Pasque Flowers at Royston

Always a delight to photograph, the Pasque flowers at Therfield Heath are looking good at the moment with plenty of flowers out and still a good few more to come. I tried various apertures and angles of view - here a few different examples. Couldn't resist the view through Fox Covert  to the vibrant yellow rape field.

Royston Heath Bees etc 2nd April

Yesterday's weather turned out warmer and sunnier than expected and the chalkland Bees etc responded with lots of activity among the Pasque Flowers. Delighted with a fair number of Red-tailed Mason bees flying  around, on the Pasque Flowers and investigating snail shells where they lay their eggs and pack with pollen for the larvae to feed on. Several other Bee Species and Flies, Suggested IDs on sheet but may need correcting!!

Trumpington Meadows 1st April

Yesterday should have been the first butterfly transect for 2026 at Trumpington Meadows but the cloud cover was too dense for a viable record so we walked the route looking our for any interesting insects etc. We did see two Peacock butterflies but otherwise it was generally  the furrier and hardier insects that were on the wing.  IDs as far as I can go on sheet.

 

Toft 30th March Bees

The warm sun on Monday brought out lots of bee species iour Cambridgeshire garden, verges etc including several Andrena species, lots of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and also several Nomada species - striped parasites of mining bees laying eggs in their nests. Pleased to see my favourite Andrena - the Ashy Mining Bee with its silver grey hairs on body and bushy beard/moustache is on the wing. ID sheet at end.