Life on the Ivy

Not perfect in focus etc but I was very pleased to capture this Red Ant collecting excreted sugar droplets from Blackfly feeding on Ivy Flowers. It is definitely one of the best years that I remember for Ivy flowers with Ivy bees, Wasps, Bumble bees, Flies, Late Butterflies like this Painted Lady and Holly Blues and Shieldbugs  are enjoying.

Paxton Miscellany

A warm sunny day for a walk at Paxton Pits hoping for lots of interesting subjects to watch, identify and photograph but wildlife was in very short supply, we are presuming as a result of the long drought conditions. There are still Common Darters on the wing, a very few butterflies all looking rather tatty (single Common Blue, Small White, Small Copper, Speckled Wood and Red Admiral), abundant Ivy Bees wherever the Ivy is in flower and a Kite-tailed Robberfly. From one of the Hides, the young Great Crested grebes are catching fish for themselves now.

RSPB Sandy Insect Activity

As forecast, the sun came out and temperatures rose yesterday so there was plenty of activity around the banks to some of the paths at RSPB Sandy yesterday. This colony of Ivy bees were very active. I think they were mainly males but I did catch a female laden with pollen (wider abdominal stripes). Also recorded a Sphecodes bee (Blood Bee) - these are cleptoparasites (lay their eggs in another species' nest) - Ivy bees not recorded as hosts but there were presumably other mining bee species nesting in the bank  The small ponds on the walk were very active with lots of Ruddy Darters paired and laying eggs plus Migrant Hawkers and Southern Hawkers. The Gardens behind the house were quiet - just a handful of butterflies, a Firebug and a few Carder bees.

RSPB Sandy Insects

Saturday afternoon was just about perfect for insect photography with warm temperatures but light cloud most of the time clearing about 16.00 to give good directional light. RSPB Sandy as always produced some very interesting scenarios including this Sharp-tailed Bee taking a nap in the Lavendar (bees often 'sleep' clamped onto a flower or leaf with their mandibles but I haven't seen a vertical 'napper' before), tricolor jewel wasp,  lots of Green-eyed Flower bees, Hummingbird Hawkmoths and a Colletes Bee (Apps suggest Ivy bee but surely too early)

Lackford Autumn Sunshine

Lackford Lakes looked at their best in the sunshine yesterday and the hundreds of Migrant Hawkers were certainly enjoying the warm conditions. A lot of the time, I was shooting into the light giving dark backgrounds and contrasty subjects but this first shot allows all the detail of the markings of this male. Other species were Willow Emerald, Ruddy Darter, Water Boatmen, Pond Skater, Sand Wasp, Small Copper, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Green-Veined White, Tachnid Fly and Ivy Bee.