Aggressive Avocets at Welney and Life in the Reeds

We haven't visited Welney in the Summer for some time and were surprised at the number of Avocets there. They were very aggressive chasing any birds that came near including a pair of Shovellers, Black-headed Gulls and Common Terns. Great to see Reed and Sedge Warblers and Reed buntings close plus a Sparrowhawk.

Red in Proboscis and Claw, Insects and Spiders May 15th Alonissos Greece

We saw and photographed quite a variety of insect and spider life on Monday in Alonissos, much of it intent on killing and eating the rest. The Assassin bug, Rhynocoris iracundus, was everywhere on the bushes - here sucking the body content of a fly larger than itself. The Robber Fly has picked on the same fly species to kill and devour (one 50mm macro shot, other 560mm distant shot). Even the Beeflies are not that innocent as they parasitize Cuckoo Wasps laying their eggs in the nests of the wasps.
I was pleased to see two spectacular day flying moths the Fiery Clearwing (Pyropteron chrysidformis) and Hummingbird Hawkmoth - very difficult to photograph.
Lots of different Crab spiders and other spiders - not yet identified.
The other commonest group were Beetles - the last image the attactive Purpuricenus budensis

Sunrise, Church on the Cliffs and Bee Orchids, Alonissos, Greece

Our fourth day in Alonissos proved the best weather of the trip - sunny with virtually no wind so around 33 degrees which delighted the bugs (to follow). The sunrise was also the only really colourful one from the hotel balcony. Our morning visit was to Ag. Anargiri, a small church set in pinewoods on the cliffs. I was delighted to find some bee orchids - the closest I can find for images on the web is Heldreich's Bee Orchid (Ophrys heldreichii). Close ups of  Blackstonia perfoliata and Centuary species. Finally, a well-camouflaged lizard.

Insects from May 14th on Alonissos Greece

 Lovely to see the Scarce Swallowtail, ? Skipper and Southern White Admiral on Leftos Garca beach. Other insects mostly to be identified including the White species. The Violet Carpenter Bee was making a hole in the flower box while we ate lunch in Patitiri harbour and the swarm of bees at the water treatment plant.

Beaches, Poppies, Windmill and Miniature Church - Essence of Alonnisos, Greece

Sunday (14th May) was a hot sunny day (33 degrees) in Alonnisos so our first stops were at two beaches - first Jane's favourite Leftos Gialos (no images) where we were shown a Horned viper that the owner had killed and had a quick paddle (insects from there in next entry). We then went down to Chrisi Milia - hopefully for lunch but no luck with everything closed so it was back to Patitiri for a meal before spending the afternoon on the headland above the Old Town and then down to the beach at Vrisitsa with its photogenic windmill. Final shots from morning of the Hotel Atrium (definitely recommended) where we stayed with the small attached church.