Insects at Paxton Pits

A selection of insects found on a recent stroll around Paxton Pits. 

Cowslips

This seems to have been a particularly good year for cowslips. I have seem them in abundance in every verge and hedgerow I have passed. These shots were taken over Easter, when I found a lovely big patch next to Grafham Water. 

Burnet Moths

These were taken a couple of weeks ago on a visit to Sharpenhoe Clappers. There were a lots of Burnet moths and they were very confiding.

 

 

Fox

I saw this chap one evening whilst looking for the local barn owl.  I was stood by the gate of a small field that had been recently mown and baled for hay.  I saw the fox across the back of the field a couple of times, before making its way forward.  The fox was half-way down the field before it saw me.  At which point it sat down and stared at me.  It soon became clear that fox wanted to get through the gate I was stood by, and was quite prepared to wait me out rather than detour. We watched each other for a while, the fox having the occasional stretch or fidget.  After about 20 minutes, with the light failing fast, I moved off and watched from distance as the fox went through the gate and across the road to the fields beyond.

Green Winged Orchids

 A small selection of Green Winged Orchid shots from Upwood Meadows.

Bluebells at Gamsey Wood

The bluebells have been at their best, several weeks earlier than typical.  This has followed a very wet winter (and not much drier early spring), that caused widespread flooding.  Many local woods are still waterlogged.  Beds, Cambs and Northants Wildlife Trust, which controls most of these woods, has closed them to visitors to prevent damage.  Gamlingay, Hardwick, Hayley, Waresley, Wistow and Lady's Woods are all closed.  Brampton wood is technically open, but the advice is not to visit.  Luckily, the little known and little visited Gamsey wood is dry, open and, when I visited last weekend, the bluebells were at their best.  

Gamsey is a small wood and has a fair amount of undergrowth.  When I went last year, cleavers and nettles were drowning the bluebells.  This year, the bluebells had a head start on the greenery and were giving a much stronger showing.  

Welney Again

Because my previous trip to Welney WWT was during a flooding period, I had a free return ticket, which I opted to use last weekend.  The water had receded enough that some of the outer hides were open.  Sadly, the water was still too high to attract in many swans, most of which stayed out on the fields past sunset.

A Morning at Paxton Pits

I went to Paxton Pits (fairly) early on Saturday morning, in search of dragonflies.  I didn't find any of the big ones, but I did find a few darters.  Both the Common Darter and the Ruddy Darter.  I also found the last of the damselflies, the Willow Emerald.

Butterflies At Sharpenhoe Clappers

After much waiting, I recently got hold of the new Olympus 90mm F3.5 macro lens.  I have been testing out its capabilities on the butterflies at Sharpenhoe Clappers.  So far this month there have been a lot of windy days' and first trip turned out to be one of those.  I struggled to keep things in the frame, let alone in focus.  The second trip was much better. There were plenty on marbled whites on show.

 

 
 

I also found a few other species.  A nice little Green Veined White, and rather scruffy looking examples of a Gatekeeper and a Dark Green Fritillary.

 

 

 

It was only when I started reviewing the pictures that I noticed a red spot on the back of one Marbled White.  This turned out to be a parasitic mite, Trombidium breei.  Apparently these are quite common on Marbled Whites, and some other species, and mostly harmless to the host.

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Royston Heath

On Saturday, I joined a few other CCC members for a visit to Royston Heath in search of flowers and butterflies.  The flowers were White Helleborines.  For butterflies, we found Adonis Blues and Brown Argus.  Quite a colourful day.