Insect Life Paxton Moorings

A very enjoyable morning in the area of Paxton Reserve that borders the river hunting out insects - some very small and many well camouflaged like this Bulrush Veneer Moth. Mostly cloudy so not many butterflies or Dragons on the wing but Small Copper and Common Blue always favourites.

Catch Up on Garden species

I have not found a lot of new species  during this last week but I am pleased with this new Spider found inside a leaf with its prey, Nigma walckenaeri, though not its unpronounceable name. Lots of very small Ichneumons (Darwin Wasp in modern terminology) around including one caught laying into a larva in the Willowherb.

Summer Leys Spiders and Insects

 A very  enjoyable day at Summer Leys with members of the RPS Nature Group photographing the large number of Wasp Spiders with 4-Spot Orb,  Nursery Web and Garden Spiders. Trying the Migrant hawkers in flight occupied an hour or more plus a Willow Emerald and several other insects.

Life and Death on Heronry Lake

This Little Egret was clearly hunting something among the vegetation and the camera reveals they were Red-eyed Damselflies which I hadn't recorded before on Heronry South. The Heron has caught a good-sized fish though can't ID it from the photo! Several Great White Egrets present plus a very large number of Gadwall - wonderful ducks in flight. I suspect these Migrant Hawkers will end up on somebody's menu but getting on with displaying, mating etc at the moment

Dragonfly (and Butterfly) Walk at Paxton

August's official Butterfly and Dragonfly Survey has been moved to Tuesday when it looks warmer and sunnier but five of us did the walk as planned yesterday and saw a large number of  white butterflies (mainly Small White we thought) and occasional Meadow Browns and one Small Copper but nothing settled for long. The Dragonflies were more obliging with several Brown Hawkers in the air and several Migrant Hawkers both flying and perched in the hedges. (Flight shot taken in afternoon from hide). All the darters we looked at turned out to be Common Darters. Otherwise a good variety of impressive flies and Grass-mimicing Bugs and Moths. ID sheet at end.