Knole Park

A valley in Knole Park, 22 September 2012

These photos go back to September, when a group from the Orpington Field Club went to look for fungi.  But it's a bad year for fungi - odd, given how wet it has been - and we found hardly any.  But I have just a few photos of what we did see.

Knole Park is a deer park surrounding a 15th century country house.  It is quite spacious, and we only saw the house once as we walked past the back of its formal gardens.   We saw some of the deer:

Fallow Deer, Dama dama.  Knole Park, 22 September 2012.

They didn't let us get very close, but they didn't seem to be too alarmed by our presence.

Most of the time we saw hardly any insect life as well as an absence of fungi.  But the scenery was very enjoyable.  Then as we passed by the back of the gardens, there were a few wildflowers with hoverflies and and butterflies.

Hoverfly, Helophilus pendulus.  Knole Park, 22 September 2012.

I didn't record the flower the hoverfly was on, but it looks like an Autumn Hawkbit. 

Two Small Coppers, Lycaena phlaeas, on Ragwort, Senecio jacobaea.  Knole Park, 22 September 2012.

There's a variety of the Small Copper that has reflective bluish patches towards the base of its hind wings, at the edge of the dark area, and you can just see a slight glitter of such a thing here.  I saw much more of this last year.

Small Copper, Lycaena phlaeas, on Ragwort, Senecio jacobaea.  Knole Park, 22 September 2012.

So we didn't see what we came for, but it was a lovely day for a walk in the park.