Garden Insects etc as 'Autumn' Starts

Most of my rose bushes, especially the wild dog rose shoots, are full of Sawfly larvae now able to thrive as the various tits and other small birds have fledged. Here two different species. Yesterday was a mix of sun and showers gradually getting warmer throughout the day - ideal for insect hunting and for cleaning mouthparts as this Rhingia campestris shows - amazing how it can fold that back into the rostrum. Still trying to get that 'perfect' flower spider image

Water Abstracts

For our family records, a few images (mostly taken by Sadie) playing around with our compact waterproof camera on a swimming session. 

Garden Life Between the Showers

We had some very heavy showers yesterday but in between these the insects and spiders were active. Here a sample of what is around in the garden at the moment.

Perfect Gliding Weather?

Saturday's walk was all about the weather - I sent off for my walk round Hardwick Wood and Caldecote in warm sunshine but the clouds soon gathered and, as the rain started, I noticed a glider against the storm clouds and then another and another. In all I counted 8 soaring in the thermals (plus a buzzard). I later found out these were from the UK Junior Gliding Nationals at Gransden Lodge. One glider failed to maintain height and must have landed in a local field somewhere. I got very wet but. like these skittish calves, dried off in some late afternoon sunshine. (for my info wider angle are phone images)

Summer Leys Macro Day

While photographing these rain drops at Summer Leys Nature Reserve early yesterday morning my eyes fell upon a Wasp Spider in its web - apparently a first for their reserve so the jungle drums beat (or more likely the internet buzzed) and, by lunchtime, lots of photographers arrived to see the spider. There were plenty of macro subjects in good light with sheltered still areas for them to display - ideal for a day out for the RPS Nature Group.