Welney RPS Nature Group Visit

We were surprised at how few insects there were at Welney - hopefully it was the cool showery weather that had driven them deeper into the foliage. I did enjoy photographing this Speckled Bush Cricket (didn't notice the Spider!), two species of Leaf  Hopper, a Picture-Winged Fly, Hoverfly, Nettle Leaf Beetle and an Ichneumon spp. The Reed Warbler was probably a young one as very confiding and very pristine plumage.

Art in the Garden

Sometimes my two major interests, Art and Nature, come together as with this red bug on part of an ornamental bird feeder that has corroded to some beautiful colours. The second image intrigued me until I realised that it is the result of an insect chewing through areas of the flower bud which is pleated much as we do to make paper cuts (eg paper doilies). Otherwise a few more gems from my garden including a Wolf Spider species with very newly hatched spiderlets on its back, male and female Large-headed Resin Bee plus one in the jaws of a Labyrinth Spider and Hummingbird hawkmoth eye - the species list will be very long by the end of this season.

Hidden Dangers in the Buttercups

I thought I had photographed  a different species of bee in a Buttercup in my meadow area and it wasn't till I downloaded the images that I discovered the flower Spider Mesumia vatia had caught it. However, I did spend a long while taking various shots of the same species on a daisy head. This species can adapt its colour to that of the flower or leaf and is so confident in its camouflage that it doesn't attempt to hide!! Some other species to add to the garden list.

Paxton Meadow Trail Survey

Although windy and quite damp early on, later sunshine produced a few bee species - Colletes cunicularis and Adrena clarkella were present plus a couple of new hoverflies Syrphus torvus and Cheilosia grossa. The Red mite was an interesting find in the leaf litter

Toft Wagtail, Insects and Lichens

A  cold wind but warm sunshine brought out a few insects and helped photographing the lichens in the churchyard - an ongoing project. I include 4 that are distinctive enough to identify with good certainty. The Pied Wagtail was busy displaying on the Village Hall roof.