Paxton Pits Dragonfly Day

The Dragonfly Society designated Paxton Pits a Dragonfly Hotspot in 2020 and today was the annual invitation to visit the site and have conducted tours to view the Dragonflies etc. Here are a few of the insect species that I managed to photograph while helping to guide the walks (Green-eyed Hawker, Scarce Chaser, Brown Hawker, Variable, Blue-tailed and Common Blue Damselflies, Banded Demoiselle, Female and Male Ruddy Darter, Golden Bloomed Longhorn Beetle, Green-Veined White, Labyrinth Spider with Buff-tailed Bumble Bee (it got away) and an impressively large Leopard Moth. We also had a distant but extended view of a Kingfisher on the river bank. 

Butterflies Fermyn Woods

The RPS Nature Group visited Fermyn Woods yesterday hoping to photograph Purple Emperors. I saw one but, unfortuately for it and me, being carried away by an Emperor Dragonfly too fast to get in the lens. We did see lots of other butterflies, including Silver Washed Fritillaries, White Admiral and Purple Hairstreaks and enjoyed a great day with them in the sunshine.

Photowalk in Great Chesterford

Yesterday evening we had a walk round Great Chesterford looking for some photo clues. The light wasn't very good so will return another day to complete the task. An interesting village with Roman roots and a strong Railway history.

Toft to Comberton Walk

As outlined in a previous blog entry, there is an ancient path that runs in a straight line connecting Toft and Comberton churches Ann Miles Blog: Local Walks 1.Toft to Comberton (pin-sharp.blogspot.com) Here a few images from a bright windy walk to Comberton to do my monthly record of the flower species in the churchyard (taken on a pocket Sony compact).

Bugs Alive in the Garden

Half an hour in the garden yesterday produced a good number of bugs (Order Hemiptera). Here photos of  two plant hoppers - the common meadow Leaf hopper and a Lacebug and among the plant bugs Orthops basalis (2 views), Heterogaster urticae, Heterotoma planicornis, Plagiognathus arbustorum (3 views) and Closterotomus norwegicus.