Oldest Newest



Abington Meadows

12th May 2026

Cycling past Abington Meadows Nature Reserve on quite an overcast day I decided to pop in and have a look around on my return journey. Fortunately I had a camera handy to take a couple of snaps.

A slender Mayfly is resting amongst the reeds.
A slender bodied Fine Streaked Bugkin with long reddish coloured legs and a black body adorned with multiple markings in yellow and orange.
A mature Blue Tailed Damselfly with black marked thorax and dark abdomen with distinctive blue end.
A bright red Cardinal Beetle with black legs and long black toothed antennae is exploring a broad blade of grass.
A pair of flowers of the Cuckooflower plant with each flower having four broad pale pinky lilac petals and pale green reproductive parts with yellow anthers.
A bright yellow Buttercup flower with 5 very broad petals and matching yellow stamens.
This female Anasimyia lineata is a medium sized quite broad Hoverfly in a pale browny cream colour with black longitudinal stripes on her thorax and intricate black markings on her abdomen.
Exploring a leaf is a bright red Harlequin Ladybird with multiple black spots on the elytra and a black W shape on the white pronotum.
A small bright red Two Spot Ladybird with an unsurprising total of two black spots on its elytra and white cheeks on its black pronotum.


I've not really looked for Mayflies this year, this is however the first one I have noticed

A slender Mayfly is resting amongst the reeds.





Our Wildlife Garden

30th April 2026

April was a busy time in the garden, not a lot of rain but lots of insect activity as the weather was warm:

A medium sized Hoverfly with golden thorax and black and yellow abdomen is resting on a large green leaf.
The top few inches of a very bristly Green Alkanet plant with a few small bright blue five petalled flowers and dark green leaves.
A glossy leaf is the favoured resting place for a medium sized bee which is a dark brown black colour and covered in pale brown and dark cream coloured hairs.
A largish golden hued Hoverfly with black markings on its abdomen and distinctive markings on the thorax.
The flower of a Star of Bethlehem plant with six long slender white petals leading to a pale green centre.
A Large Red Damselfly at rest showing a dark red abdomen punctuated with black and cream markings and a darker bronze and dark yellow thorax.
Two purplish brown Hairy Shieldbugs are mating in the fluffy seed head of a Dandelion Clock.
Covered in fine white hairs is a bright orangey red and black Cinnamon Bug exploring a largish leaf.
A Scarlet Tiger Moth Caterpillar mostly black in colour with three broad rows of large yellow markings which are white where clumps of long pale spikey hairs sprout.
A tiny brightly coloured Mint Moth whose pale brown legs contrast with the bright orange and purple colours on the upper side of the wings.
A cluster of medium sized bright magenta flowers each with five broad petals leading to a darker centre with bright yellow anthers on top of the stamens.
Covered in short pale hairs is a female Hairy Dragonfly with black abdomen contrasting with small yellow markings and a paler brown colour on top of her thorax.
A Cream Streaked Ladybird which manages to look like a cream coloured ladybird with black spots that has been badly painted red leaving streaks of cream on the wing cases.
An adult Common Green Shieldbug mostly vibrant green with red antennae and reddish colouration on the lower legs.


A Hoverfly enjoying a sunny day

A medium sized Hoverfly with golden thorax and black and yellow abdomen is resting on a large green leaf.





Felmersham Gravel Pits

24th April 2026

We decided to take a stroll around Felmersham Gravel Pits. The weather was sunny and warm although there was a bit of a breeze. There was an audible buzz of insects which was great to hear!

A view across the large lake at Felmersham Gravel Pits with a few reeds in the foreground and green leaved trees on the far side all under a bright blue sky.
A small cluster of Hawthorn flowers and buds with five broad white petals with white stamens and pink anthers.
A long light green plant stem is topped by a hairy bud of a yellow Buttercup flower which is starting to open and is under investigation by a small black shiny beetle.
A bright yellow Dandelion type flower is being visited by a medium sized hairy bee which is covered in yellow pollen.
A colourful Peacock Butterfly with outspread wings is feeding on a yellow Dandelion flower.
A Large Red Damselfly mostly deep crimson in colour highlighted with metallic bronze markings is resting on a leaf.
A pale brown young female Common Blue Damselfly with darker markings on the back of her thorax and abdomen.
A slender pinkish coloured young male Common Blue Damselfly with distinctive darker mushroom shaped markings on the top of his abdomen and hints of his adult blue here and there.
A young and slender pale pink Azure Damselfly with black markings on its thorax and the top of its abdomen which is also showing hints of a blueish lilac colour.
Walking along a fallen branch is a medium sized glossy beetle mostly a reddish brown colour with slightly translucent elytra and with a large black marking on its head and two black dots on its pronotum.
A reddish brown Red Headed Cardinal Beetle with long black feathered anntenae is exploring some old dead plant stems.
A small rotund and very reflective green beetle with dimpled elytra and bobbled antennae.
A Fourteen Spot Ladybird in a pale cream colour with large black markings visible on its pronotum and elytra.
A Fourteen Spot Ladybird in a dull mustard yellow colour with large black markings on its head pronotum and elytra.
A cluster of Butterbur seed heads very similar in appearance to Dandelion seed heads but coarser and with larger seeds.


Spring is well and truly here now, lots of green on the trees

A view across the large lake at Felmersham Gravel Pits with a few reeds in the foreground and green leaved trees on the far side all under a bright blue sky.