Elton birds

Another pleasant evening stroll along the river. The Long-tailed Tit was feeding a fledged family of young and the Spotted Flycatcher on of two at the bottom of Back Lane in Elton.

Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus


Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata


Canon Powershot SX10

Evening Insects

An early evening stroll along the Nene in Elton after a warm day.

Banded Demoiselle, teneral female


Ephemera vulgata

Harpocera thoracica

Smart mirid bug in the moth trap last night.

Harpocera thoracica, male


Canon Powershot SX10

Cork Moth

First for the garden during a good mothing session last night. There was another first, Epermenia falciformis, although that will need confirmation. 26 species in all.

Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella

Canon Powershot SX10

Elton Insects

Good selection of birds and insects along the Nene between Berry Leas and The Island.

Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens
Female


Male


Small Coppper Lycaena phlaeas


Canon Powershot SX10

Yellow Wagtail

A male that has been lingering, sometimes with a female, around the watersports centre at Ferry Meadows.

Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava flavissima, male


Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x20

Bedford Purlieus

There have been too many birds on this blog of late so it's time to redress the balance a bit. This collection was snapped at Bedford Purlieus in unexpectedly fine weather today. The Slow Worm was one of three seen and the hoverfly one of many. The latter is assignable to ribesii as it is a female and I can just about make out all-yellow hind femurae.

The longhorn moth is another female, the male would have antennae 2-3 times longer!

Slow Worm Anguis fragilis


Adela reaumurella, female


Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria


Yellow Archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon


Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula


Syrphus ribesii, female


Canon Powershot SX10

A new world record

Mike and I set a new record for the number of species seen by bike in a day in Cambridgeshire (or the PBC area). 110 seen by bike and foot in 24 hours. Read all about it here.

Red-rumped Swallow

Not great but this was taken just after relocating it on its second day.


Handheld digiscope with Canon A640 and Leica APO77 x20