A busy day, but at least I managed a few hours in the garden this morning. And the sun was back with wall to wall blue skies by the afternoon.
Two good highlights, the first was a pristine Painted Lady which feigned to land a couple of times, but after a minute or so headed north. A real shame, as I'm sure it would have made a lovely photo.
The second highlight was yet another Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum). We have had quite a few in the garden this year. Perhaps they have always been around, but perhaps its just down to me being in the garden quite a lot during lock-down.
I can only presume by the colouration that there are a pair of Slow-worms in the garden, as the image below shows.
Other sightings were singles of female Chalk Hill Blue and a Common Blue. Not had that combination before.
The usual Large and Small Whites were in the garden and evidence of their continued presence was the number of their caterpillars all over the Nasturtiums.
The "resident" bees were all in attendance. Honey Bee (Apis mellifera), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum) and Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum).
A single possible Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) was also noted.
A few hoverflies were with several Marmalade (Episyrphus balteatus) and Common Droneflies (Eristalis tenax) about.
The 22-Spot Ladybirds (Psyllobora 22-punctata) are now all on one Marrow leaf. I say all there were 7, but seems we are down to just 3.
And finally a male Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) zoomed into the garden and within a few seconds zoomed right on out.
Here are a few images and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth Video.
And these are the underwings of the female Common Blue. Identification is mainly down to the position of the spots, patterns and colouration on the underwing and.....
........similarly on the upper wings. This female Common Blue though, is looking a bit worse for wear. More on ID'ing Common Blues Here and Chalk Hill Blues Here.
Other sightings were singles of female Chalk Hill Blue and a Common Blue. Not had that combination before.
The usual Large and Small Whites were in the garden and evidence of their continued presence was the number of their caterpillars all over the Nasturtiums.
The "resident" bees were all in attendance. Honey Bee (Apis mellifera), Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius), White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum) and Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum).
A single possible Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) was also noted.
A few hoverflies were with several Marmalade (Episyrphus balteatus) and Common Droneflies (Eristalis tenax) about.
The 22-Spot Ladybirds (Psyllobora 22-punctata) are now all on one Marrow leaf. I say all there were 7, but seems we are down to just 3.
And finally a male Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) zoomed into the garden and within a few seconds zoomed right on out.
Here are a few images and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth Video.
Here are I presume by their colouration the pair!! of Slow-worms by the garden compost
Top left a female Chalk Hill Blue and the unsharp image of a female Common Blue.
Here is the underwings of the female Chalk Hill Blue
These are amazing moths.
The speed of their wings has been measured at 85 beats per second.
Its no wonder I had difficulty in freezing the wing action.
This is of course a Hummingbird Hawk-moth
I cant really tell if this is a Common Wasp or a German Wasp. Maybe this website will help Here.
Three 22-Spot Ladybirds
One......
..........Two and Three.
