RSPB Sandy 12th August

 A curtailed but enjoyable RPSNature outing to Sandy on Wednesday - those booked to come on the outing who lived a long distance away took the advice to postpone to a cooler time so just Chris and I braved the temperatures spending most of our time where we could stand in the shade photographing insects on sunlit plants. We concentrated on the Butterflies and Hummingbird Hawkmoths in the morning. In the afternoon, I hoped to get a range of Bee species on the heather to start to learn IDs for this group of insects but there were very few active in the intense heat so we decided it was wise to also abandon the open spaces and head for home!!

Eclipse 12th August 2026

The last total eclipse visible in the UK was 1999 (and the next with equivalent totality in June 2151!) so yesterday's event was quite significant though not as spectacular as a lot of people who gathered on the highest point in Toft were expecting with the hype from the media. Certainly the light values fell at the time of totality and the colour of the light moved to the bluer end of the spectrum. 

Delights of a Garden Pond

 Having spent the morning clearing brambles etc from the surroundings of my garden wildlife pond, I could sit comfortably in the shade observing the comings and goings in the afternoon. A species of wasp not recorded this year arrived first, Dolichivespula media, the Median wasp only arrived in England in the 1980s and is slowly expanding its range northwards and becoming more common. This was joined by Common wasp, Hornets, Paper wasps and several Bumble bees. A Blue-tailed Damselfly and a much too friendly Southern Hawker (egg laying right under my feet!) completed the party of guests.

Kingston Nature Reserve 8th August

Mike, Ann and Carina joined me for an enjoyable walk in Hayley Wood although, with very few flowering plants, insects were in very short supply. On the way home, I called at the Kingston Embankment Reserve (for details of the site see Ann Miles Blog: Walk to Kingston Embankment Reserve) and was delighted to find it full of flowering Carrot, Knapweed, Ragwort and Red Bartsia together with its special Bee Mellita tricincta. Lots of insects on the flowerheads including the strange Conopid Fly and a Gall Fly. Lots of Butterflies on the wing including a fresh pair of  Small Whites.

Paxton Pits Update

Another sunny and very warm day at Paxton and there were very few insects about. After finding an unusual bee on Red Bartsia flowers at another reserve yesterday, I thought it worth looking for this flower at Paxton and with it I found the target Red Bartsia Bee (Melitta tricincta). Other finds were Green-veined White, Migrant hawker, Common Darter, Brown Argus, Ormyrus nitidulus, plant bug Sternoderma laevigatus. Furrow Orbweaver and Brown Argus. The Grebe chicks are  beginning to dive, with the Cormorant much too  but with a beak full of foliage. (Also Common tern and Little Grebe)