Thursday 27 June 2013

Keeping up with the Insects

Its been another period of small photography. If creepy crawlies aren't your thing then you may want to stop here.

I like to try and find new stuff to photograph. Stuff I haven't done before, but this doesn't mean that I ignore stuff that I have had. I've tried to combine both.

The Scorpion Fly is a really interesting critter. I like getting them.
























I also like Click beetles.
























I have often tried to photo ants. I got one recently but I think its a work in progress. It's a red ant.


















The majority of photography that I do is done within a few miles of my house. Occasionally I drive to more distant locations. I went to Prees Heath near Whitchurch in Shropshire yesterday (Weds 26th) to look for Silver studded Blue butterflies. The day didn't develop as I'd hoped because as the sun broke through the clouds the wind got up to a mighty bluster. Photography was very difficult.

Silver Studded.



















Small Heath.



Prees Heath is a work in progress, the sight of a second world war airfield it is being managed to offer a heathland habitat for lots of species of birds and insects. I was amazed by some of the things I saw during this visit. Redstart, who'd have thought it? I could not believe when I heard a Redstart singing that it was what I was hearing. However, sure enough there it was and indeed there they were as it was joined by a female. My first of 2013.

A family of Green Woodpeckers. at least 4 juveniles and the two adults feeding all around me. A Skylark was seen along with Meadow Pipits, Yellowhammer, GSW, and a Buzzard.

On the insect front there were not as many offerings as I'd hoped. What there were however were quite impressive.



















The first was a Garden Chafer, a cracking little critter. The second is a Gorse Shield Bug.

Back locally the bugs have been continuing to provide opportunities.

The first is a Common Green Capsid.



















This is a Nursery Web Spider,


















customarily carrying its egg sack around with it.

This Dung fly wanted to play hide and seek,























I am still trying to identify this character, i think it could be a member of the Tetragnathidae family.



















The Wasp Beetle never fails to impress me.


















Finally two caterpillar offerings.



















The first is a Comma butterfly caterpillar, the second is a Yellow tailed moth caterpillar.

Well I hope you have enjoyed this offering. Its going to be wet for the next few days apparently so there may be a delay in the next post. Make sure you come back soon, and click on the pictures for a bigger version.