, with a meandering stream in the bottom, and a small figure walking near the stream.

A woodland stream which has formed a steep-sided gully. The bed of the stream consists of horizontal beds of hard stone that has been exposed by the action of the running water.

A carpet of tiny stems of the moss Dichodontium pellucidum on a piece of sandstone.

Hay-scented Buckler-fern growing on a steep, stream-side bank.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Mar 15

A brilliant AGM this afternoon in Lenham. We heard about reptile monitoring in The Blean, survey of Local Wildlife Sites (we'll be visiting several this year), and work on a new shieldbug atlas for Kent (which we'll be publishing). #naturalhistory #KentNature

Mike Phillips speaking on reptile survey in The Blean. The slide shows an artificial refugium on vegetation.

Dave Shenton talking on surveying Local Wildlife Sites.

Glen Powell speaking on work towards a new Shieldbug and Leatherbug Atlas.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Mar 8

Fancy joining us for a great year of biological recording? You can see the programme here www.kentfieldclub.org.uk/programme/up... and join Kent Field Club here www.kentfieldclub.org.uk/membership. Members are entitled to attend all field meetings, and get our full-colour journal, Kent Naturalist.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Mar 8

We've just sent out this year's field meetings programme to our members - map shows places we will visit from Apr 2026 to Jan 2027. Includes urban & rural, new rewilding sites & existing @kentwildlife.bsky.social reserves; a new NNR & several potential new LWSs. #KentNature

A map of Watsonian Kent. Black dots mark tetrads where Kent Field Club will be holding meetings in 2026.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Feb 23

The latest edition of our journal has arrived from the printer! #KentNature #naturalhistory

A stack of cardboard boxes. One has been opened to show it contains copies of the Kent Naturalist journal. A small stack of copies of the journal, which have a photograph of an adder on the cover, has been placed on the top of one of the boxes.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Jan 4

We organised 3 New Year Plant Hunts over the last few days, in Ashford, in Whitstable & nr Dover. Scores 21, 20 and 35 plants in flower, respectively. Some highlights (pictured here) were Barren Strawberry, Butcher's-broom, Hazel & Small Nettle. @bsbibotany.bsky.social #NewYearPlantHunt #KentNature

Barren Strawberry - grey-green leaves, similar in shape to strawberry leaves, with one small, white-petalled flower.

Butcher's-broom - dark-green, leaf-like, flattened stems, each pointed at the tip, are arranged alternately along branches. One bears a small flower with three pale petals and three pale sepals.

A Hazel twig bears a bud on the underside. Projecting from the tip of the bud are the inconspicuous, red-coloured parts of the female flower.

Small Nettle - glossy, dark-green leaves, between which the clusters of flowers can just be made out.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Dec 6

Kent Field Club's Ian Tittley speaking on kelp decline at yesterday's excellent East Kent Conservation Research Symposium at the University of Kent. #EastKent #KentWildlife #algae #seaweed #kelp

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Nov 28

A special online event 7 – 8:30pm on 4th December will take a journey thru Bumblebee Cons Trust projects in SE England: Buzzing in the East End; Kent Plan Bee; Short-haired Bumblebee project & Bee Connected; Moss Carder Project; & a peek at upcoming projects! On zoom: us02web.zoom.us/j/8656875046...

Short-haired Bumblebee on White Dead-nettle

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Nov 23

Some #fungi from the recent Kent Field Club meeting at Kilndown Park, near Scotney in the High Weald National Landscape. Names & credits in alt text. English names from the excellent list on the @britmycolsoc.org.uk website - Umbilicate Hedgehog both descriptive and euphonious. #KentNature

Arrhenia rickenii (Moss Navel), photographed by Mario Tortelli.

Gliophorus irrigatus (Honey Waxcap), photographed by Bob Harrop.

Hygrocybe reidii (Honey Waxcap), photographed by David Newman.

Hydnum umbilicatum (Umbilicate Hedgehog), photographed by Bob Harrop.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Oct 25

Rounding off our conference - the wonderful @trevorthebotanist.bsky.social on urban flora - the subject of his latest book. #KentNature #urbanflora #urbanplants #botany @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Trevor Dines with a slide on the urban heat island effect, featuring Avocado a Passionflower.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Oct 25

Now into our afternoon session at the Kent Wildlife Conference. Alan Frith & Karen Thorpe of Maidstone BC on urban Maidstone's stunning Mote Park; and Ben Morris of @beavertrust.bsky.social on Kent's wild beavers, both urban & rural. #KentNature #Maidstone #MotePark #beavers

Alan Frith and Karen Thorpe talking on Mote Park in Maidstone. The slide shows some of the habitats in this large, diverse, urban park.

Ben Morris with a slide on challenges posed by Canterbury s town-centre beavers

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Oct 25

2nd session of the Kent Wildlife Conference, covering the coast and sea. Tony Child of Thanet Coast Project covered monitoring & management of the very urban Thanet seashore. Emma & Jon from Cement Fields spoke on an innovative project for people and marine wildlife. #KentNature #marine #intertidal

Tony Child of Thanet Coast Project shows a chart of incidents reported by volunteer coastal wardens.

Jon and Emma from Cement Fields. The slide shows their environmentally-friendly copies of dumped tyres that form mini-rockpools in the intertidal.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Oct 25

Brilliant first session at today's Kent Wildlife Conference, with @ianbeavis.bsky.social talking Tunbridge Wells' urban hymenoptera, Scarlett Weston of @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social on urban bumblebees, and EA's Josh Hammond on citizen science in water quality monitoring in Kent. #KentNature

Ian Beavis speaking to a packed room at the conference.

Scarlett speaking about the Buzzing in the East End project. The slide is headed 'Community and Collaboration'.

Josh Hammond speaking on river monitoring by citizen scientists. The slide shows a graph and is headed 'Building Environmental Trends'

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Oct 22

Some photos, courtesy of Alfie Gay, from a recent Kent Field Club meeting. 109 species of fungi recorded, including Cortinarius terpsichores, which has just 7 records on the NBN atlas. We are very lucky to have Cortinarius expert Mario Tortelli as a Field Club member! #KentNature #Fungi

Kent Field Club's members and fellow mycologists (plus dog) in autumn woodland on the field meeting.

Cortinarius terpsichores. Expanded purple cap seen from above on the right. A less mature specimen seen from the side on the left of the image.

Red caps of Russula rubra, seen from above. To the left, a detached cap is seen from beneath.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Oct 13

Last chance to book for the Kent Wildlife Conference on 25 October. tinyurl.com/kentwildconf

Poster reading:
Kent Wildlife Conference 2025 - Citizen Science and Urban Biodiversity

Saturday 25th October, 10am to 4pm

Darwin Conference Suite, Darwin College, University of Kent

Ten Speakers
Buffet lunch
Refreshments

All for just £22 per person or £15 for students

For full details and to book, go to https://tinyurl.com/kentwildconf

Organised by Kent Field Club - the Natural History Society of Kent and
Kent & Medway Biological Records Centre

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Sep 28

Courtesy of @kentwildlife.bsky.social, we were able to visit the shingle spit & saltmarsh at Castle Foote on the N Kent coast today. Highlights included the scarce Small Cord-grass Spartina maritime, & four Glasswort species. #saltmarsh @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Spartan maritima - smaller and more slender than Spartina anglica.

Portraits of four Glassworts. Left: Salicornia europaea. Top centre: Salicornia fragilis. Bottom centre: Salicornia dolichostachya. Right: Salicornia ramosissima.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Sep 14

A great morning on today's field meeting at Grain Coastal Park. Dwarf Eelgrass was a highlight of the intertidal. Sea-slaters Ligia oceanica & the shell of a Sea-potato (the sea urchin Echinocardium cordatum) were among other records. #KentNature #marinelife #intertidal #seagrass

Three people on a muddy shoreline. The middle person is bending over to examine something near his feet.

Fine green stems and leaves of Dwarf Eelgrass.

A woodlouse-like Sea-slater amongst pebbles and seashells.

The white, heart-shaped shell of a sea urchin, held in a hand.

Kent Field Club@kentfieldclub· Sep 9

Last weekend's field meeting was at No Man's Orchard (chartham-pc.gov.uk/no-mans-orch...), a community orchard near Canterbury. Lots of Common Darter dragonflies, and other insects including a Vernal Shieldbug. Plus excellent apple cake, courtesy of one of the orchard volunteer managers! #kentnature