Harris Garden macro

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Still finding it difficult to get any time out in the field, but I did spend my lunchtime looking for interesting insects in the Harris Garden. The day was overcast, so good for macro work, and there was lots of movement. I've uploaded the ones worth keeping - a couple of hoverflies (Sphaerophora scripta and Syritta pipiens), a soldierfly (Chloromyia formosa), and a seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata; click any for larger). These are a little less interesting than what's coming next - I'll soon be off for my annual field-trip to Java and Borneo - I suspect that the subjects will be a little different over there...

Garden macro

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Sometimes life just gets in the way! I've been flat out for the last month, and that seems set to continue, with work and other commitments taking up my spare time. I got the camera out for the first time in a couple of weeks to wander through the garden, after my daughter found a mullein shark (Shargacucullia verbasci; click for larger) caterpillar feeding on Buddleia. This is a fairly scarce noctuid moth locally, but this plant seems to pick them up most years.

Apart from that there was the usual mix of dipterans and hymenopterans, with this mining bee (Andrena flavipes; click for larger) present in large numbers, and well as the usual range of unidentifiable flies. Even though it was only a half an hour peering into the garden vegetation it was well worth it - I get withdrawal symptoms if separated from my camera for too long!

Night birds at Chobham Common

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I've been planning to make at least one trip this year to look for local nightjars and woodcock. Both species are primarily nocturnal, and as we're almost at the summer solstice, a late start was needed. The forecast for the next few days was poor, so foregoing an early night, I aimed for Chobham Common.

Arriving at about 10.30, there was still enough light to pick my way through the heathland. A foraging fox passed by as I arrived at Staples Hill car park, and I have a vague idea that the occupants of the other car already there were looking for a different form of nocturnal wildlife...

Crossing into the Common, roding woodcock were making their odd calls as they flew along the tree line, with good views through night-vision binoculars. There was no sign of nightjar initially, in part because of the noise from aircraft and the motorway made it difficult to hear. While I had chosen an easy place to look for the nightjars, there were downsides, and I have to admit that the inability to find silence disheartening.

Eventually I could make out a nightjar churring in the distance, and another shadow flew past making its cue-ik flight call. Both target birds heard, and seen in silhouette, so it was a worthwhile trip out, in spite of never escaping from the noise of civilisation.

Lavell's Lake,Berkshire

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Another quick stop at Lavell's on the way home, hoping to get some macro shots before the rain started. Looking over the lake revealed a great crested grebe carrying a humbug-striped chick on its back, a common tern, mute swans and cygnets, various ducks and rails, and little else, apart from a low flying red kite searching for carrion.

Blackcaps and whitethroats were foraging in the hedgerows, and there was no sign of the damselflies - the cool temperature was keeping them inactive. There were some interesting insects in the vegetation, with these aphids (Uroleucon sp.; click for larger) feeding in large colonies on creeping thistle. Most spectacular however was this yellow-tail moth caterpillar (Euproctis similis; click for larger), an impressive hairy Lymantriid, feeding on hawthorn. This is a moderately common species, but still impressive nevertheless. The hairs are irritating, but species such as this are a favoured prey of cuckoos.

The final image is of an unidentified fly, a more typical reflection of the insect species seen today. Overall a very quiet hour, but after a long day in the office, it's always good to get out.

Damselfies at Lavell's Lake

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A scorching day deserved some time outside, so on the way home I stopped at Lavell's for an hour's damselfly hunting as things are locally quiet on the bird front. There was a large number of common blue damselflies (Enallagma cyatherigum; click for larger) in the vegetation adjacent to the lake.



There were smaller numbers of large red, azure and blue-tailed (Ischnura elegans; click for larger) damselflies.

Finally, away from the lake and near a small brook, were a few banded demoiselles (Calyopteryx splendens; click for larger). They tended to keep out of reach, but with a little patience this female allowed close approach. So - not bad really; less than an hour, but some decent images and five damselfly species seen.