Eye-to-Eye With Nature

A few images taken at Strumpshaw during a walk round the reserve late in the afternoon. Some amazing eyes, antennae, colours and shapes when photographing close

 

Strumpshaw Insects

Although not abundant, we did find a variety of insects at Strumpshaw on Sunday - Cardinal Beetle, Sailor Beetle, Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle, Nettle Weevil, Down-Facing Snipe Fly, Harlequin Ladybirds, Spider -  Xylota cristatus, Long-Jawed Spider, Longhorn Moths, Lacewing

Strumpshaw RSPB Dragons and Butterflies

Yesterday's Nature Group/East Anglia RPS outing to Strumpshaw Fen coincided with the warmest day of the year with max. temperature of 28 degrees so plenty of Dragonfly and Butterfly activities but not much keeping still. We did manage a good range of species including the Scarce Chaser (female and male), Black-tailed Skimmer, Four-Spot Chaser, Red-Eyed Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle, Azure and Variable Damselflies, Brimstone and Swallowtail. We also were shown Norfolk Hawkers in flight but failed to capture an image! (other insects to follow!!)

Strumpshaw Fen on a Warm but Windy Day

It was a bit too windy for insect photography today but managed to snap three of Strumpshaw's special species: Scarce Chaser, Norfolk Hawker and Swallowtail Butterfly. Also Red-eyed Damselfly, Marsh Orchid, Heliophilus pendulens, Eristalis species, Tortoiseshell feeding and Nursery Web Spider

Strumpshaw Fen

Sunday's forecast predicted a warmer and less windy day than lately so we made a visit to Strumpshaw Fen, predicting that Swallowtail butterflies and various dragonflies would be on the move. Certainly there were Swallowtails all over the reserve and some dragonflies including this very hairy Hairy Dragonfly.

Although we found some interesting things to photograph, generally there were fewer insects around than a typical mid June visit. The spiders were the most abundant particularly the spiderlet balls everywhere. I also photographed the Furrow Orb Weaver, a Long-Jawed spider (Tetracnathidae family) and a beautiful Cucmber Spider (Araniella cucurbitina).

 Among the other interesting species was the Ruby-tailed Wasp Chrysis ignata which looks like a minute fly, the hoverfly that mimics a bumble-bee  Volucella bombylans and the Scorpion fly Panorpa communis this one a female without the 'sting'.