NORTH DOWNS & BEYOND

The Grey-backed Mining Bee ( Andrena vaga ) is one of the non-avian flagship species at Dungeness. It can be found in plenty at this time of year at its colony, at the top of a sand bank (below), outside of Dennis's Hide on the RSPB reserve. The staff are very proud of the bees presence, and even advertise the site with a small wooden sign that alerts birdwatchers, most of who would more than likely walk past the insects on entering the hide. Although specimens and photographs had been taken here in 2009, it was not until 2014 that they were identified and the insect seen again in 2015. This is a rare insect that is known from very few sites indeed. To finish off this protracted round-up of my Dungeness stay, a special plant - the rosette of the only Early Spider's Orchid to be found on the shingle.

The final day of my current stay at Dungeness dawned clear and cold, was then followed by a sea fret that rolled in, which finally gave way to sunny and warm conditions. The birds decided to stay away so it was up to the invertebrates to take centre stage. LARGE TORTOISESHELL. The butterfly that was seen last Sunday, and again on Tuesday, appeared before Dave Brown and I early this afternoon, in the same place as Owen saw it three days ago. I had spent several hours searching for the insect this week and has assumed that today's weather would provide my best chance of seeing it. Rising up close by, taking off from lightly vegetated shingle, it flew towards us and, thankfully, banked as it glided past, providing good views, before being lost in flight. Over the next couple of hours in which it was unsuccessfully searched for, by-product reward came in the form of single HUMMINGBIRD HAWK-MOTH and LIGHT ORANGE UNDERWING. Before I left for home in the late afternoon I went onto t...

I've just come back from a few days at Dungeness, my first visit since the lengthy late-autumn sojourn. A cool airstream that emanated from colder places to the north and west of the UK are not conducive to Mediterranean over-shoots, but a few migrants did brave the conditions. As ever, the reserve's resident flagship species were readily on view.  Highlights were Black-necked Grebe, Great White Egret, Bittern, Tundra Bean Goose, Whimbrel, Iceland Gull, Little Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Black Tern, Ring Ouzel, Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Bearded Tit and Raven. Still on the subject of 'flying things', I was keen to catch up with the very rare and localised Grey-backed Mining Bee ( Andrena vaga ). Since 2010 it has become established in Hampshire and Kent, with a colony being discovered on the RSPB reserve at Dungeness by David Walker.  For some reason (bad timing, woeful neglect) I had failed to see them - until now. My first two visits of this trip to the colony...