Expectations were,nt high today visiting a local site for Violet Helleborines .Last season I found around a dozen stems with just one and a bit scrawny flower spikes.So I was amazed to find 25 spikes in good flower,remarkable having been so dry. #plants #wildflowers @ukorchids.bsky.social

A pleasant stroll around #Whitstable earlier, some football themed Street art by the excellent #Catman ,at Whitstable castle gardens noticed quite a few four-leaved Allseed plants in the pavement cracks,many more along the High street a former scarcity ,also in a high castle arch a large Wasp nest

Think I left it a bit late this year to visit a local Deptford Pink site ,still one or two with a bit of flower ,something I haven,t seen before though ,Deptford Pinks in White. @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Wildflowers

Surprised to see a Bright red Geranium,growing along the cliff base at #SamphireHoe earlier ,also found an unusual Euphrasia (Eyebright)SP;possibly Western Eyebright, we were also kept company with a very vocal juvenile Peregrine +1 adult. @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Wildflowers@Kentfieldclub

At a warm but pleasantly breezy #SamphireHoe several brightly coloured Rose Chafer Beetles around and two male Red-Veined Darter(Dragonfly)along the concrete walkway.+ a few Common and Small Blues,Painted Ladies,Dingy Skippers and Wall Browns #Dragonflies

Along the local canal ,good to see some Frogbit in flower and with it Arrowhead just coming into flower .......don,t know how the present angling club have the gall to charge to fish this particular stretch ! From the #Dengemarsh gullies the Sea Heath is in very fine flower ! #wildflowers

#Dungeness Small Copper second brood more or less at peak now ,never found any particularly unusual ones in this brood ,and probably fewer Coppers around than last seasons 2nd brood ,its very dry ......that said still plenty of viable foodplant around. #butterflies #insects

Seeing Painted Ladies just about everywhere at present with many females ovipositing on at least 2 species of Thistle and (a first for me) on Common Fleabane,in the past i,ve seen them lay on Vipers Bugloss and Com;Mallow.Numbers look likely to rise even further shortly !

Odonata bits and pieces .From along the local canal an in-cop pair of Small Red eyed Damsels (one of several),a Ruddy Darter close by.One of several Red-Veined Darters from #dungeness inc;an in-cop pair.A surprise Beautiful Demoiselle from Orlestone, also seen 2 Less; Emperors from RSPB #Dungeness

Two smart looking insects ,the bug is a Streaked plant bug (Miris Striatus) from my local site ,and from #Dungeness this morning a White Striped Darwin Wasp( Ichneumon Sarcitorius) a first for me . #insects #bugs @ianbeavis.bsky.social

Two Teneral Dragons today from #Dungeness ......both threw me a bit at first I think the Emperor (Imperator) is just that ,but was thrown by the Bright Blue saddle .The other a female Migrant Hawker(Mixta) ,certainly my earliest. @marcheath.bsky.social

Three Purple Emperors earlier in the local forest ,at least one of the two perched I believe was an Empress( flashed open her wings several times in the fading sun....no Purple )also taking sap at least 5 Red Admirals .Also found a smart,boldly marked female Green Veined White.

Visited Scotney castle gardens today,there were many #Dragonflies on the castle lake ,best being several Beautiful Demoiselles ,single Norfolk Hawker and Southern Migrant Hawker ,also 4-Spotted Chasers,Black tailed Skimmer,BB Chaser, Southern Hawker ,Brown Hawker,Ruddy Darter @marcheath.bsky.social

This afternoon at a local reserve....pleased to see a fantastic display of wildflowers, although the Dyers Green weed is now passed its peak it has been followed by masses of Betony. High numbers of Meadow Browns,Small Skippers +Silver-washed Frits, Gatekeepers,P;Ladies etc but oddly no Common Blues

A few pics from #Ryeharbour yesterday morning ,the Sea Lavender is particularly bright this year ,a few years back an Oystercatcher nested smack in the middle . Along the beach section found one small(ish) patch of the scarce Sea Pea ,which i,ve also seen #Dungeness #wildflowers

A few bits from yesterday in the local forest ,there were many Painted Ladies flying inc; at least two laying females .Finally managed a pic,of an Orlestone Norfolk Hawker.The moth is(I think !) Acrobasis Tumidana .And a Purple Emperor (1 today) high in an Oak tree on sap. #dragonflies #butterflies

Found two Purple Emperors today locally ,both trying to keep out of the direct sun .The first which landed on an Oak trunk was immediately hassled by a Hornet ,so it moved "next door" and was again pursued by a Hornet...it had enough ! and disappeared. The 2nd high up on a Sap run.Also a resting LT.

Its figured in Russwurm and in Frohawks "varieties" he figures a similar insect as "Inornata"

My Clearwing traps been out most days during this hot,sunny spell and i've managed 5 species in the garden and another close by .Been finding that some lures are attracting the "wrong" species ,Orange-tails and Red-belteds have been particularly common.I caught the Red-Tipped with a Dusky lure !

If you were at the very top end of the gravelled ride (assuming you were in Longrope) where Purple Emps ground. If you walk into the area where the trees have been cleared and a very wide ride has been formed ,theres a large Oak with Sap runs . Had two on there fri +Sat last ,and two by the pond.

Heres a couple of pictures for #PollinatorPals for #Wildflowerhour A Wasp at a Fly Orchid ,and a group of maybe Digger Wasps probably scrapping over a female at a Heath Spotted Orchid ,although not strictly pollinating....i,m sure a few pollinia were dislodged !

What I was really hoping for in the pheremone trap this morning was a Yellow-Legged Clearwing ,but no luck .So tried at a friends reserve close to home ,with better luck ! had two Yellow-Legs and a single Orange-Tail.

Put the Pheremone trap up early morning with the Yellow-leg/Orange-tail lure on board ,didn,t expect too much for the first couple of hours ,but in less than an hour and a half caught 24 Orange -tails ! all safely released (including the individual with his legs in the air !) and no Yellow -legged.

Been finding a Large Tortoiseshell most visits to the local forest ,of the five sections visited (so far !)1 per visit ,seems that the Spring overwintered insects had a good breeding season.....making the most of them before they retire for the winter. #butterflies #insects #wildlife

The small inland colony of Sea Storksbill ,still manages to cling on although fewer plants this year. #wildflowers #botany

A few other bits and pieces from #dungeness ,a very dark Norfolk Hawker...doing its best to hide. One of 17 Small Coppers.....and the first time that i,ve spotted one of the "local" Terrapins.Also seen numerous Small Skippers and a few Meadow Browns and Small Heaths ,2 Marb, Whites ,5 Painted Ladies

Pleased to find a fresh Large Tortoiseshell at Dungeness earlier......it was a very obliging individual !

Its a similar story with the local Common Spotted Orchids as well .In a large open meadow which usually has around 3-400 Orchids on show,this year and I suppose its down to the very dry conditions only about 30-40. @ukorchids.bsky.social

The local Heath Spotted Orchids are fewer than last season and seem to have disappeared from some areas but have done reasonably well in others.......heres a few @ukorchids.bsky.social

The local Bee Orchids have had a poor season .At one site in 24' counted around 125+,tall, many flowered plants.In 25'down to around a dozen .In 26' they,ve rallied ,and I found around 50......but very stunted ! The pale ones have disappeared under scrub ! the other a Var;Cambrensis. @ukorchids