Port and Wey: 11 Jun 18

Wakeham

After an eventful morning at Radipole, it was a relaxing afternoon in the back garden. A few interesting sightings with my first Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa), a female visiting the pond and a Painted Lady.

A female Broad-bodied Chaser

My first Painted Lady in the back garden this year.

Radipole RSPB Nature Reserve

Having dropped Dawn off at Chickerell for her Charity walk for Teenage Cancer Trust, I headed off to Radipole Reserve. I parked in my usual spot in Goldcroft Avenue Here and crossed the Dorchester Road and into the Reserve. I decided to head for the North Screen first and then walk around the rest of the reserve later.

That never actually happened as I only made it to the screen and back as there were so many bugs, bees and hoverflies etc. seen en route. I think if I'd visited the rest of the reserve I would still be writing out my report for several days.

Below are a few images from this mornings walk, which have taken a bit of time to ID. There are still a few to go, however a big thanks to Edmund Mackrill, who and not for the first time got me to check out my Common Blue Damselflies. Whoops they are Azure's, thank you Edmund. In checking out the other Damselfly images I discovered that I had actually photographed the female form Rufescens obsoleta of the Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans).

So much vegetation............

...........and absolutely filled with invertebrates. Its no wonder there's a healthy population of Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Sedge, Reed and Cetti's Warblers here. And that's just our summer visitors.

A Marsh Harriers surveys his territory.

A Grey Heron

A young Coot begs for food.

I know I've said this before, but there are, unusually for a wetland reserve, a good head of House Sparrows here. Chirpy chappy and always a pleasure to see and hear them, especially with population numbers dropping.

An Orchid.......

........Marsh, Early, Southern. One of these I'm sure. One to check.

This is a Snipe Fly (Chrysopilus cristatus)........

.....they were everywhere, so I thought I'd add a few more images below.

Another.

And another.

And last one.

A small Dagger Fly. Smaller than Empis tessellata, but as to which one, I'm not sure.

Struggling to ID this, but it does look like one I came across in Swindon. One to check also.

This is the Noon Fly (Mesembrina meridiana)

The Footballer hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus)

Despite this individual being a lot smaller, I think this is also Helophilus pendulus...........

..............and this one to.

This looks good for the hoverfly (Myathropa florea)

Another hoverfly...........

...........Eristalis abusivus

Another one to ID. Not doing to well with all these new bugs!!

This is the hoverfly Xylota segnis

This is a Mimic Bee Hoverfly (Volucella plumata). However the black thorax doesn't look right and examples I have seen have yellow hairs along the sides!

This is an Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)

An Ichneumon Wasp, but one to ID

Another view.

I'm not doing to well ID'ing the "bugs" from today..............

.......but I'm pretty sure this is the Ichneumon Wasp(Achaius oratorius)

Well this is a Sawfly and a very small one at that. There were dozens along the path on the way to the North Screen. Unfortunately it isn't one I'm gong to ID.

There were several Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) along the pathway

Here is another

And one more

This a Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) and is the female form Rufescens obsoleta

An Azure Damselfly(Coenagrion puella)

And another

another

and another male............

A Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens)

Incredible colours. More on this Demoiselle Here

A 14-spot Ladybird (Propylea 14-punctata)

And one with a few more spots a 22-spot Ladybird (Psyllobora 22-punctata)

This larvae nest is home to........

................Small Eggar (Eriogaster lanestris) moth caterpillars. Like most freshly hatched caterpillars, they change colour, pattern and obviously size as they grow, which is why I found this species difficult to ID. Thank you to Steve Nash for the identification.