Dragonfly Day at Paxton Pits

 We have not been at all lucky with the weather for events this year. Our Annual Dragonfly Day in July with the Dragonfly Society (Paxton is a Dragonfly Hotspot ) had to be cancelled because of rain. Our replacement day yesterday was dry but overcast, breezy and cool so not the variety of dragonflies that we hoped plus the Dragonfly Society could not attend the amended date. However, over 30 people turned up for the event and took part in one or both of the walks. Here a few images from the day (Willow Emerald plus the Emerald Damselfly that we hoped but failed to see, Common Darter, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Migrant hawker plus other insects including the very spiky Comma caterpillar and the Darwin Wasp (Ichneumon in old terms!)).

Garden Spiders etc

Definitely to be too hot in Cambridgeshire to be outdoors photographing insects so these are the remainder from yesterday's garden hunt. The Flower Spider (Misuna) was deep inside a white rose with its prey while the Labyrinth spider has built an impressive den in the Acanthus. Blue-tailed, female immature Common Blue and male Azure Blue all competing for space around the pond. Favourite species the Figwort Sawfly. IDs on sheets at end of images.

 

Paxton Insects

A few images from a walk round Redlands area of Paxton. Great number of Soldier Beetles at the moment, many mating plus Scorpion Flies and large numbers of Damselflies. All the Damsel photos I took turned out to be Common Blue Damselflies but there was quite a variation in markings from the adult male, teneral male, green form of female and blue form of female. Grizzled Skippers still on the wing, plus several dragonflies - here a female Scarce Chaser. Several Hoverflies (here Pipiza noctiluca) plus their larvae on the nettles

Marsh Harriers and Cuckoo at Lackford

Ellie chose to visit Lackford with me today on her day off, hoping to see a Kingfisher - no luck with that wish but we did have great views of Marsh Harriers, Heron, Egret, Lapwing in the Irises etc and, best of all, a really good view of a male Cuckoo, who conveniently then landed in a tree and proceeded to call just to confirm the ID. A lot of Common Blue Damselflies and a quite late Orange-tailed Mining bee