A few bits and pieces locally .Found 4 Willow Emerald Damsels ,the first along the byway+ another odd male,and an in-cop pair.Numerous Red Bartsia Bees around, and on the rapidly drying pond a European Paper Wasp,later,again on the byway a smart resting Southern Hawker (1 of 2) #insects#dragonflies

Striped Hawkmoth enjoying the Petunias in my dad's East Kent garden yesterday evening.

Along the Sea wall and at #SouthswaleNR we found eight Clouded Yellows flying ,at least two females looking high and low with little success for viable Birds foot Trefoil to lay eggs on,many Small Whites and single Small Copper and Wall Brown. Best find a Dune Villa (fly-Villa Modesta ) #insects

A couple of surprises today at a local site,good to see three Clouded Yellows inc; a "Helice" female,+8 Painted Ladies.And on the rapidly drying pond,and laying some distance from the waters edge a busy female Scarce Emerald Damsel.Disturbed a large #cricket ,a male Sickle-Bearing Bush Cricket.

#Dragonfly ponds at #SandwichBay res; are very low,although looking better than my local ponds .Found several Scarce Blue Tailed Damsels and two very smart Southern Migrant Hawkers amongst others +1 Clouded Yellow. A surprise visitor in the garden, Banded or Beautiful Dems? @marcheath.bsky.social

Local"Dragonfly ponds" are disappearing fast ! that said,still a few Damselflies to be found inc; in-cop Small Red-eyes,Common Emerald and a single brief visit from a female Scarce Emerald.A male Clouded Yellow found some shade.Also found a number of Lesser Skullcap plants. #dragonflies#wildflowers

Found an unusual "pavement weed" earlier beside a parking bay in Folkestone central harbour ,from a distance I thought Ragwort ,but on close approach it appears to be Corn Marigold......or at least a Marigold sp; but not Pot Marigold.....any thoughts please? #wildflowers#KentBSBI#plants

We are saddened to learn of the passing of the inspiring and brilliant Naturalist and Conservationist Bill Oddie. We've not only lost a wonderful Ornithologist but also a writer, showman, comedian and genuine Goodie.. ..Thank you for inspiring us Bill 💚 #billoddie

Found a female Scarce Emerald Damselfly locally ,it'll hopefully find the male that was seen a few days ago,also present several Ruddy Darters and at least two Southern Hawkers and two male Southern Migrants....never tire of seeing these beauties ! @marcheath.bsky.social @shadoxhurstman.bsky.social

Along the beach at #Reculver and not far from the sea wall we noticed a sitting (and slightly agitated) Ringed Plover after a while she shifted position revealing a tiny newly hatched chick.Also seen three Clouded Yellows,3 Sitachroa Palealis(moths),and a day feeding Bordered Straw #moth. #insects

Earlier at #Reculver we came across an odd looking , large very mottled #Grasshopper I grabbed two quick shots, my son then found another "Dad this grasshoppers got Blue wings" which we saw displayed twice .When I got home and checking my two earlier shots..Bingo ! Blue-winged Grasshopper. #insects

Around the cornfield edges on chalk at #St.Margarets, keeping my eyes peeled for the scarce #arableplant Venus-looking glass,kept company by at least four widely scattered "singing"Quail.No luck with that #plant, but did find others inc; Dwarf Spurge,Narrow fruited Cornsalad,Dense fl;Fumitory.

Apart from numerous Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns ,there were very few #butterflies on the wing along the fields + footpaths at Bockhill #St.Margarets earlier. One or two Common Blues,first Chalkhill Blue ,a few Marbled Whites,Wall Brown and Small Blues.Best a fresh female Common Blue (AB;Semiclara)

A walk around the #OareMarshes res;,excellent views of the Bonapartes Gull ,back for his 15th year on the estuary mud......superb Gull this one !.Along the back ditches at least three Southern Migrant Hawkers zooming about.And a first for me the very peculiar Saltmarsh Plume #mothsmatter#Moths#Birds

A few bits and pieces from my local (ish) patch .A warn male Small Copper with a mint female. A lone male White-legged Damselfly,one of four female Wasp Spiders ,one of at least three Hummingbird hawks on Betony +an in-cop fly (sp;) yet to ID. #Insects #butterflies @shadoxhurstman.bsky.social

Came across an in-cop pair of Ruddy Darters.After a few minutes they moved on,skittering through the low herbage,the male clipped an unseen Spiders web and was pounced on by a huge fem; Wasp Spider,and both were enveloped in seconds...the poor female started to release her eggs.."Nature in the raw"

A walk around #Dungeness RSPB;first thing numerous Swallows,House and Sand Martins.2 Barnacle geese from Dengemarsh hide +a Cuckoo.Highlight a Lesser Emperor.Later along the canal back dyke,at least 4 male S Mig Hawkers (Blue-eyed)+2 Norfolk Hawkers(Green-eyed) 1st Willow Em; @marcheath.bsky.social

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