Summer Doldrums

June can be a pretty quiet month for birds, spring migration is generally over but by mid-month the first trickle of 'autumn' migrants start to appear, most likely failed breeders. So if the weather is suitable then I usually turn my attention to insects. However, this year spring migration carried on well into June and for much of the month it was cold and overcast, definitely not good for insect watching.

On June 7th, I made my way deep into South London for my annual trip to Hutchinsons Bank and the only time each year I actually use the tram. I was hoping that the Black-veined Whites that were released last year would be flying but we didn't see any despite earlier reports. There were plenty of other butterflies flying in the sunny weather, the highlight being Glanville Fritillary.

female Brimstone

Dingy Skipper

Glanville Fritillary

Holly Blue

Small Blue

We saw very few moths compared to previous visits and only a few other insects but there were Bee and Common Spotted Orchids in flower.

Two-banded Wasp Hoverfly

Common Spotted Orchid

The following day I received a text from John Archer who had found a flock of Sanderlings and Ringed Plovers at Barking Riverside. I left home immediately and soon found the flock which now numbered 16 birds. Unfortunately it was low tide so they were a long way off so I only managed to get a poor record shot.

Sanderlings & Ringed Plovers

The following day I received a message saying a probable Red-backed Shrike had just been found at Dagenham Chase. While I was getting ready to go out and look for it another message alerted me to a Purple Heron at Rainham Marshes! I wasn't sure which one to go for but when I walked out of the house I turned right so realised I was heading to Rainham. I got a train to Purfleet pretty quickly and hurried onto the reserve. I stopped to talk to the finders to get news of where it was - it had come down near Aveley Pools so it was just a question of waiting for it to come up again.

I tried a couple of spots and after a long wait I picked it up flying towards the pools near Butts hide where it went down into cover again. It was my first Purple Heron at Rainham and possibly the first ever record as the only previous record is considered a bit dodgy. I was also pleased I'd made the right choice as the shrike wasn't seen again at The Chase.

The rest of the month was spent visiting my local patches and recording butterflies and dragonflies. I also found a few firsts - Bee Orchid at Beam Parklands and Pyramidal Orchid & Marbled White at Dagenham Chase.

Pyramidal Orchid, Dagenham Chase

Black-tailed Skimmer, Beam Parklands

Essex Skippers, Beam Parklands

Marbled White, Beam Parklands

Marbled White is probably new for Beam Parklands as well as this site hasn't really been well recorded before. It appears that Marbled Whites are now colonising the suburbs of East London in the same way they did in NW London. All of my local patches have suitable areas of rough grassland so I'll keep looking out for them.

On one day I recorded nine species of dragonfly at Dagenham Chase, mostly on Fels Field which has a couple of really good ponds for Odonata. The best for me was Four-spotted Chaser as I never saw these in NW London.

Banded Demoiselle

Black-tailed Skimmer

Broad-bodied Chaser

Four-spotted Chaser

I even found time for a couple of visits to Ingrebourne Valley which I didn't have time to visit in spring.

Female Banded Demoiselle, Ingrebourne Valley

male Banded Demoiselle, Ingrebourne Valley

Comma, Ingrebourne Valley

female Emperor Dragonfly, Ingrebourne Valley

Willow Emerald Damselfly, Ingrebourne Valley

I also managed a couple of dragonflies in my garden for the first time, although I clearly missed one egg-laying last year.

my garden pond

Blue-tailed Damselfly

Common Darter, recently emerged...

...from this exuvia which I found a few days later

Bird photos

It was a quiet month for bird photos. I decided not to count the rubbish photo of Sanderling (see earlier) so the only new species I photo'd in June was Great Egret at Rainham. I also upgraded one thanks to a rather tame Jackdaw which I've met a couple of times. With half the year gone I've photographed 115 birds in London. It will be pretty difficult to get another 35 but will see how it goes.

3 Great Egrets & a Grey Heron, Rainham Marshes

Great Egret, Rainham Marshes

Jackdaw, Beam Parklands (upgrade)