Macro Session at Paxton

The sky was cloudless on Thursday morning for our macro photography session at Paxton so I decided to go for dramatic portraits and therefore  look for situations where the subject was lit against darker backgrounds (normally I would be looking for even lighting to bring out as many details as possible for identification!). The Jade Hopper is always one of my favourite subjects (except it is very small!!). There were plenty of Grasshoppers/Crickets and other Hoppers though the Wasp Spider was catching as many as it could. Close ups of  Darters and Norfolk Hawker faces gave some good macro practice as they rested on sunlit branches.

Wider Angle Macro

 As my 60mm macro stopped focusing suddenly and seems to be permanently, I tried my 18-45 mm lens with the Raynox close-up filter. Here a few examples of what is still active in my Cambridge garden. Most taken at the 45mm end but the Cricket and Flower spider were at the 18mm end.

Autumn in the Garden

The Ivy is now in full flower and full of Ivy bees - first recorded in UK in 2001 and in Toft in 2017. Also full-grown Dark Bush-Crickets enjoying the berries, large number of Spiders and Carder Bees in the Michaelmas Daisies show autumn is really here now.

Paxton Insect Survey

 This German Wasp was one of the nearly 100 species that I recorded on Tuesday while surveying the Arable Fields at Paxton Pits. Other striking species were the Wasp Spider, Bishop's Mitre Shield Bug and Pea Weevil, Grasshoppers, Crickets and various flies.

RSPB Sandy Bugs, Fungi and Hobby

Yesterday was the RPS Nature Group outing to RSPB HQ at Sandy. It was postponed from previous week and the weather was slightly improved as largely dry but still windy and cool. However, we did manage to find a good selection of plant bugs, crickets, butterflies and  dragonflies.  Mike and I took an early morning walk round and spotted a Hobby and quite a few unseasonably early fungi.