Just a quick reflection on the excellent turn out and enjoyment of the KQ meeting last Sat 6 Aug 2022. 

About 3 new members appeared (joining approx 17 regulars). 

They must have heard that Dave Needham was leading it.!!   

Dave imparted his knowledge on Butterflies and Damselflys,

John Rodgers provided the expert botany.

Phil Rudkin was busy with locating the Orthoptera species by sound (with the Bat-Detector).  Catching pots were handed to Linda Cark and Luke Nelson, and they strolled through the tall grasses, and caught nymphs of Lesser Marsh Grasshopper, and adult male Meadow Grasshoppers, before releasing them back into the meadow.  However, despite the masses of Roesel’s  Bush Crickets and Long-winged Coneheads heard, they could not find them in the tall grasses of the meadows.  Bad luck folks! 

Luke and Phil heard the call notes of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, and the ‘ticking’ of Blackcap, and raucous calls of Green Woodpecker, in the scrub bank of ‘The Valley’.

The Orthoptera was as expected (except the non appearance of the Dark Bush Crickets).   

Phil was delighted to pick up the stridulating of the Speckled Bush Crickets in the tall trees of ‘The Valley’: which were the first of the season.