Trumpington Meadows Butterfly Transect

Other than a few green stinging nettles nestled in the hedgerows, everywhere is dry and brown as in other reserves, so we were not expecting and did not find large numbers of Butterflies on our weekly transect. Small Coppers, Small Heaths, Small Whites, Brown Argus and Common Blues were the only species present in any numbers. I photographed a single Green-veined White and a Hummingbird hawkmoth egg laying plus a couple of Wasp Spiders.

 

Parched Meadows

Perfect weather for our Week 16 Butterfly transect at Trumpington Meadows yesterday lunchtime - sunny 25 degrees with gentle breeze. Lots of bees around including these two Cuckoo bees Bombus rupestris - a very large impressive orange-tailed bee (host ?Bombus lapidarius)  and Bombus campestris (host mainly Carder Bee). Butterflies looking a bit worn but still finding nectar in the sparse flower heads. Usual ID problems of distant Brown Argus and Common Blues plus quite wide ranging Small Blues. Also found an impressive Wasp Spider in the hedgerow.

Insect Portraits

A few portraits of some of Trumpington Meadows residents taken on an overcast but relatively bright day.

Insect Life Paxton Moorings

A very enjoyable morning in the area of Paxton Reserve that borders the river hunting out insects - some very small and many well camouflaged like this Bulrush Veneer Moth. Mostly cloudy so not many butterflies or Dragons on the wing but Small Copper and Common Blue always favourites.

Paxton East Redlands

The long grass edges to the paths on East Redlands were very productive with lots of Banded Demoiselles, Darters and  Damsel flies; one of the Common Blue Damselflies had been caught by the first Wasp Spider I have spotted this year. At last, with the warmer temperatures there were lots Butterflies - Brown Argus, Common Blue  and Essex Skippers, plus a very active Bumble Bee mimicking Hoverfly.