Migrant Hawker - MVCP

This Migrant Hawker was in the "stream" that is at the back of the MVCP Sensory Garden, near the visitor's centre this afternoon. Photo by Martin Green.

Butterflies at Pegsdon Hills

Chalkhill blue, clouded yellow and speckled wood butterflies plus a dark bush cricket. All taken at Pegsdon Hills this Saturday (Helen Michell took the photos of the chalkhill blue).

Dragonflies and a Wasp Spider

Andy and I took advantage of the weather and made a brief afternoon visit to Duck End NR, Maulden, recording amongst other things Common Darter, Ruddy Darter and Emerald Damselfly. Then we popped over to Stratton Park Balancing Lake near Biggleswade where we were extremely surprised to find a Wasp Spider. All photographs by Melissa Banthorpe.

Common Darter DENR

Ruddy Darter DENR

Emerald Damselfly DENR

Wasp Spider, Argiope bruennichi, at Stratton Park Balancing Lake Biggleswade

Clouded Yellow

There were four Clouded Yellow at Ledburn Road Sandpit opposite Tiddenfoot, Leighton Buzzard this afternoon - all very active !

Garden Moths - Stewartby Lake

Martin Palmer set up his moth trap in my parent's garden near Stewartby Lake yesterday evening. We got a total of 25 species of macro moths and 9 different micros. Here are a few photos of the moths...

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Swallow ProminentMicro moth Number 1305

Silver-washed Fritillary

A somewhat worn Silver-washed Fritillary at Chicksands Wood today - this is the only shot I managed to get before it was gone.

Not just black and white

A striking moth of oak woods at this time of year is the Black Arches, Lymantria monacha. This was one of 32 that came to an actinic trap in Potton Wood last night. When disturbed they have a defensive posture that seems to involve arching the body and showing a flash of red along the abdomen, presumably to warn off any inquisitive birds.

Half a dragonfly?

I came across this bizarre sight by one of the ponds at The Lodge last week. It took me a few seconds to realise that this darter had been pulled into a hole by something (a wasp?). As you can see by the second 'action' shot, he wasn't too happy about it!

Wall Brown

Still hanging on in the brick pits. A second brood male Wall Brown nectaring on Knapweed.

Small Copper, form caeruleopunctata

A (second brood) Small Copper of the form caeruleopunctata found nectaring on Fleabane in the brick pits

Insects photographed 28/07/2009 in the Broom area

I'm more of a birder than anything else, but July is not very productive, so I am posting a few recent photos of dragonflies, etc. I have asked for some help with the identification of the following and offer what I have been told. Any further comments would be very welcome.

Azure Damselfly?

Brown Hawker?

Common Darter (immature male)?

Another similar Common Darter?

Black-tailed Skimmer?

Purple hairstreak

I was really lucky to find this purple hairstreak sitting calmly on a bramble at The Lodge this Sunday.

Four wings and a funeral

Came across these peacock remains yesterday at The Lodge. I think it might be the result of a hornet giving it a bit of a 'trim'.

All along one ditch!

Quite a variety of insect life. The publicised surge of painted Ladies was accurate.

new finds at the lodge

Some new finds for me yesterday at the lodge


Stictoleptura rubra female

Short-winged Conehead

A bizarre looking froghopper Ditropis pteridis, feeds on bracken so must be pretty common around here

Red-tipped Clearwing

It just took a bit of sun and the FOR lure hung on some bramble surrounded by Sallows. Although the lure had been there for 20 minutes, it wasn't until the sun came out that three, maybe four Red-tipped Clearwings flew in and hung around. My fourth species since getting the lures at the start of the month. Andy B tells me this species was recorded here in 2004.

King's Wood Heath and Reach

Good days on Saturday (18th July) and Monday (20th July) with a female Silver-washed Fritillary photographed on the first date and another (unsexed) and 2+ Purple Emperors seen, and a male SWF photographed on the 20th and record shots of a Purple Emperor. Also male and female Southern Hawkers and a Gatekeeper there (a species growing scarcer? - let's hope it doesn't do a Wall Brown!).

(Why can't Purple Emperors pose like that?)

And from the previous weekend an obliging White-letter Hairstreak at a (Purple Emperor-less for me) Chicksands Wood:

Greenhouse Dweller

I'm not sure what they eat - this is on an Aubergine leaf