Showing posts with label Summer Leys. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summer Leys. Show all posts

Monday, August 24, 2026

Drought Conditions at Summer Leys

The usually still lush meadow at Summer Leys is almost entirely without flowers now - just the Fleabane and a few remaining thistle flowers supporting a much reduced number of insect species. Below some of my favourite finds during the day, As at Paxton Migrant Hawkers reign supreme over the lakes and ponds while Small Heath, Small Copper, Brown Argus and Small White are the main butterfly species. It was an RPSNature outing so I was concentrating on backgrounds, composition rather than ID and species list but a few comedy shots also snuck in like the first Carder Bee out for a stroll and the shy grasshopper.

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Summer Leys Spiders and Insects

 A very  enjoyable day at Summer Leys with members of the RPS Nature Group photographing the large number of Wasp Spiders with 4-Spot Orb,  Nursery Web and Garden Spiders. Trying the Migrant hawkers in flight occupied an hour or more plus a Willow Emerald and several other insects.



Sunday, September 1, 2024

Summer Leys - Life in the Fleabane Meadow

 Although less insect and spiders around compared to previous years, there were plenty of species to be found on or near the Fleabane plants. The Picture winged Fly Merzomyia westermanni is my favourite find - it causes galls on Ragwort plants and is listed as 'local' with no recorded sightings in Northamptonshire area in the NBN atlas.


Saturday, August 31, 2024

Birds at Summer Leys Northamptonshire

Great to see a large number and variety of water birds at Summer Leys Reserve today including several Great White Egrets, four Snipe, Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, large flocks of Lapwing as well as hundreds of ducks, and  lots of Heron, Grebes, Little Egrets etc.