Some micros identified

Rhyacionia pinivorna

Argyresthia spinosella

Another shot of the unknown from the day before. Any better?
Monopis weaverella, taken at Blunham lake.

Micro moth IDs please

All


All from Eaton Ford in the last three days.

Cockchaffer

This Cockchaffer was photographed at the Lodge by Ben Andrew. 24th may 2010.

Poplar Hawk

Roosting on grass stems at Sandy Smith NR today. Huge!


Photo by Keith Balmer

Moths for ID please

Mottled Pug?
Common Pug?

Sundog

This Sundog, or parhelion, was seen from Mowsbury Hill LNR hanging over Claphampark Wood this evening as the sun was setting. They occur at the same elevation as the sun and 22 degrees from it, possibly one on each side of the sun, but tonight there was only one. They are caused by sunlight passing through horizontal hexagonal plate ice cystals, leaving by a face at 60 degrees to the one it entered.

Photo by Keith Balmer

Micro sp

Trapped in Eaton Ford 19 May. Any ideas welcome.

Mystery insect

I thought this might be a ladybird larva at first but cannot find a species to match. Now I'm thinking it might be a bug. At the Lodge today. Any ideas please?

Needles and haystacks

If you like a real challenge, try looking for Grizzled Skipper eggs. Here's two of three that I found today at Sharnbrook Summit on Agrimony. Sorry about the quality, but they are less than half a millimeter across...

Wall Brown & Grizzled Skipper

This male Wall Brown kindly flew down in front of the camera !

Five Grizzled Skipper were seen.

Duke of Burgundy

On the chalk today.

Willington

Well, it took me six or seven years to find a Grizzled Skipper in Willington, but at long last I did today:


Also in the area were some fresh Burnet Companions, very difficult to approach. It was only when the sun went in that I could get close enough for a snap:
Photos by Keith Balmer

Ahhhh

At Sandy Smith NR on Saturday.

Photo by Keith Balmer

Toadflax Brocade - new to county

One to light in Peter Almond's garden in Bromham on 13th May. An attractive moth and a rather unexpected addition to the county list.

Photo Melissa Banthorpe

Tip-top

Finally a stationary orange tip! Snapped on my way to work on the Potton-Sandy footpath.

Marston Vale Millennium Country Park

Along the SW shoreline of Stewartby Lake, in cold, overcast conditions I counted myself fortunate to find the following:

A Dingy Skipper and a Grizzled Skipper eating "bacon and eggs" together:


The unfortunate Grizzled was missing its entire right hind wing:


These two Dingys appeared to be flirting with each other until the sun went in and cooled their ardour:


Everything then started to wait patiently for the sun to re-emerge, except for me - I went home!:


This one in the "tree-hugger" pose that Dingys adopt when roosting:


In an earlier brief sunny spell this Green Hairstreak appeared to be laying on Bird's-foot Trefoil, but I couldn't find any eggs.


Photos by Keith Balmer

This Maiden's Blush shows why it is so-named - The Lodge 28th April 2010.

Moths from Cooper's Hill, Ampthill 30th April

A few moth highlights from last night's trapping in Cooper's Hill
All photos by Melissa Banthorpe

Scarce Prominent

Scalloped Hook-tip

Iron Prominent

...and just to prove my Canon point and shoot is any good sometimes!

Emperor