Stanwick Lakes April 10th

 Jane had to collect some photographic equipment from Northampton so we took the opportunity to visit Stanwick Lakes expecting lots of birds to photograph and therefore equipped with long lenses rather than macro gear. Birds very sparse but lots of Orange Tip Butterflies, a male Geen-veined White and also several species of Hoverfly. The Orange Tips were displaying and clearly ready for mating. Lots of  Beeflies so experimented with shutterspeeds to freeze the wings (1/2000 and then 1/8000th). Finally the only two birds close enough to photograph Dunnock and Great Crested Grebe.

April Butterfly and Dragonfly Survey

 Today was our first Butterfly and Dragonfly survey of 2025 at Paxton but the cool weather meant sightings of the former were limited to a very few species and individuals though we did record a few Grizzled Skippers, along with Brown Argus, Orange tips etc. Only a handful of Damselflies mostly just emerged. There were a number of very curious (even ugly) bugs around including a Beetle - Platyrhinus resinosus Scarce Fungus Weevil which lives on the black knobbly fungus - Alfred cakes and a larva of a micromoth Coleophora pennella Bugloss case-bearer.

Overcast but very warm day produced lots of insect activity including this beautiful male Orange Tip Butterfly and this very hairy Anthomyoiid Fly feeding on a dead Snail. Otherwise spiders in abiundance and 10 species of Plant Bug (Dock and Hairy Bug not shown)..

Toft Bees and Butterfly

 I am a bit behind with sorting images from the garden so here is a batch from last three days of various bees and a beautiful Orange Tip Butterfly taken in various light conditions. The cold conditions have meant that lots of the bees are resting up and in some cases 'sleeping' clinging on to leaves etc with their strong mandibles. Here Nomada flava attached and Nomada goodeniana preparing to rest. The fourth image is N. marshamella then a selection of Andrena species