September

2006

Still a reasonable number of butterflies on the wing, with small white, comma & red admiral the most numerous in the wood. Brown argus, small copper & common blue can still be seen in more grassy areas. Not a classic year for clouded yellows, but 1-3 mid-month.

The mini-beast safaris at the Wildlife & Country Fair on 4th saw several of the expected wasp spiders caught, together with many of their grasshopper prey.

Large numbers of migrant hawker dragonflies on the wing

Another good month for moths - 1st record of autumnal rustic, 1st & 2nd records of L-album wainscot (Nb) and 1st-3rd records of the delicate. Other notables were the 2nd record of small ranunculus, 3 convolvulus hawk moths, another 3 scarce bordered straws, an un-seasonal Kent black arches (Nb), the "local" scorched carpet & scarce silver lines & further records of migrants like dark sword grass, small mottled willow, rush veneer & rusty-dot pearl.

2005

Brown hares become more obvious as the fields out on the marsh are harvested. They can regularly be seen from either the Marshland or the Ernie Hemsley viewpoints in the early morning or evening. Even at distance, the black ear tips seperate them from rabbits. Badgers are still active, occasionally being seen in broad daylight as they prepare for hibernation. In the wood grey squirrels are also at their most obvious.

Reptiles are also still active - log piles around the Marshland trail can attract basking common lizard and slow worm, while the section of the Heronry trail below the wood is a regular haunt of grass snakes.

The more obvious insect groups usually linger throughout the month, although in most csaes, variety and numbers are much reduced. Dragonflies, for example, are largely reduced to 3 species - common & ruddy darter and migrant hawker; although these species can be present in large numbers on warm days.

Bush-crickets are still very much in evidence, with Roesel's in the grassland areas and dark and speckled in the wood.

Moth trapping was carried out on only 9 nights, but recorded the first emergence of several autumnal species like large wainscot, centre-barred sallow, feathered gothic, lunar underwing, beaded chestnut, black rustic, deep-brown dart, frosted orange and feathered ranunculus. There were 3 new additions to the Reserve list - dusky thorn could be regarded as "overdue", but large ranunculus is a very local species in Kent; and the vestal is a wholly immigrant species.