For the first time, we had a couple of Marbled Whites on our Lavender bush and an impressive Privet Hawkmoth on the pear tree. Apart from these, there were lots of smaller insects to add to the garden list including this exquisite Ruby-tailed Wasp, which is a parasitoid on small stem and wood-nesting wasps, and very strange Hemipteran that feeds on small insects as well as plant buds and unripe fruits.
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Wild Flower Species in My Garden
It seemed a simple task on a free day to record what wild flowers are in bloom in my garden at the moment but I had underestimated how many species I would find and, even after over 60 years practising (yes it was a childhood obsession too), I still find getting attractive images of flowers in situ really difficult. Here are the species from my front garden which has herbaceous beds that are a mix of cultivated and wild species; I find these do really well together in maintaining a good ground cover and height - essential in these dry conditions for invertebrate life.
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
More Garden Species
Monday, June 16, 2025
Heat-Loving Garden Species
It has been very warm and mostly sunny for the last few days and the insects seem to be 'enjoying' it though they sensibly shelter under leaves etc at the hottest times. Here are a variety of residents and visitors, including a brief morning call from a Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Red Admiral and Meadow Browns , which are present in large numbers, two moth species, and various flies, beetles etc