Summer Jumpers

In celebration of Kent winning the Twenty Twenty Cup I thought a picture of a cricket would mark their achievement.

This is a Speckled Bush-cricket, Leptophyes punctatissima. It is a follower of cultivation, often colonising gardens and parks. It is widespread in Europe and it eats the leaves of roses, raspberries as well as clover and dandelions. It does make a buzzing sound, but it is quiet and only audible from about 50 cm.

The Field Grasshopper, Chlorthippus brunneus, is common in the southern half of the UK, and is an inhabitant of dry grassland. It's song is the "ssst" sound so familiar in suitable habitats. When one male starts a second one joins in and produces an 'alternation' song. It is of course produce mechanically, by rubbing a ridge on a leg against a wing case.

Other Wildlife. After a series of phone calls and text messages I managed a brief view of a Black Kite as it flew north-west from the village at 10.45 a.m. Unfortunately I was in the Droveway, near Bockhill Farm, and I was told it had been quite close to my house. Had I stayed there I might have got a photo, but now through the camera it was a mere dot. It was obvious, while scanning the sky, that there was a movement of Common Swifts. I noticed about 20 Swallows sitting around on wires at East Langdon, when I was looking for the Kite. It seems as if some of our migratory birds have had enough of our summer and are preparing to leave.

The Natural History Museum has a site for British Butterflies called "The Cockayne Collection". There's a picture of a Chalkhill Blue similar to the female I photographed yesterday, it's called, ab. semisyngrapha.