Goldie M

[David M]

Shame about the weather, Goldie (and the roadworks).

Keep persevering. Like Gary Player once said: "The more I practice, the luckier I get"

[Allan.W.]

Eyes Peeled Goldie !
Cloudies now turning up in various parts of Kent . 1or2 in Orlestone (Faggs wood ) up to 10 reported from New Downs ,Sandwich bay and also on isle of Grain and Oare Marshes ( I think ?) ..................your best bet ,the lower path ,below the sea wall heading towards Birchington at Reculver ..........that said ,good chance they,ll be found anywhere suitable along the coast ..............try Seasalter . or Tankerton slopes .
Allan.W.

[Allan.W.]

just read Davids (M) comment on his page regarding Brown Hairstreaks in Kent .There are a few spots in the far NW Kent around the Bromley area and more are being reported and they do seem to be spreading out eastwards .A bit difficult to pinpoint these spots at present but things definately seem "on the up "in Kent.
Allan.W.
Ps ; regarding Cloudies see Testudo mans report on "Sightings"

[Goldie M]

Thanks for your post Wurzel, David and Allan, I did got to Seasalter today and the only things flying were the Whites and Small Heath, I did see one Meadow Brown it looked to be on it's last flight poor thing but it wasn't in too bad a condition, also there was a couple of Common Blue which like the others were a bit worn, no sign there of any CY's , I'll try Reculver tomorrow all being well hope fully the road I usually go on will be open, there's a school on that road so hope fully the road will be open now.

That's good news Allan about the Brown Hair Streaks , hope fully I'll see one yet
I may try Tankerton slopes, where I live on the hill above the slopes for the CY ,I should be able to take my time and look there, the slopes run from Herne Bay to Tankerton, we had the dogs there yesterday swimming it was 7pm though

I keep hoping they'll come up my hill no sign of them yet.

My Sweet Peas have settled in ,maybe next year I'll see Butterflies on them Goldie

I forgot got to mention the Dragon Fly I found in the Garden any body know it's name?

[Allan.W.]

Keep going Goldie !..................I reckon you,ll crack it soon with a Cloudie or two ...............you,re in a Good area !
Your Dragonfly is a male Migrant Hawker .
Allan.W.

[Goldie M]

Thanks for the name Allan I was lucky with him he settled right in front of me.

Instead of going to Reculver I thought I'd try the slopes first, I'd a lovely walk because it was early but only the Whites were flying,

I'd a good chat to different people about their gardens has I passed them, I even got flower head seeds from some of them Next year I must do the slopes again, having said that I may go back because I found a lovely bunch of wild Sweet Peas growing along the sea edge, you never know I might get lucky if the weather stays like this, I must try Reculver next but the vegetation isn't too great there. Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cracking shot of the Hawker Goldie they can be tricky little bu££ers, almost always on the move Good luck with Cloudy and checking the Pea plants

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

...I may try Tankerton slopes, where I live on the hill above the slopes for the CY ,I should be able to take my time and look there, the slopes run from Herne Bay to Tankerton..

Just to let you know, Goldie, that we've been getting increasing numbers of Clouded Yellows in south Wales these last few days so I'm sure they'll be around on the Kent coastline with these south easterlies we've been having lately.

Nice dragonfly by the way.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel and David, I've been hiding from the Sun these last few days I'd to watch the heat having had a couple of Ops for you know what!!! luckily they weren't the serious kind, but I was told to stay out of Sun if the Sun was powerful, wouldn't you know it would be in September any way as soon as it gets cooler I'll be out and about again hope fully the CY will still be around.

I've taken a few shots in the garden of the usual species I've had a straw hat on and arms covered up my neighbours must think I'm potty Better to be safe then sorry Goldie

[Katrina]

You have certainly got a good selection of butterflies in your garden. I like your last Holly Blue shot!

[Goldie M]

Thank's Katrina, the Holly Blue have been here every day it seems I'll certainly miss them when the weather changes, I seem to have lots of Ivy in the Garden, i've had it trimmed but the Butterflies seem attracted to it, Whites , Gate Keepers , etc, so I'll keep it but trim it. Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cracking shot of the Small White Goldie - they're so easy to bleach out
"hope fully the CY will still be around." they seem to have arrived/emerged a bit later this year (at least this is what everyone I've spoken to seems to reckon )so you should be good for a while yet

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Nice Holly Blue, Goldie, and that Gatekeeper looks in good nick for September!

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel and David,
Well! I went to Seasalter today and as you can see by the Photo, not a flower in sight or a Butterfly they'd cut the verges , there was nothing for it but to turn around and try some where else, I thought I'd try Castle Park it's on the sea front, loads of Whites but that's all.

I don't think Wurzel i'll be seeing any CY's this year, I will try Reculver though before I give up, I 've seen more Butterflies in my garden up to now

That's what I thought David when it landed on the Daisy I couldn't wait to get a shot in talking about the garden I got another surprise three Peacocks were on the Butterfly bush after breakfast this morning.

I saw the Peacocks arrive but I was putting stuff in the car to go to Seasalter so I hurriedly got the camera out and took a couple of shots thinking they'll be gone when I get back, when I did get back home they were still on the the bush and to my amazement they looked quite fresh, so although disappointed by my exploits they brightened my day Goldie

[essexbuzzard]

Hi Goldie,

Like you, I’m still seeing a few Peacocks, although most were tucked up in hibernation by mid August.

Don’t give up on Clouded Yellow just yet! I don’t know if you will get another chance to visit the Lydden Temple Ewell reserve, but there is masses of flowering devils-bit scabious there at the moment. This attracts the odd CY in September or October in most years.

As it happens, I haven’t seen one this year yet, either!

[Goldie M]

Thanks for that info essex, I thought TE would be a bit like Seasalter after going to SS yesterday If there's still flowers at TE it might be worth a look.

I don't know how much the weather this year and last year affected the Butterflies but I'm sure it did a round Kent, I was busy last year moving house but still did far better with my Butterfly count last year than this year. Goldie

[Wurzel]

Lovely Peacocks Goldie but that photo of Seasalter
Don't give up on the Cloudies just yet though - a visit to the coastcould still throw one or two up. I tried Church Ope, Portland the other weekend and there were a couple but today I read of there being 7-9 including a 'Helice' form. I think they just got a little delayed this year or last year they turned up early

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, Peacocks in the Garden again this morning Yesterday I went to Reculver, I thought I'd give it a try before the weather changed again, there was loads of Peacocks there and Red Admirals , the edges there had flowering Ivy and the place was buzzing with Bees and these two species of Butterfly , a few Whites but once again the grass was cut, it was quite high in the field next to the lane but the flowers were long gone I did take a photo of what was the entrance to a Roman fort which is being repaired for posterity , it should look good when finished .

I walked along the sea front hoping to see some thing Yellow after that but nothing was flying so I went back home and the Peacocks and Admirals were there to greet me. Goldie

[David M]

...I don't think...i'll be seeing any CY's this year, I will try Reculver though before I give up..

Don't give up on them, Goldie. They'll fly through the autumn until it gets really cold. I saw one in mid-November last year!

[Wurzel]

The Cloudies are arriving so keep trying Goldie That Roman Fort looks like it'll be a cracking sight once it's restored They certainly seem to get things done round that way, over here they're painfully slow, I mean they've been building Stonehenge for over 3000 years and they still haven't finished it

Have a goodun

Wurzel