Stars of Today's Paxton Surveys

I started today with an early morning Breeding Birds Survey at Paxton and it was wonderful to hear so many Garden Warblers, newly returned to the UK and singing their hearts out. The Dunnocks were also very vocal. When we had completed our part of the route, I spent 3 hours surveying an area for insects etc as I have to miss the official survey morning on Tuesday. Here photographs taken with a telephoto lens including spiders, bees, moths, butterflies and damselflies. Mainly I was working on much smaller subjects using a close macro (to follow).

Bees, Wasps and Ants, Crete

Bees, wasps and ants do particularly well in hot dry climates so was not surprised to find a good variety of species, including this tiny Jewel, A Ruby-tailed Wasp. The Paper Wasp was a particularly pleasing find on a grass stem at the top of a sandy beach.

Garden Safari May 4th

Lots of bees and wasps in the garden including a new one for the list, the parasitic species Nomada ferruginatus. I always love to see the first stages of the Speckled Bush Cricket.

Grasshoppers and Crickets in Crete

Crete has a wonderful range of Grasshoppers and Crickets - here are just a few with tentative IDs.

Bluebells and Yellow Fields

Waresley wood was very busy this morning for our CCC Wednesday Workshop outing and, once we got parked and in the woods, we could see why:- the Bluebells are extra good this year. Fewer Oxlips, wood anemones or orchids but the smell and sight of the Bluebells made up for this. The blue of the flowers is so dependent on the light conditions - cyan out of the sun and almost purple in the sun. Not so keen on the smell of the Rape which is turning lots of fields yellow.