Marbled Whites are Back in Toft But Small Numbers

We saw our first Marbled Whites roosting in the wood on Saturday 24th June - just 3 males and 1 female (shown here with Sphaerophoria scripta hoverfly). Images taken with 600mm equivalent lens - last two are focus stacked. We hope they are roosting elsewhere in larger numbers. The Small Skipper was very well camouflaged on its grass Seed head

Garden Project 17 - Insects at Home

Here the latest update on the wildlife garden that I created in March 2020, now the home to myriads of different flower species both native and introduced home to a host of insects and other invertebrates. Delight to capture both the Wool Carder and Common Carder bees, and see if you can find the Toadflax Brigade moth on the Red Campion - certainly not from a distant shot.

More New Species for the Garden

As the sun came out around lunchtime today, the garden became alive with insects including these 8 new species for my garden list. 

 

My Garden: Interesting Moths, Bees etc

Great to see the Currant Clearwing back in the garden this year - I like the way the sheen on its tail plumes echoes the Anchusa flowers. It was joined by another relatively scarce moth the Orange Conch ,which was climbing up its foodplant, Ragwort, in the front lawn/meadow. Several new bees were also observed this last week - the Blue Mason Bee my favourite. Both Southern hawkers and Broad-bodied Chasers around the pond during the week.

Open Gardens (NGS) Toft

Three Gardens were open in Toft yesterday for the National Gardens Scheme which raises valuable money for nursing and health charities. I started at the largest, Manor Cottage by the church with its sweeping lawn, meadow, copse and herbaceous borders. Old Horse Yard is more compact and very beautifully laid out with its arches, paths and geometric beds. By the time I got to the third garden on Comberton Road the thunderstorm was arriving but certainly time to appreciate a garden started from scratch in 2020 which reimagines a late 18th century garden with four interconnected zones including my favourite, a Ritual Landscape Zone, which was full of British native plants.