One of my "gardening visits" to the Reserve on Thursday. It is not worth calling a full work party to deal with stray brambles crossing paths and Hemlock Water Dropwort obstructing the bridge so Southern Group Committee members tend to do these odd jobs themselves when time permits. So armed with some secateurs and shears I snipped and cut back where necessary, working my way round the reserve. I didn't finish the job so will be making a return visit in due course.
I took my camera and binoculars with me and noted the following as I worked:
Birds:
SC208694 Sedge Warbler seen in reeds; Chiffchaff heard; Willow Warbler heard.
Butterflies:
SC210694 Green Veined White; 2 x Small Tortoiseshell; male Orange Tip ( here and on the wing throughout the reserve)
SC208694 Large White; Speckled Wood
Ladybirds:
17 x 7-spot;
11-spot ( with rings round the spots, probably the same one seen in this area previously)
Other:
SC210694 2 x Sloe Shieldbugs;
SC210694 possibly Tenthredo atra sawfly?
Xysticus Crab spider ( probably cristatus)
Unidentified bug on wall
Tiny beetle - possibly Oulema malanopus
Banded Snail
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| Small Tortoiseshell on Spanish Bluebell |
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| Green Veined White butterfly on garden escape Oxalis 7-spot Ladybird in background |
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| 11-spot Ladybird with rings visible round spots |
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| 11-spot ladybird with aphid |
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| another view of the 11-spot ladybird |
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| mating 7-spot ladybirds |
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| 7-spot - this one is a bit smudgy which sometimes happens when they emerge from the pupa when it's cold, such as early in the morning. |
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| banded snail |
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| Oulema sp. possibly melanopus beetle |
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| unknown bug |
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| possibly a parasitic wasp? or Tenthredo atra sawfly? |
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| Sloe Bug |
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| and another nearby |
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| tiny crab spider Xysticus sp. probably cristatus - immature male (with thanks to Kate Hawkins for ID) |
(remember you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them)
