Lots of egg laying in the pond today: Emperor Dragonfly and a frenzy of Azure Blue Damselflies, plus other insects in my wildlife friendly garden.

Azure Blue damselflies in tandem egg laying.

 At least three Meadow Brown butterflies.

 Field grasshopper

 As I was pulling convolvulus from my raspberry canes, a White Plume Moth, Pterophorus pentadactyla flew out.  Convolvulous is its food plant.

 It posed obligingly for photo's

Emperor dragonfly, blue form female, Anax imperator

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worker and queen

 Buff-tailed bumblebee workers were buzy in and out of their nest by my front door.  And several queens were observed this morning and afternoon.

Queen 

And to think that garden centers sell chemicals to kill such useful insects.  Why?

Thursley National Nature Reserve: White-legged Damselfly, Redstart, wasps, Silver-studded Blue butterflies, and more

White-legged Damselfly

Redstart

Silver-studded Blue butterflies

Six Silver-studded Blue butterflies were seen yesterday at this nature reserve.
Plus many other delights below.

Common Heath moth, male, Ematurga atomaria

Ammophila sp. sand wasp

Shelduck family takes to the water on the Cuckmere river estuary, East Sussex, UK last Sunday, 11 June 2017

 What a fine brood this pair of Shelducks have raised.  And what a joy to see them on the river.

 Canada geese showed an interest but caused the ducklings no harm.

Other birds included lots of Goldfinches, Little Egrets, Long-tailed tit and Linnets on the dew pond at High and Over and a Mute Swan family.

All being watched by the white horse on High and Over Down.
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Some spider species on Wolstonbury Hill, the Sussex Downs

 The "Friends of Wolstonbury" [ www.wolstonbury.com ] were busy yesterday clearing out excess vegetation from the dew pond under the direction of National Trust Ranger, Mike Botterill.  If not done, the pond would eventually clog up and revert to a damp woodland.

 Three spider species were observed.  This one, which was running around on the water amongst the vegetation looks like Argyroneta aquatica, the Water spider but since it was not observed to dive under water can't be confirmed.

 Clinging to the top of a stem and with some prey, this resembles Pisaura mirabilis, the Nurseryweb spider with a prey insect.

Then a tiny Araniella sp. cucumber spider was spotted by Mike, during lunch.

If you are interested in fun and exercise on this beautiful hill, new volunteers are very welcomed of all ages.  Contact details are at http://www.wolstonbury.com/contact_us.htm

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The "Friends of Wolstonbury" enjoyed fresh air & exercise cleaning out the dew pond from encroaching plants.

 Such fun!  And we do not wish to keep such joyeous events to ourselves: new volunteers much needed and welcomed.  See www.wolstonbury.com 

The wildlife seen today was spectucular too.

Damselflies & Dragonflies at Thursley yesterday

A high wind and cool temperatures yesterday at Thursley made photographing the few Damselflies & Dragonflies rather difficult.

Common Blue Damselflies, drab female form

Love was in the air though and Common blue and Azure blue damselflies were mating.

Azure damselflies

This is  perhaps an immature Darter but which one I can not tell.

 Four-spotted chasers were flying around in good numbers.

Common Blue Damselfly

 The lilies on Moat Pond were splendid.

Early Marsh-orchids at Thursley National Nature Reserve, Surrey

 Thursley National Nature Reserve, Surrey is a wonderful place for acid bog loving plants and insects -- plus the birds (especially Hobbies and Dartford warblers) that feed on them.

This looks like an Early Marsh-orchids.

 
 And there were hundreds of them.

An unusual white form.