Missing picture!

And here's the Migrant Hawker on my Buddleia!

Emeralds in the sunshine!

It's been a frantic few days: loads of orders for space-flown and aviation items to frame and process, so little opportunity for a check on the patch, However, the combination of a Migrant Hawker on the Buddleia right outside my office window and a clear blue sky was all the excuse needed for a quick expedition to Strumpshaw. First stop was the railway crossing dyke, where the first insect I saw was a beautiful Willow Emerald, glowing in the evening sunlight! Brown, Migrant, Southern & even Norfolk Hawkers were everywhere, but none settled to have their picture taken. The exposed mud along the Riverside Walk has begun to attract waders, including tonight Ruff, Greenshank and Bar-tailed Godwit - two patch ticks for the year! Final photo opportunity was one of several families of Marsh Deer: a hind and two fawns.

All about the Odonata!

A sunny lunchtime walk around the Fen was surprisingly productive, given the vast numbers of strollers.... Migrant, Southern & Brown Hawkers were everywhere, as were Emerald Damselflies. Sadly, half a dozen people showed me photo's of 'Willow Emeralds' that were, in fact, the more abundant species. Scarce Chaser was a nice surprise at the Sluice....

Loads of Butterflies too: some flower-heads just dripped with Tortoiseshells and Peacocks, and there were a few Common Blues, Red Admirals and Painted Ladies to add variety!

Bonus bird was a Bittern that took me by surprise along Lackford Run!

Upton no good!

A walk around Upton Fen (in between showers!) produced a good variety of Damsels & Dragons: Migrant, Southern & Brown Hawkers were easy, as were Ruddy & Common Darters, Black-tailed Skimmers and Emerald Damselfly.... But I still find some of the Damsels difficult to i/d:- I'm beginning to think the photos I took at Winterton may well have been Southerns!

Willow Emerald!

A snatched couple of hours at Strumpshaw this afternoon was fantastically productive on the odonata front: at least five Migrant Hawkers, a round dozen Southern Hawkers, a very obliging Ruddy Darter and, best of all, my first Willow Emerald Damselfly of the year!

Suffolk insects!

While Linda and I were on our way to stake out the badgers, we stopped at Minsmere for a walk around Dunwich Heath and the RSPB reserve, as well as for a spot of lunch. Southern & Brown Hawkers were everywhere: Docwra's Dyke had dozens of both patrolling up and down and ovipositing. Similarly, Painted Ladies had obviously arrived in good numbers to compete with the vast clouds of Peacocks and Small Torts on the reserve's buddleia bushes. I thought I'd found a Yellow-winged Darter: certainly the individual shown below had yellow patches on its inner wings - but on reflection, I decided it was a Common.... The sandy area around the reserve centre had lots of Ant Lion pit-traps: one day I'd like to see an adult! The bat was photographed at Rendlesham Forest - you can make out the moth it was chasing!

Badgered!

Somewhere far away from men from the ministry with rifles, these beautiful badgers entertained us at close range for an hour or so....

 

Monty's again!

While driving along Ranworth Road on the way to a private Carp lake, Phil & I saw the male Montagu's Harrier fly across the fields again: excellent stuff!
Other birds included Little Owl and Kingfisher.

Painted Lady at last!

At last a Painted Lady in the garden this year! Mint-fresh and bright, it's been on the Buddleia all morning, along with dozens of Peacocks, Tortoiseshells & Large Whites.

Road trip!

Ten days down in Maidenhead and Devon on business produced some excellent species of bird & butterfly, but NOT the hoped-for dragons.... Still: Silver-spotted Skipper was new and an influx of Clouded Yellows at Branscombe was very welcome!