Paxton Pits May Wildlife Survey

 Very enjoyable morning yesterday at Paxton Pits recording the flowers, birds, insects etc in the large meadow adjoining Cloudy Fen. All the Damselfly species were recorded (not all illustrated here!!) though Variable were the most common. Small Copper, Orange Tip and Common Blue Butterflies gave us some great photo opportunities though the Scorpion fly was my favourite capture. Not finished sorting and identifying all the invertebrates so will be a day or two before I post the completed sheets!!

Snail Survey 2 Paxton Pits

On Saturday, Richard kindly undertook a second survey of the snail species at Paxton Pits. We intended to do both aquatic and land species including slugs but the recent hot dry weather resulted in an absence of the latter. Here are a few from Sailing Lake area, Rory's Wood and West Scrub starting with a very obliging Caddis Fly larva that has made its case out of a great variety of snail shells. (All photographed at the time so natural light etc and some are only a few mm long!)

May 3rd Garden Insects

Some insects from the garden yesterday when the temperatures were still high - very different feel today with a cold breeze!! There were several Red Damselflies prospecting around the pond but I didn't see any paired up yet. The Hornet Queen was a very impressive insect - although I am happy for her to nest ion my log pile, it is a bit close to the bungalow and right next to where I park the car so hopefully she will have found a quieter spot. The Spotted Lacewing (no.3), Tachycixius pilosus, is a new one for the garden list and good to see most of the Bee hotels being used.

Garden Project May 2025

 With this last week's warm temperatures, a  lot of flowers have come into bloom while others are dying away. It is definitely Red Campion time making wonderful splashes of colour everywhere contrasting with the blue Alkanet and Centaurea. Buttercups have largely taken over from Cowslips in the meadow, the Bogbean is in bloom in the pond, the Perennial Alyssum is attracting lots of insects along with the three species of Spurge  etc!!

Lasius fuliginosus, Jet Ant

The intricacies of insect life cycles continue to amaze me! Today I noticed a stream of black ants along the fence on the edge of our lane and decided to try and photograph them. I later identified them as the Jet Ant Lasius fuliginosus with their heart-shaped head and shiny black body. The Jet Ant queen is incapable of founding a colony on her own - she makes use of an existing Lasius umbratus nest, which in turn would have been founded in a Lasius niger nest. Not sure what they are carrying ?larvae -will update when find out!!

Too late to include this tale in my lecture at Paxton Pits tomorrow (Thursday 1st May) on the Amazing World of Insects (see poster) but certainly a candidate for later versions!!