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Felmersham Gravel Pits

21st September 2026

We decided to take advantage of a nice day for an early autumn walk around Felmersham Gravel Pits. There was still plenty to see although some trees and plants were already preparing themselves for winter.

A metallic green and cream female Willow Emerald Damselfly resting on a slender branch.
A small and lightly haired Hypericum Rhopalid bug in a glorious reddish colour.
A Box Bug in various hues of brown is walking down a leafless branch or twig.
A couple of clusters of small bright red glossy berries hang beneath leaves that are starting to turn red as autumn approaches.
A golden yellow brown and black Hoverfly is feeding on the yellow and green flowers of Ivy.
Nestled in a shady spot is a medium sized mushroom with a large textured cap which is a light brown colour and dimpled so as to produce a V shape at the front whilst mostly flat at the rear.
A single vibrant purple Black Knapweed flower somewhat thistle like in appearance illuminated by the late September sunshine.
A yellow haired Hoverfly with black and yellow abdomen and a black Batman logo on its pale thorax is sunning itself on a tree trunk whilst cleaning itself using its fore legs.
A delicate mushroom with a tall slender stem and a thin but broad pleated pale grey cap.
A brown and cream Speckled Wood Butterfly with its wings partially open is resting in a sunny spot.


There were still quite a few Willow Emerald Damselflies lurking in the hedgerows

A metallic green and cream female Willow Emerald Damselfly resting on a slender branch.





Summer Leys

11th September 2026

Now the hot summer weather is starting to become a memory we are back to trying to get out for a walk once a week or so. This week we took a walk around Summer Leys Nature Reserve which we enjoyed and here are some of the photographs:

Almost olive green in colour a female Common Blue Damselfly is resting on a pale brown plant stem.
A bright red 7 Spot Ladybird is exploring a brown Teasel seedhead whilst nearby a Hairy Shieldbug is doing the same.
An Amphibious Bistort flower with a short broad spike of pink tubular flowers with pale pink stamens topped with darker pink almost red anthers.
A bright yellow flower with multiple long petals and long yellow stamens that get darker almost brown towards the tips.
A cluster of dark blue almost black medium sized fruits of the Blackthorn tree.
A colourful Hairy Shieldbug is investigating a spiky Teasel seedhead.
A long and slender metallic green and cream Willow Emerald Damselfly is holding on to a stout tree stem.
A bright yellow Common Fleabane flower with multiple short slender petals and a large slightly darker centre.
A rather hairy male Common Blue Butterfly with pale blue open wings is feeding on a yellow Common Fleabane flower.
Pinkish red at the rear and otherwise brown in colour this Hairy Shieldbug nymph is indeed quite hairy!
A creamy white small mushroom with egg shaped pleated cap perhaps yet to open fully is developing amongst dead foliage and branches.
A Garden Spider viewed from below showing a creamy base colour with bands of black and occasional orange on the legs and browns and blacks on the body.
A glossy bright red 7 Spot Ladybird is exploring dark green Nettle leaf.
A red and pale creamy brown male Common Darter Dragonfly is soaking up the sun on top of a wooden fence rail.


A rather late female Common Blue Damselfly

Almost olive green in colour a female Common Blue Damselfly is resting on a pale brown plant stem.





Our Wildlife Garden

31st August 2026

Phew, we have had a long hot dry summer which is hard graft in the garden, watering plants to keep our visiting insects happy as well as trying to keep the pond topped up from our water butts. Anyway, here's a few photographs of our residents and visitors:

A Red Admiral Butterfly whose open wings are dark brownish black with red and white markings is feeding on a purple Buddleja flower.
A Common Darter Dragonfly mostly creams browns and some yellow is perched on top of a garden cane.
There is no mistaking this Batman Hoverfly for anything else due to its black and yellow body covered in short yellow hairs and the distinctive Batman logo marking on its thorax.
A beautiful bright orangey red Cinnamon Bug is exploring a leaf.
A Common Darter Dragonfly perched on a garden cane in front of some yellow and red flowers which are out of focus.
A 22 Spot Ladybird Larva mostly yellow but with small black raised spots each with a cluster of short black hairs sprouting from them.
A medium sized black and yellow Hoverfly with golden thorax and short yellow hairs is feeding on a yellow flower.
A rather tatty brown and cream Speckled Wood Butterfly is resting on a sunny leaf with its wings partially open.
A brown and coppery orange Small Copper Butterfly with open wings is feeding on a sunlit Fleabane flower.
I newly moulted medium sized Bug with a few creamish markings here and there although the majority of the Bug is a red colour.
A Hyaline Grass Bug which is mostly a crimson brown colour with black markings and a cream and reddish brown checkered connexivum.
A Small Copper Butterfly resting on a sunlit leaf with its wings folded.
A pristine looking golden brown Box Bug is exploring a Hawthorn leaf.
A bright yellow Sunflower with brown centre and yellow and reddish brown stamens.
A Large White Butterfly with folded wings is feeding on a yellow Fleabane flower.
A colourful but tiny Mint Moth is taking a breather on the deep red petals of a Helenium flower.
A couple of hairy black and yellow Bumblebees are feeding on a yellow Rubeckia flower.
A blue brown and black Migrant Hawker Dragonfly is sunning itself on an old seed head.
A Common Blue Butterfly showing brown underwings with white black and orange markings is enjoying a yellow Fleabane flower.
A small slender black and golden yellow Hoverfly is dining on the yellow flower of a garden weed.
An orange and brown Small Copper Butterfly is feeding on a yellow flower whilst a slender black and yellow Hoverfly looks on.
A green and reddish brown Box Bug Nymph is exploring a green Buckthorn leaf.
A brown and pale green female Southern Hawker is taking a break in the sun.


A Red Admiral Butterfly enjoying our dwarf Buddleja bush

A Red Admiral Butterfly whose open wings are dark brownish black with red and white markings is feeding on a purple Buddleja flower.