Wicken Fen - Insects, Fox and Returm of the Hobbies

Yesterday was the first bright and relatively warm day for a time, so headed to Wicken Fen for a session with the birds and bugs. Not a lot around on the insect side though Brimstone, Red Admiral and Peacock all active plus as Red and Black Bug Cercopis vulnerata and a Cardinal beetle Pyrochroa serraticornis. An old Vixen fox (obviously with suckling young) watched as things hotted up from the hide - first the Terns and then up to five Hobbies entertained us with their antics (separate blog to follow). Also Buzzard, Marsh Harrier and Courting Great Crested Grebes

Smooth Newts

Many thanks to Richard Revels for introducing us to his Newts and the attractive set up to photograph them. We greatly enjoyed the session until exhaustion of a battery stopped play.  These are Smooth Newts (also known as  Common Newt, Lissotriton vulgaris). The first two are males with the crest and the third a female.

Alice in Wonderland at the Swiss Garden - Many Strange Encounters

They were holding an Alice in Wonderland picnic in the Swiss Gardens at Shuttleworth with lots of strange animals to encounter. The Peacocks had a hard day both displaying to the plastic flamingo and being chased by the children - especially my granddaughter. I retired from the noise to the lakeside walk where there were further strange encounters including Scorpions flies, a Fold-Winged Cranefly (Ptychoptera contaminata) a new Shieldbug for me (Crucifer Shieldbug Eurydema oleracea) and a Long-Jawed Spider

Macro - Spider's World at Audley End, Essex

As it was a bright morning, we were hoping for lots of insects at Audley End to practise macro photography but only located Honey Bees, a few Solitary Bees (Adrena spp), some ladybirds and this minute Crab spider guarding its prey in a curled leaf. Another spider had trapped a Wood Louse

First Damselfly and a Few More Insects Present At Last

Yesterday saw the first Large Red Damselfly this year in our garden. We have had a succession of days with cold northerly winds so the insects have been absent. Today saw a selection of Hoverflies and still plenty of Bee flies

Olney, Buckinghamshire - Lace, Pancakes and Hymns

I visited Olney Camera Club on Wednesday so took time to photograph round the town (between the hail showers). Continental lacemakers came to Olney as a result of religious persecution in their own countries from the late 1500s through to the late 1600s. The lacemakers, particularly those from Lille and Mechlin taught the local women to make bobbin lace and thus began a cottage industry which lasted for over 300 years.
Olney is also famous for its pancake race which has been run since 1445. It was the home of  John Newton, a clergyman and slave trader, who turned abolitionist and wrote "Amazing Grace". William Cowper, poet and hymn writer, is also celebrated in the Newton and Cowper Museum.