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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.





Summer Leys

20th April 2026

A mild and sunny April Day was perfect for a stroll around the ever popular Summer Leys Nature Reserve. Spring was zooming along and there was plenty to see:

A single yellow buttercup flower on a long slender green stem is soaking up the sun.
Resting on a leaf is a medium sized Hoverfly whose head and thorax are covered with golden brown hairs and beneath the folded wings is the black and yellow banded abdomen.
A female Ashy Mining Bee with rear legs covered in yellow pollen and otherwise mostly black with two bands of long light grey hairs on her abdomen and a further patch on the front of her head.
A rotund Bee Fly with long golden hairs has its long proboscis deep inside a funnel shaped pale blue Ground Ivy flower.
A small flower of Common Storks Bill almost entriely a deep pink colour with five long petals and stamens the same colour.
On top of a single stem of Cukooflower are several delicate white to pale lilac flowers with four broad peatls and pale green centres.
A single very delicate looking Horse Chestnut flower almost translucent in white with pale yellow towards the inner and long white stamens with peach coloured anthers.
A small group of Crab Apple flowers with some yet to open fully and others fully open displaying five white pink tinged broad petals with white stamens and pale yellow stamens in the centre.
A 7 Spot Ladybird sits in the middle of a cluster of Hawthorn flowers with broad white petals a creamish centre with white stamens and brown anthers.
A Harlequin Ladybird with lots of black spots on its bright red elytra and a white pronotum with black markings in the shape of the letter M.
A small bright red Ladybird with just two spots on its elytra is walking acroos a large green leaf.
A Speckled Wood Butterfly with open wings which are mostly a pale brown colour with plentiful cream blotches.
A colourful Peacock Butterfly with open wings is soaking up the sun on top of a wooden fence.


Buttercups were starting to flower in places

A single yellow buttercup flower on a long slender green stem is soaking up the sun.





Storton's Pits

14th April 2026

Having an hour or so to spare on a windy but pleasant morning I took a quick stroll around Storton's Pits. The Nature Reserve is next to busy industrial estates, clanging, banging and birdsong!

A tall slender lift tower dominates the skyline with a glimpse of meadow and hedgerow in the foreground.
A large black and dull yellow Hoverfly is taking a break on a large green leaf.
Nestled amongst some foliage is a Harlequin Ladybird
A male Orange Tip Butterfly at rest with folded wings showing the large orange patch on the tip of its white upperwings and the greenish brown pattern on the underwings.
A brightly coloured Peacock Butterfly with partially folded wings is resting on a large leaf.
A medium sized bee with a black body and covered in cream coloured hairs which are a little more gingery coloured around the thorax.
A rather furry Bee Fly is feeding from a Ground Ivy flower using its long proboscis.
A medium sized pristine golden yellow and black Hoverfly is investigating a large yellow Dandelion flower.
Delicate looking pale lilac to white flowers of Cardamine pratensis with four broad petals and pale green centres.
A Common Green Shieldbug unsurprisingly rather green in colour with pinkish red tips to its legs and antennae.


You can see the old lift tower from almost every point of the Nature Reserve

A tall slender lift tower dominates the skyline with a glimpse of meadow and hedgerow in the foreground.