Moths, dragons, snakes & frogs

Lade - 0600hrs - warm, overcast, light airs - Weather conditions were perfect for moths overnight, and indeed, at last, there was a respectable catch this morning with 22 species of macros, five NFY (including White Spot) AND, one new for the site, the much heralded migrant, Bordered Straw, two of `em infact.

                                Bordered Straws, Lade

                                     Pebble Prominent, Lade

                                White Ermine, Lade

                                   White Spot, Lade, a Dungeness NNR speciality 

It was an odd day weather wise with the temperatures up and down, but once the guests had departed Mrs PT joined us for a ramble over the local patch, around noon, in warm sunshine and high humidity. The diversity of wildlife on offer within a short walk from the cottage at this time of year is a treat to behold. For starters the flowering plants were at their most spectacular with great splashes of red foxgloves, yellow broom and blue vipers bugloss contrasting with the ground hugging stonecrops, trefoils and vetches. The main track beside south lake was a riot of colour and smells in the still air, particularly one patch of honeysuckle by the aerial.
But on a day like today the ponds were in a league of their own with dragons and damsels everywhere and more specifically, Emperors and Four-spotted Chasers, freshly emerged and all pumped up and ready to hunt, fabulous insects.

                                Four-spotted Chaser, Lade ponds

                               Emperor, Lade ponds

                                Blue-tailed Damselflies, Lade ponds

In amongst the weedy water two Grass Snakes and scores of Marsh Frogs slithered and croaked respectively and the grasses were alive with Small Heaths and Common Blues, a few Silver Y`s and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth on the valerian.

 

                                Grass Snake, Lade ponds

                                          Marsh Frog, Lade ponds

                                          Now, where`s that frog...

All was well with the world in this quiet corner of the Marsh, a very special place, full of wildlife, I love it.

                                       Great Mullein, ponds

                                Honeysuckle, ponds

                                Vipers Bugloss, desert