Good news and bad news today!
I was at Rye Street today and saw something I'd never witnessed, well not in such large numbers anyway. About 250 Swallows on a 50 metre stretch of telephone wire. In a classic pose like a musical score. No sooner had I got my camera out when up they went en-masse, climbing higher and higher in a couple of minutes, I imagine looking for a favourable wind to carry them homeward bound, having been, bred and now (sadly, for us at least) on their way back.
I hope they have had a good season as I personally think there haven't been as many of them, or Swifts for that matter in 2017.
If the birds have finished their nuptials, the butterflies haven't! Here is a pair of Holly blues mating.
There doesn't seem to be as many Hoverflies around either, but here are a couple of commoner ones I've caught up with recently.
They both are from the widespread group called Eristalis and I've said before almost without exception (as with most hoverflies), there is no common name, so the 1st one is E. pertinax and the 2nd is E. nemorum.
Butterfly-wise there are still plenty of Gate-keepers, Large, small and Green-veined whites, Small tortoiseshells, Meadow browns, Small heaths and Common blues around, Even the odd Cinnabar caterpillar still on the ragwort.
Bees are still on the flowers and thistles. This is a Common carder bee.
The Garden bumblebee is also commonly found on the reserve.
My thanks to David and Eliza Saunders for the photographs.
The North Kent Marshes are a very special area and worth preserving at all cost.