Dragons and damsels at Roxton

Scarce Chasers

Banded Demoiselles

Hairy Dragonfly

White-legged Damselfly

Broad-bodied Chaser at The Lodge

Common Blues - 20th May 2008

My first Common Blue butterflies of the year, basking in a late afternoon sunny interval, in Kempston Hardwick...
Photo by Keith Balmer

MVCP Odonata 18th May 2008

The exuvia (casing) left by an emerged dragonfly (maybe a Four-spot Chaser judging by its size/shape..?) on a reed-stem. Also Hairy Dragonfly, Azure Damselfly and Large Red Damselfly all near the boardwalk between the visitor's centre and Stewartby Lake, photos by Martin Green.

Longhorns and Hairstreaks

In King's Wood, Heath & Reach a Rhagium mordax longhorn beetle...

and a Clytus arietis longhorn...

About 1km away was a female Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi, here taking a break from egg-laying...

Pictures by Keith Balmer

Orchids and Skippers

While looking for Grizzled Skippers in the Thurleigh area (and finding none) I did stumble across a few Early Purple Orchids in a road verge...

In late afternoon, after searching many known and possible sites, finally found several Grizzled Skippers on a small brown-field site in the Marston Vale...

Pictures by Keith Balmer

Liftoff

My first soldier beetle of the season, Cantharis rustica I think, seen near Knocking Hoe, Pegsdon, 5th May 2008...

Picture by Keith Balmer

MVCP - Chinese Water Deer and Insect

A couple of photos from my two week break back in Bedfordshire, Martin Green

Chinese Water Deer - 2nd May 2008.
Devil's Coach-horse.. (?) 22nd April 2008. The insect was about an inch long. Any comments on the identification would be welcome.