Wilstead Wood

A pleasant assortment of creatures at large today, beginning with an impressive Volucella inanis (I think, unless it is V.zonaria?)


Then a crab spider with the remains of a Barred Yellow:

The surprise of the day was a Red-tipped Clearwing. (There are a lot of goat willows in the wood on which it may have bred, which is why I was there looking for Purple Emperors (none seen)). It flew off immediately after this fuzzy banking shot, never to be seen again:

There was a nice selection of common butterflies (plus White Admiral and White-letter Hairstreak). Meadow Brown (female):

Ringlet and Small White:

Red Admiral:

Large Skipper:

Brown Argus:

Over-seeing it all was this five-legged Volucella pellucens (taken at 1/8000 second):

All pictures by Keith Balmer