Chicksands Wood

The "Chicksands Wood" season has started and today I took my first walk around the wood in search of the specialist butterflies. Unfortunately I missed out on Purple Emperor by less than a minute by choosing to walk towards the distant group who waved at me rather than running. I'll be back soon for another go though. Managed to grab a couple of pleasing images of others though, notably Purple Hairstreak, White Admiral and Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Moth.

Orange-tailed Clearwing, Honeydon

Popped out to make the most of this weather and dangled some pheromones.

Caddisflies?

Catching a few of these things which I presume are caddisflies of some sort. Any ideas?

Poppies

Poppy field to the west of Chicksands Wood, June 2011.  Incredibly impressive.

Rookery South ClP

A panoramic view of Rookery South Clay Pit in its current state, June 2011.  Currently looking superb for waders, but soon to be filled in.

IDs please

A micro from 23 June
Another micro from 23 June
A Pug from 23 June
From 2 June

Black Hairstreak - Marston Thrift 14/6

Managed to obtain a record shot of this Black Hairstreak found after a lot of searching today, same spot as two seen by Steve Blain on Sat 11/6. Good to know they are still around but concerning that the population seems to be so low and so local; this colony must be extremely vulnerable.

Me too at Honeydon RNR

Spurred on by enthusiastic reports of the Honeydon road verges on the BNHS newsgroup I headed there this morning. Here are my close-ups of the three star species, Spiked Star-of-Bethlehem, Crested Cow-wheat, and Sulphur Clover:

Probably new for VC30......9th June 2011

After a coordinated night of moth trapping all around RSPB The Lodge. Two of these seemingly insignificant micro moth appeared on a vertical sheet. It is a RDB species and hasn't been seen in Bedfordshire since 1904, if these records are even reliable. Micro recorder David Manning is currently looking at a few more, so watch this space...........

799 Neofriseria singula

Roadside Verge at Honeydon in June

One of the best roadside verges in Bedfordshire, just south of the hamlet of Honeydon. It is particularly impressive at the moment (June).

Three Bedfordshire rarities are found there, from front to back, Sulphur Clover, Crested Cow-wheat and Spiked Star-of-Bethlehem.

A closer view of Crested Cow-wheat and Spiked Star-of-Bethlehem.

Another new micro for Beds

Pempelia Palumbella - photo by Colin Campbell

Pempelia Palumbella, The Lodge, 2nd June 2011 - a new micro moth for Bedfordshire, found on the old heath.

Rare Wasp?

I'm still waiting for confirmation but I believe this to be a female Odynerus melanocephalus a nationally "Notable A" species, seen today at Sandy Smith NR.

If anyone sees a wasp like this, with wings folded lengthways and white (rather than yellow) bands on the abdomen, please let me know, as it may be this species. It would be good to know where else it may be...

Keith Balmer

Denisia albimaculea new to Bedfordshire

The photo below is of a micro-moth that landed on the sheet at a mothing event at Ampthill Park on Saturday night 27th May 2011. It is Denisia albimaculea and is a new addition to the county list. Photo by Melissa Banthorpe.

Common Heath moth

One of the day-flying moths which does not appear from the records to be particularly numerous or widespread in Bedfordshire. This individual was photographed at Heath and Reach 19th May.

A scarce longhorn & a beautiful bug

The longhorn beetle Anaglyptus mysticus is nationally scarce apparently - not sure of it's status in Bedfordshire. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I think the iridescent colours of the Forest Bug final instar nymph make it rather pretty. Both were at The Lodge, Sandy on 16/5/11.

First Post

Although I've been running my own blogs for a few years now, I'm a new name on the Beds Flora & Fauna blog, so a big Hello to all!

For my first post here, I've chosen a few images taken a few weeks back amongst the gorgeous bluebells of Kingswood, near Houghton Conquest, and a local dragon' from a few days ago in Cople.

Backlight

Orange Tip



Backlight 2

 

Orange Tip

Broad-bodied Chaser

Scarce Chaser & Cockchafer

Cockchafer and Scarce Chaser female at The Lodge 10/5/11

Green Hairstreaks & Hairy Dragonfly

Green Hairstreaks and a Hairy Dragonfly at the Marston Vale Country Park. Photos by Dave Ball.

Many-lined new for county

A complete surprise for Tony Lawrence when he cheked his moth trap this morning in Eaton Ford, and a great addtion to the VC30 list. Photo Melissa Banthorpe

Dingy Skipper & Light Brocade

Dingy Skipper on Birdsfoot Trefoil at Stewartby Lake

Light Brocade, caught by Martin Palmer in his moth trap at Kempston.

Photographs by Martin Green.

Hairy Dragonfly - MVCP

A Hairy Dragonfly that alighted briefly in the MVCP Sensory Garden. Photograph by Martin Green.

Dragonflies and a Red-and-Black Froghopper (?)

Four-spotted Chaser - MVCP Boardwalk

Hairy Dragonfly - MVCP Sensory Garden

Two photos of what appears from a brief Internet search to be a Red-and-Black Froghopper (?) which was near the railway line between the MVCP and Rookery. (On the MVCP side...) Anyone know if this is a common bug in the county...? Photographs by Martin Green.

White-marked

One to MV light at Chicksands Wood 15/4/2011, although rather worn, and exactly the same place where Andy and I had one in March. Photo: Melissa Banthorpe

Mystery Beetle?- Solved

Hi all, my son found this on my rear patio in Upper Caldecote on 12th April. Having looked through my insect books I still have no idea what it is. Approx. 12mm long. Does anyone know what it is, as I'm sure I've never seen one before.

It looks like this is a Cramp-ball Fungus Weevil Platyrhinus resinosus. Identified by Andy Whitney.

Speckled Wood

One of two Speckled Wood butterflies near the MVCP Pillinge. Photo my Martin Green.

An Emperor gets his wings

Andy checked the Emperor pupae on his way out to work this morning and this male had emerged from the pupa and was looking for somewhere to perch whilst inflating his wings. I took some photos as it happened and three are below.