Saturday 8 June 2013

Still feeling a bit stunned by the destruction of one of the paddocks by Hadlow College, (over at Migrant Alley), to make room for a football pitch, I decided to have a break from my morning patch visit, instead making an afternoon foray out over to the Scrubby Woods and Lake area, via the Small Holding.

I left at around 13:00hrs, just as the sun was breaking through the stubborn cloud that had plagued the morning, that and the wind made it feel quite raw early in the day. As I crossed the Small Holding, I heard, then found, my first fledgling GREAT TITS of the year, these are much later than last the first sighting of this species for the last two years, in 2011 they were first seen on 19th May, last year it was the 24th May. Carrying on through the Wet Woods, another Great Tit family was seen high up in the canopy, and a family of GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS were calling loudly from their nest hole, it wont be long before they fledge.

Over at the Lakes, 17 CANADA GEESE were loafing around on the water, nothing else but the COOT family were seen there though. In the adjacent Scrubby Woods, I was back on the trail of the Hairy Dragonfly, and although I did unwittingly flush it up, it flew off strongly and I still didn't get my photo  :-(

I checked up on the JAY nest I found the other day, the adult was sitting tightly on the eggs, I then began searching for more recently fledged young, no new ones were found, but my second family of LONG TAILED TITS were located. I was also on the lookout for butterflies, but very few are around, just a few 'Whites' and Speckled Woods. Odonata species were more forthcoming, with the likes of White-legged, Large Red, Common Blue, and Azure damsels, as well as the first Beautiful demoiselle to be found in the scrubby woods this year, a freshly emerged Emperor Dragonfly was a nice find, even though it had a mal-formed hind wing on the left side and a broken hind wing on the right.
Emperor Dragonfly
Emperor Dragonfly, I spent 20minutes getting these shots, the wind was a real pain!!
Emperor Dragonfly, looks like it hasn't been emerged for long, a female I think ?
Immature White-legged Damselfly
Slightly more advanced White-legged Damselfly
This White-legged Damsel looks to be an almost mature male  :-)
 These were on the wing today in the Scrubby Woods, Cinnabar moth

11 comments:

Marc Heath said...
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Warren Baker said...
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Greenie said...

Warren ,
Your Emperor is very interesting .
A female , as you correctly stated , but I wouldn't have said newly emerged . However , it has certainly been through the mill . Both hindwings are damaged in about the same place and the left forewing , looking at your shot , is damaged beyond the pterostigma , the small coloured patch on the leading edge of the forewing . Can only think that it has attempted a gap that wasn't wide enough , or chain link fencing , unlikely damaged in mating .
All that apart , your moth is a Cinnabar , from the yellow/black caterpillars on Ragwort .

Warren Baker said...

Thanks Greenie,
The left hindwing was actually folded over on itself and stuck down.

I thought the moth was a cinnabar, LoL

eileeninmd said...

Wow, amazing critters and photos!

Stewart said...

I'm sorry to see your patch getting some stick there Warren. This country is knackered now, no one really gives a damn what happens to the countryside. They will when its too late thats for sure...

Warren Baker said...

Stewart,
You're not wrong mate, and Kent will be the first to go down the pan :-( I'm looking to get out now, might have to go back to work for a while to afford a move though!

Noushka said...

Magnificent!
I bet you were thrilled with the shots of the Emperor Dragonfly.
Yes it is an adult female, probably resting or hiding from males!!
The Cinnabar moth is absolutely gorgeous too, one I have never seem.
Cheers, enjoy your Sunday!

Jason K said...

Stunning Emperor Warren! not seen one yet this year mate

ShySongbird said...

Superb photos Warren. The Emperor certainly does look in a sorry state.

Warren Baker said...

Thanks Noushka :-) Just visited your blog and seen your brilliant photography :-)