It has been very warm and mostly sunny for the last few days and the insects seem to be 'enjoying' it though they sensibly shelter under leaves etc at the hottest times. Here are a variety of residents and visitors, including a brief morning call from a Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Red Admiral and Meadow Browns , which are present in large numbers, two moth species, and various flies, beetles etc
The warm conditions yesterday certainly brought out all the Hemipterans in the garden. Here the ones I have managed to ID. There seem to be endless species on the oak tree - a day's work sometime!! The nymph eating aphids on the rose bud show their value in the garden and I was surprised to find how many aphid species there are and often restricted to a single plant family eg. the Knapweed Aphid.
I made a third visit to Frampton on the last day of our Lincolnshire holiday and concentrated in the morning on the birdlife, especially the Sedge Warblers and Reed Bunting in the reeds, the Spoonbills feeding, Sand Martins at their artificial bank, a visiting Red-crested Pochard, Lapwings and Little Ringed Plover.
