Garden Wildlife After the Rain

 A glimpse of the sun after yesterday morning's rain, woke up all kinds of insects etc in the garden, especially Hemiptera and Spiders. This Walnut Orb Spider was so comfortably concealed in a leaf that I missed it on my first circuit. The Lacehopper (?Cixius nervosus) is probably the 'oddest' looking bug of the safari. The Lambs Ear old flower spikes revealed a very large number of bugs with several different species coinhabiting. ID sheets at end.

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