Santurtzi arthropods

Had a cracking weekend hitching up with The Company of Whales on the Portsmouth - Bilbao ferry. Met a great bunch of people and saw some superb wildlife on the sea and land. One of the highlights for me was calling a Grasshopper Warbler flying long the edge of the ship, which finally perched up in full view confirming the ID.

The ferry arrives at Santurtzi (Santurtzi in Basque, Santurce in Spanish) and a walk up the slopes of Mount Serrantes to the Fortified Heights, while waiting for the return sailing, produced some excellent insects and spiders.

Praying Mantis Mantis religiosa



Wasp Spider Argiope bruennichi (the last pic shows the spinneret producing silk)





Sickle-bearing Bush-cricket Phaneroptera falcata, female - note the sickle-shaped ovipositor



Adonis Blue Polyommatus bellargus



Pyrausta despicata


Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella


Grasshopper (ID still under investigation)


Canon Powershot SX10 IS

Grote Heide

An attempt to see Spotted Darter was only partially successful. The darters were either hiding during the cool, cloudy, windy conditions or too active during the brief sunnier spells. A few views through bins seemed to confirm the ID but couldn't get any photos. Small Emerald Damselfly was new to me though and there were many Pool Frogs present.

Small Emerald Damselfly Lestes virens
Male





Female


Small Red Damselfly Ceriagrion tenellum


Pool Frog Rana lessonae


Canon PowerShot SX10 IS

Large Thorn & Feathered Gothic

The autumn moths are well underway now.

Large Thorn Ennomos autumnaria




Feathered Gothic Tholera decimalis, female


Canon PowerShot SX10 IS

Speckled Wood

This and Red Admiral in the garden daily.


Canon PowerShot SX10 IS

Meadow Grasshopper

One of many orthopterans at Castor Hanglands.

Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus

Canon PowerShot A2100 IS

Eyed Ladybird

A rare visitor to the moth trap

Eyed Ladybird Anatis ocellata

Canon PowerShot SX10 IS

Common Tern

Up to 16 lingering on Gunwade Lake at Ferry Meadows.

Common Tern Hirundo rustica
Adult



Juvenile



Digiscoped with Canon PowerShot A640 and Leica APO 77 x20

Red-eared Terrapin

An unexpected sight at The Boardwalks NR in Peterborough.

Red-eared Terrapin Trechemys scripta

Canon PowerShot A640

Speckled Bush Cricket

This female was around the pond in our garden. They are not often seen but we know there are plenty because we can hear the males with the bat detector at night.

Speckled Bush Cricket Leptophyes punctatissima, female


Canon Powershot SX10 IS

Garden Hovers

An amazing amount of hoverflies have been using the Hebe "Great Orme" in our garden. By far the most numerous insect at this excellent nectar source with inexcess of 100 at times. At least 12 species involved, a selection shown here.

Eristalis intricarius


Myathropa florea


Episyrphus balteatus


Eupeodes luniger


Scaevia pyrastri


Canon Powershot SX10 IS

Conops quadrifasciata

First for the garden I think. A female with the strange pouch under the 5th segment.

Conops quadrifasciata, female



Canon Powershot SX10

Eristalis intricarius, King's Dyke

This was among many insects in the usual good spot near the Green Wheel crossroads between Bradley Fen and King's Dyke West.

Eristalis intricarius



Canon Powershot A2100

Stictoleptura rubra

A good day for insects in the garden with many butterflies, hundreds of hoverflies (mainly Episyrphus balteatus) and others like this excellent longhorn beetle.

Stictoleptura rubra, male


Comma Polygonia c-album


Canon A2100 IS

Blenheim Palace

A day out at Blenheim Palace, where the rose garden provided some subjects for the A2100. It is turning out to be a very capable macro camera with surprisingly good depth of field on closeups.

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui



Rosa 'Troika'


Rosa 'City of Belfast'


Canon A2100 IS

Ligia oceanica

Came across this while climbing on the cliffs at Sennen. Largest of the 'woodlice' this is an impressive beast. Scale is hard to convey in the pics but I would say this exceeds the reference maximum of 30mm by some margin. Not sure I like the common name of Sea Slater.

Ligia oceanica


Canon A2100

Mediterranean Gull

Present on the reserve at Ferry Meadows fairly briefly at 17:45 this evening. Provided a good chance to try out the new camera, which on these results doesn't seem ideal for digiscoping.

Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus, juvenile



Digiscoped with Canon A2100 and Leica APO77 x20

Insects, King's Dyke

Plenty of insects in spots protected from the wind: Rhingia campestris, Merodon equestris, Eristalis and Syrphus hoverflies; Comma, Red Admiral, Peacock, Common Blue, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper butterflies; Brown Hawker and Common Darter dragonflies. Also had a young Peregrine zip low overhead while watching them.

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta


Peacock Inachis io


Rhingia campestris


Canon A640

Bordered Pug

The first since 2004.

Bordered Pug Eupithecia succenturiata

Canon A640