Curioser and Curioser

Our monthly guided nature walk at Paxton Pits produced some very curious sightings, none more so than this Thistle Tortoise Beetle larva which is very spiny like its host plant. It carries around a pile of droppings and debris that it uses to disguise itself -  very small so difficult to get a better shot. First time I have recorded Beewolf Wasps at Paxton - they are nesting where the Early Colletes bees were active earlier in the year. We think it was a young Garden Warbler and certainly there were a couple of pairs of Crows with young in the newly mown hay fields

My Garden: Interesting Moths, Bees etc

Great to see the Currant Clearwing back in the garden this year - I like the way the sheen on its tail plumes echoes the Anchusa flowers. It was joined by another relatively scarce moth the Orange Conch ,which was climbing up its foodplant, Ragwort, in the front lawn/meadow. Several new bees were also observed this last week - the Blue Mason Bee my favourite. Both Southern hawkers and Broad-bodied Chasers around the pond during the week.

Dragonflies, Damselflies and Orchids at Paxton

Every third Thursday in the month Paxton Pits runs a Nature Walk and I often act as back-up leader as today. The dominant wild life were the dragon and damselflies including Scarce Chasers, 4-spot Chasers, Keeled skimmer, Banded Demoiselle, Green Eyed Hawkers, Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselflies plusPyramidal Orchid (with Cone-head Grasshopper) and Bee Orchid

Paxton Butterfly and Dragonfly Survey

Last year we found a single Grizzled Skipper on the equivalent survey, this year more than 10 so there is definitely a breeding colony. We also located one very early Green-Eyed (Norfolk) Hawker, a Scarce Chaser along with the Four-Spot Chasers, a Hairy Dragonfly, four species of 'Blue' Damselflies and also Banded Demoiselles.

September Dragonflies at Paxton

Saturday was our monthly Dragonfly and Butterfly survey at Paxton - it was sunny but quite chilly so we were not expecting a large number of records.There were lots of Common Darter and Willow Emeralds, Speckled Wood and Small and Large Whites.