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| an inviting bench with a flowery outlook |
Birds:
SC209694 ( from hide) Great Tit; 2 x Adult Moorhens + 4 chicks; female hybrid Mallard; male Teal flew in just as I was leaving.
SC208695 Blue Tit flying over
Butterflies & moths:
SC209694 Silver Y moth; 2 x Speckled Wood together on grids ( courtship behaviour)
SC20993 Meadow Brown ( first I have seen this year)
SC208694 ( willows path) 2 x Speckled Wood
SC208694 roosting Common Blue on rushes in damp meadow
SC208695 ( beehive loop path) 4 x Speckled Wood
SC209694 Silver Ground Carpet moth
SC208694 Unidentified moth. Hope to identify.
SC209694 Small Tortoiseshell caterpillar? Checking.
SC 209693 & throughout reserve, Depressaria daucella moth caterpillars
SC210694 Orange Tip caterpillars
Ladybird
SC208695 10 spot Ladybird ( first I have seen this year)
SC210694 2 x 7-spot Ladybird larvae
SC208694 2 x 7-spot Ladybird larvae
Other:
SC210694 4 x very small Grasshoppers. Probably Common Green.
SC209694 1 Gorse Shieldbug
SC208694 Hoverflies -female Myathropa florea ( Batman fly); female Eristalis, possibly pertinax; another Eristalis species;
SC209695 male Epistrophe ( grossulariae?) hovering
SC210694 Liocoris tripustulatus (?) bug on nettles - big name, very small bug! male Syritta pipiens + very small unidentified fly together.
SC209694 Blue tailed Damselfly
SC208694 and throughout reserve , honey bees.
SC208695 Bee mimic - female Merodon equestris ( Narcissus bulb fly)
SC210694 Tephritis bardanae flies on Burdock
SC209694 Memorial tree has cherries
SC210694 Quaking grass? ( garden variety)
SC209694 Common Valerian in flower
SC209694 and throughout reserve , wild roses in flower.
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| hide hiding in the Hemlock Water Dropwort |
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| large hybrid duck |
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| she's really quite beautiful |
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| delighted when this Teal flew in just as I was leaving. I almost missed it! |
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| adult Moorhen |
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| chicks are now able to feed themselves |
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| youngster still looking very fluffy |
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| I'm always delighted to see a 10-spot Ladybird that line of spots across its back is very diagnostic although they don't always have 10 spots. |
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| Just to give you an idea of how small they are this is a supermarket trolley token |
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| this fearsome looking creature is a 7-spot Ladybird larva |
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| I was so pleased to find them as Ladybirds have been in short supply again this year |
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| these two were on the wooden post by the bridge |
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| two very flirty Speckled Wood butterflies |
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| unusual to see Speckled Woods together as the males are very territorial, sending off everything that ventures into their chosen patch regardless of whether it is a butterfly or not! |
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| Another Speckled Wood along the old beehive loop |
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| Common Blue butterflies roost head down. This one was keeping out of the strong wind amongst the rushes. I was lucky to spot it. |
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| Meadow Brown also keeping warm out of the wind down on the wood chip - wonderfully camouflaged. |
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| Possibly a Small Tortoiseshell larva - checking. |
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| can you spot the caterpillars here? camouflage is very important if you live on a bird reserve! |
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| take a closer look - they are Orange Tip butterfly caterpillars on Garlic Mustard |
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| This tiny caterpillar will become a Depressaria daucella moth ( if not fed to a bird nestling first!) |
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| A Silver Ground Carpet Moth - there seem to be lots of them about at the moment. |
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| I think this is a moth too - seeking advice |
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| a Hoverfly enjoying the nectar from Hemlock Water Dropwort Steve Crellin tells me it's a female Myathropa florea (Batman fly) |
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| Close-up of the same Batman Hoverfly Myahthropa florea |
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| it was not alone - a different one Female Eristalis ( possibly pertinax) |
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| same one, different view Eristalis ( possibly pertinax) |
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| yet another - different Eristalis species |
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| a difficult shot to capture ( hence it's not in focus!) but you can see why they're called Hoverflies ( male Epistrophe, probably grossulariae) |
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| not just Hemlock Water Dropwort can you see the stand of Common Valerian behind it? |
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| this is the stream taken from the bridge! |
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| and this is the reed bed |
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| tiny grasshoppers about 3/4 inch long |
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| nettle leaf gives an indication of scale |
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| pleased to see them back as their "patch" was under the mountain of wood chip by the gate earlier in the year. |
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| only the second Gorse Shieldbug I've seen in 2018 |
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| I finally managed to photograph a Blue Tailed Damselfly |
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| the bees were out enjoying the Hemlock Water Dropwort too |
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| I think this bug is called Liocoris tripustulatus they feed on nettles ( here on a nettle flower) |
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| and a couple more |
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| absolutely no idea what this is - it was tiny and the fly behind it was even smaller thanks to Steve Crellin for identifying the one in the foreground as a male Syritta pipiens |
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| identified by Steve Crellin as a Narcissus bulb fly ( female Merodon equestris) |
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| same fly - a good bee mimic |
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| and again |
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| Tephritis bardanae fly Associated with Burdock, as here. They do lots of semaphoring with their wings |
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| Ginnie's memorial tree has cherries suspect the Blackbirds will take them shortly |
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| this caught my eye as I was leaving could it be quaking grass? |
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| beautiful elderflowers this autumn's berries for the birds |
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| wild rose |
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| the wild roses are looking beautiful at the moment |
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| no need to tell you what this is - you must know by now! Very poisonous tubers, by the way. |
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| Purple Loosestrife coming into flower |
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| the reed bed viewed from the hide |
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| and a view across the water |
