East Kent in June is a great place to explore if you want to see orchids. This week we went out and managed to see eleven species of them, as well as lots of other interesting things along the way. Park Gate Down is a beautiful reserve and is one of only three sites in the UK where the monkey orchid can be found:

There were many other lovely orchids to be seen there too, such as greater butterfly orchids:

Plenty of lady orchids, with the ladies wearing their spotty dresses and purple bonnets:

And some fly orchids:

We visited Bonsai Bank as well, also famed for its orchids, and in both reserves there were so many that you had to be careful where you trod:

There was a very vibrant display of southern marsh orchids at Restharrow scrape at Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory:

And the weird but wonderful lizard orchids were out by the beach at Sandwich Bay:

As well as the orchids pictured above, we saw common twayblade, common spotted, early purple, broad leaved helleborine and pyramidal – a pleasing haul of eleven species. When we were out and about we spotted this female black-tailed skimmer dragonfly:

A hairy shield bug, which really doesn’t seem hairy enough to have been given that name:

And mating wasp beetles. The male on top is noticeably smaller than the female below him:

We were accompanied on our orchid quest by some visitors, one of whom is very interested in hoverflies. We saw two hoverflies of note to keep him happy – this magnificent hoverfly, Volucella bombylans, is doing a very good job of looking like a buff-tailed bumblebee. The female hoverfly will lay her eggs in a bumblebee nest, which then hatch into larvae that live off the detritus at the bottom of the bee nest:

This second hoverfly is Chrysotoxum bicinctum. This fly is a wasp mimic and it is suggested that its larvae live in ants nests feeding on root aphids that are being farmed by the ants for their honeydew:

We also had a stroll round Deal with our visitors. A grey seal was hauled up on the beach by the pier and was attracting a lot of admirers:

I am very biased but I think that Deal is a most attractive and friendly town. There is a shack at the end of the pier selling coffee and cakes and you can sit and admire the view back:

An interesting time ball tower stands on the seafront. The ball on the tower used to drop every day at 1pm so that, in days past, ships anchored offshore could ensure that their clocks were accurate – essential when navigating by the stars

I have been meaning to take a photo of the fresh fish stall on Deal beach for ages. It was skate Thursday at the time:

A crocheted tank on top of a post box marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day:

Back at the meadows, the neighbouring farmers field is growing wildflowers this year and is looking rather fabulous at the moment:

Our four new chalk banks in the meadows are also doing very well:

We have been spotted them being used by a variety of pollinators:

Now that it is June, it is not getting dark until late and the badgers are having to emerge and go about their business whilst it is still light:

The three cubs, however, are only being allowed out when it is properly dark:

The cubs are very sweet:

Although bullfinch nest in the wood each summer, it is very unusual to see one in the meadows:

The magpies have fledged three chicks who seem to be running their parents ragged:

I like this photo of an adult magpie taking a contemplative moment against a dramatic sky:

Several starling broods have also fledged and already seem to be behaving like rebellious teenagers:

The swifts laid a second egg in the nest box….

…and incubation started on 29th May. Egg incubation is quite boring, both for the bird probably and any human spectator:

Apparently both adults are taking it in turns to sit on the eggs but, at about 9.30pm when the day is just tipping over into complete darkness, the final bird out returns to the box and they both spend the night together:

In the wood, the green woodpecker chicks have hatched:

Sometimes they are already pushing themselves out quite a long way:

And there are at least two chicks:

It was the 80th anniversary of D-Day on Thursday 6th June and we attended a small but very moving gathering down on the beach by Deal Castle:

We sang one of my favourite hymns about those in peril on the sea and the bugler played the last post.

Then a small beacon was lit on the beach:

It was a very simple but poignant tribute to all those who lost their lives that day so that we could live our lives of freedom.