Sharpenhoe - Chalkland Flowers

 The chalkland flowers are the best we have seen at Sharpenhoe for many years. Unfortunately we got rained off before we had a chance to explore the upper meadows but here some species from the pits area (Hawkbit with Female Chalkhill Blue, Field Scabious with 6-Spot Burnet, Greater Knapweed, Knapweed with Chalkhill Blue pair, Agrimony, Yellow Bedstraw, Rest Harrow, Crested Cow-Wheat, Clustered Bellflower with Hoverfly and Spider, Harebell, Sainfoin and Marjoram)

Royston Wasp and Other Spiders

Great to find four wasp spiders on the Heath today along with other species, including Araneus quadratus with the four spots. Quite a few had caught Chalkhill blues which are abundant at the moment. Very breezy so the focus stacks did not work perfectly. The wide angle with closeup filter gave the best definition.

Sharpenhoe Clappers Spider and Insects

We made a visit to Sharpenhoe yesterday morning as a prelim to our RPS Nature Group outing on Sunday. There are lots of Chalkhill Blues and 6-Spot Burnet moths but also lots of other subjects to photograph such as this Crab spider catching a fly,  hoverflies, caterpillars, and other butterflies such as Marbled Whites. On the way home, we called in at a known orchid site and photographed these delicate Green Helleborines amidst the Hare bells.

 

Garden Safari

The garden full of wild flowers such as Wild Carrot, Oxeye Daisies, Knapweed, Evening Primrose and Ragwort. Hence there are lots of interesting wildlife to hunt down and capture. Here a Tephritid fly, Plant Bug (Deraeocoris ruber), Toadflax Brocade, Cinnabar moth, Empis fly, Ichneumon wasp injecting egg into grub in a daisy, Green Bug (Lygocoris pabulinus), spider that has caught a mating pair of Hoverflies and a Speckled Bush Cricket

Insects etc in Infrared

Using a macro lens on my infrared-converted camera, reveals features not seen using a normal camera such as the eyes on the spider and the pollen grains on the fly body.

Brimstone and Silver-Washed Fritillary Butterflies

Annual attempt to catch some sharp and attractive flight shots.