Spotted in the wood

                     Late May and early June are the best times for anybody interested in nature and this year, maybe because of Lockdown, the world seems even more precious. The hot weather has helped bring the season on and many plants seem to be flowering earlier than usual. Every year we see a few Common Spotted Orchids springing up along the tracks and paths; this year is no different. They seem to like areas where the soil is compacted but are very mysterious plants as we never know where they will appear. This year I have counted 15 flowering "spikes", the flower heads, a few of which are in new areas.
                   One of them has very pale flowers which look rounded and it may be that this plant is a Heath Spotted Orchid, a very closely related species which does cross with the Common to produce hybrids.

Possibly a Heath Spotted Orchid

Common Spotted Orchid flower spikes

                       Most years the wood welcomes at least one Spotted Flycatcher, a summer migrant now sadly very uncommon and this year one has been around since mid May. They are fairly dull looking brown birds with a a thin squeaky call, but they are a real favourite of mine. I admire their lack of showiness and enjoy the challenge of trying to find one catching insects high in our pines with just their quiet call as a guide to where they are.  I am pleased to say my hearing is still good enough to let me do this, even on windy days; many of my 70 years-plus birding pals cannot hear them any longer.

A pair did breed in Crow Wood about 10 years ago but I have not found any evidence of nesting since then. 

The wonderful Spotted Flycatcher, plain but charismatic !

                           Sometimes the wood throws up surprises and this week I spotted an insect there that I have not seen before. It was flitting around a sunny glade and turned out to be the wonderfully named Beautiful Demoiselle, a species of damselfly that is most often found near running water but does like to spend its early life in woodland before heading out to find places to breed. The wing and body colour are the key identification features.

                The other important spot of recent weeks is a Turtle Dove. I have heard one briefly a couple of times and only got very brief views but this week one sat out on a dead tree and  let me get quite close. In my youth I can remember seeing great flocks of these fine birds in fields near Keston but now they are real rarities.  Their numbers have declined by 90% over the last 20 years largely due to changes in agricultural practices but the shooting, which still goes on in Southern Europe, does not help.

                   Two years ago we cleared an area of scrub near the main entrance track and supported by the RSPB, we set up a feeding station using specially selected seed. It is hoped that this supplementary feeding will help sustain any chicks that are hatched. I just hope the one bird I saw was not alone and does find a mate.