[rosskesava]

The privet around here is flowering for a second time this year. Odd?

[Dave K]

Forgot to mention that I heard a yellowhammer today for the first time in many years. In that walking area I used to hear them all the time 20 - 30 years ago but they seem to have become very scarce locally, perhaps due to changes in farming practises.

[Halo]

Hundreds of ants took to wing the other day (24 August). Swallows were doing widespread stuka attacks on them. Came across a large swarm of bees over the weekend but they're gone now. Had a close look at them after they had settled when it was quiet and dark. Codlins and Cream, St John's Wort out in flower now. Ragwort well in bloom, and there are hundreds of cinnabar caterpillars, some quite large now, feeding on them. Various thistles are in flower, teasels lower down have colour but the solitary plant here hasn't yet. Privet beginning to open. Soldier beetles are starting to appear. Regular visits by Spikey Harold (the hedgehog) who completely owned the local tough cat by aggressively shoving him off the cat food bowl.

[Ed.]

Funnily enough, a new visitor has appeared here too, also in the shape of a youngish looking hedgehog.. no names as yet given lol but no doubt the current heat has got them searching around more for a nice satisfyingly long drink?

The regular woodpecker visitor had a right dicky fit this morning? squawking aloud like a completely nutter, hopping mad it was! not sure what was bothering it tbh, unless of course a not so friendly feline got a bit too close for comfort.

[Dave K]

Just had a Gatekeeper butterfly in the garden, the pic below is a link not mine. These are quite late to pupate so only seen from July onwards, they have more orange colour on the wings than the similar Meadow Brown.

[Dave K]

I think the swifts have gone, last night there were only 2 or 3 where before we've seen up to 10 and this morning I haven't seen any. Maybe gone to a final refuelling stop before the long journey back to Africa

Only other wildlife of note was a group of Aussie athletes on a training run (their OG athletics squad is preparing here, based at Tonbridge School).

[Bazmundo]

I've started seeing a few V-shape formations of birds in the last couple of days, one of which was low enough to identify as Canada Geese so perhaps the wintering population are on the way in?

Also notable amounts of leaf litter around the kerbs, perhaps because of a few chilly nights recently...

[Dave K]

Definitely no swifts seen here for several days now so they have left, usually happens the end of the first week in August so not notably early. Plenty of house martins still though.

No toadflax in the place where I saw it this time last year yet, and still haven't seen any Rosebay Willow-herb flowering. Non native tree but the Indian Bean tree in the park is the only one with flowers at the moment.

[Bazmundo]

Nice to see an over-abundance of Peacock butterflies here, as they've been somewhat absent earlier in the year and now almost too late for the Buddleia's first flowers. No less than 5 in the garden at any time over the last two days.

[Dave K]

No Peacocks in my garden, just the various whites atm.

Reedmace (or Bulrush if you prefer) seems to be doing well this August. Seen some splendid examples down in the river area.