Paxton Green-eyed Hawkers and Flight Shots

I spent some considerable time trying to get good flight shots of insects and I have still not got an image where everything is right! The first damselfly would be fine if the nearer wing was positioned in the space behind the legs and the beetles are soft on the wing cases. While photographing the Four-spotted chasers, a coupled pair of Green-eyed Hawkers arrived and then a second male waiting to get in on the action if he can. Pyramidal orchid included as first one I have photographed at Paxton Pits.

Orchids Buxton Heath

The Marsh Helleborines are at their peak at the moment with many very large spikes as well as more modest blooms. There are some fairly distinct Marsh Orchids and Heath Spotted Orchids but it seems most are hybrids. The only pollinator that I found was a Flower Tumbling Beetle on a Twayblade. Very bright sunshine with temperatures above 30 degrees so not ideal for flower photography!!

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

Dorset - Powerstock Common (01/06/2023)

Traditionally Powerstock Common is always the first venue that we visit on our annual trips to Dorset. As always, it did not disappoint with Tiger beetles, an Adder, Orchids, including Butterfly Orchid, Butterflies including Marsh Fritillary and Grizzled Skipper, spiders and the colours and wildlife of the ponds

Local Orchids

The Man Orchids at our local Cambridgeshire site are in full flower at the moment but are very short in stature and numbers compared to recent years. This is an early date for them; 2010 was the other year that I recorded them in May and again they were short (Ann Miles Blog: Man Orchid (pin-sharp.blogspot.com)). I only found one Twayblade and this was very small and just a handful of small Common Spotted Orchids including a completely albino form