Homelands

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut5tmVJGrL4

You might be forgiven in thinking the photo above is a fangled AI abberation, Attack of the Killer Hovers, but no it's the result of a photo bombing by a Wicken hoverfly, caught by some camera flash during a DIY photoshoot, trying to get a image to accompany an article for a forthcoming edition of Birdwatch magazine.

June is a great month to stay close to home, everything is kicking off, the flora in full on lusciousness and invertebrate interest reaching a peak.  Down at the Wildspace the Odonata proliferate and it's surely only a matter of time before we realise that getting "hotspot" status with the British Dragonfly Society might be a really good idea - it's a great place for Dragons and Damsels.  Recent colonists Norfolk Hawker were particular noticeable, nudging their way into the reedside domain of the Scarce Chasers and, just emerging, Ruddy Darters.

Four-spotted Chasers have emerged ditchside, almost everywhere, battling in ferocious dogfights for territory and coupling rights.  

Since my first Marbled Whites in the garden last year they've rallied and in a year where they are in abundance across Ely Wildspace, their presence as a fixture around the house, in the little meadow bordering Stuntney Heights, is an absolute pleasure.  Purple Hairstreaks are around the oaks at the back of the house and White-letter Hairstreaks around the elms at the front.  The garden Clearwings will have to wait for a later post, but there's been plenty enough, including some crazy numbers of the, until recently, nationally extirpated Dusky Clearwing.

SuperFly

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v006qiZYaOE

Around SE Kent in late May and early June there are loads of orchids to be seen.  Between our searches for Beavers and woodland walks at Blean we visited Park Gate Down and Yockletts Bank.  At Yocklett's Bank we walked through the woodland, expectant of finding a good show of Lady Orchids, whether we missed the key area or whether there had been an early bloom that we had missed we are not sure but sadly we didn't find any.  Neither did we find any evidence of blooms that had gone over, although we did find plenty of long finished Common Twayblade.  Redemption from our flawed hunting prowess came when Steve found a couple of tall and beautiful Fly Orchids alongside the path.  Although more frequent, and widely distributed than Lady Orchid, these were the species I was most keen to see, plenty of time was spent at ground level drinking in this subtle and fantastic plant. 

At Park Gate Down we had a similar experience, the chalk grass land flanking the steep valley side was full of orchid spikes, hundreds upon hundreds, of predominantly Chalk Fragrant and Common Spotted (some with lovely, almost white blooms) and a sprinkle of Pyramidal Orchids.  We found what looked like a few Man Orchids that had gone over but to our surprise what we didn't find were any Monkey Orchids remaining, they must have flowered early and fast following the very hot second half of May, or maybe our eyesight just let us down.  We searched hard but it's always good to have a reason to return.

Little Beaver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgjr-heptgM

A good friend of many years, Steve, lives on a canal boat most frequently moored along the Grand Union Canal near Rickmansworth.  Canal boats and Beavers seem to go well together and for several years Steve has been asking about how he might get to see a Eurasian Beaver, in the UK.  He'd looked into several options but with a bit of research we settled on a joint trip to Canterbury where amidst a thriving population along the River Stour there are some that can be readily seen, with a little patience, within the town centre.  Having walked the length of the suitable bits of riverside, to familiarise ourselves with where we might look, we headed off for a meal and returned at the favourable hour, 7.30pm early evening.  Just after 8 we saw someone with their phone pointed at the water, a Beaver had just passed them so we went up on the bridge a little way along and were treated to seeing a large adult Beaver swim up river and directly beneath us, easily seen through the crystal clear water.  Here's a little compilation of all Steve's phone footage plus some from the fella who first got us on to the magnificent rodent.

The next day we spent much of our time in Blean Woods and on the chalk downs looking for orchids, but returned in the evening to enjoy more, and closer views of the Beavers.  Fantastic and charismatic mammals, their presence was evident in the many gnawed trunks and branches along the riverside.  

We also saw lots of evidence of Beavers over at Stodmarsh, where a morning walk was full of Hobbies, Cuckoo's and Bitterns.  It was a little overcast and breezy but I was surprised at the lack of Odonata on the wing.  Freshly emerged Black-tailed Skimmer and Norfolk Hawker were static amongst the vegetation.

Paint A Lady

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPDzk2jNRSc

Returning to the flatlands an early morning message told of a Golden Oriole singing at Chippenham Fen.  It's a long time since I've seen or heard an Oriole in the Ely10 and the days of heading out on farm tracks across the Fen between Shippea Hill and Lakenheath with oriole song drifting from the Poplar stands and plantations are a fading memory of the late 20th Century, much is the pity.  Although the oriole remained silent (and also the following morning) there were plenty of wonderful distractions, Large Red Damselflies were bouncing from stem to stem and a recently emerged Scarlet Tiger unfurled slowly low down amidst the grasses.  When I got back to the car my windscreen was ornately adorned with an arrangement of phragmites, whether an art project or some kind of protest, I mourned the waste of chlorophyll - some people.

The damselflies, some nice Hairy Dragonflies at Chippenham and the continuing push of Painted Ladies through the fine weather and southerly airflow, whetted my appetite for the afternoon.  With still and balmy conditions I put the Tab lure out and took a walk around the reservoir loop on the edge of the village at Ben's Yard.  I was hoping a Lesser Emperor or 2 may have emerged over the past week, unfortunately none were winging but there was plenty of other Odonata - lots of Common Blue Damselflies in heart shaped copullation, Scarce and Four-spotted Chasers were evident, Black-tailed Skimmers along the path side, a few Blue Emperors and best of all a Norfolk Hawker, my first around the village.  

As I walked the banks 3 Cuckoo's were battling it out and vocal while streams of Painted Ladies were stopping briefly before heading purposefully northwards.  Common Blues and Small Heaths were bustling around the patches of shorter grass and I glimpsed a few Darters, although none stayed for long enough for a good look.  I am still to find a Red-veined Darter in the local area, yet the are sure to be present somewhere, it can only be a matter of time before I discover one at Ben's Yard.  When I got home there were a couple of Dusky Clearwings attracted to the Tab pherenome - glad they are still present in the area, it's hard to believe it's only a couple of years since they were re-discovered locally, after a centuries absence from the UK.  One of the Duskies made an early bid for freedom and flew a bit around the kitchen before finding the open door.  I swapped out the lure to try for Orange-tailed Clearwing and within a few hours it had done the job and a single Clearwing confirmed a continuing presence of this species in the area.

The Fool(s) On The Hill

https://youtu.be/KUMxQUbWoo4?si=CWyhG9sJHGUCKm0W

A very happy birthday to a dear companion, Rich Baines.  He turned the big Six Oh earlier in the month.  An Ely contingent headed to the North York Moors to join the celebrations.  We stayed in the picture perfect hamlet of Hawnby on the edge of the Moors where we were indulged in great food, company and lodgings at The Owl.  The morning after the night before, fuelled on a full english, we headed out in a convoy to a lovely stretch of woodland where both Redstart and Pied Flycatcher sang.  The Yorkie contingent had to split early but Ben, Rich and I continued on to drink in the wonderful Firetails and Flycatchers (including a very confiding Spotted)  on further territories.  

The sky was leaden and threatened thunder, lightning and downpours throughout and when the rain did start falling we headed back towards Hawnby Hill.  On the moorland edge we got out of the car to be greeted by a skittering of light across the clouds and an almighty crack of thunder that took not only Rich and I by surprise, but half a dozen Curlew and some Lapwing too.  The waders took to low, slow flight over the moor as their nerves settled, and we took to the car as a deluge ensued.

The storm passed quickly and as we rounded the base of Hawnby Hill the sun broke the clouds and suddenly conditions appeared good to go hunting for butterflies.  Serenaded by Tree Pipits we found a handful of feisty Duke of Burgundy and a couple of Dingy Skippers, and the rate of Painted Ladies passing by became notable.  This continued through to the weekend where indications were that an early Painted Lady summer was upon us.

Our mid-week sojourn to the Moors was wonderful, big thanks to Jo and Rich for organising and inviting us, and to Rich for sharing his lovely pics.