Speckled bush crickets are pretty strange little beasts even as adults, but the nymphs are so bizarre I find it hard to believe they’re real, even when I’ve got one cowering in front of me, wondering if I’m about to … Continued
Well. This was a lucky find. And I’m not even talking about the female speckled bush cricket in the centre of this rather messy image. I was out in the village this afternoon, photographing ivy-feeders around the hedgerows, when my … Continued
R had to run some errands in Stratford today, and though I’m still suffering badly with Baby B’s cold, I tagged along for the ride in the expectation of an easy Odonata photo opportunity down by the river. In the … Continued
I was heading homewards from the post box, with another rain storm threatening, when I decided to risk taking a quick walk around Tilly’s field in search of insects. In contrast with yesterday there were dozens of grasshoppers pinging around, … Continued
R and I went to Charlecote this morning, where most of the park is now open, bar a section to the north of the lake, which is still cordoned off as a sanctuary for the fallow buck herd. We walked … Continued
I spent much of the afternoon stalking grasshoppers and crickets around the village. It isn’t fair, really, because they absolutely hate it – Orthoptera are so far down the food chain that almost everyone eats them, so the closer you … Continued
It feels as though the Large Red Damselflies have largely deserted our garden now: I haven’t seen a female at either of the ponds for several weeks. For a while we had regular visits by two males, but now this … Continued
The fierce rain of yesterday cleared overnight, but it was a dull and overcast day, and my mood was appropriately down-beat. I almost talked myself into going out, but the light really wasn’t good enough for bug hunting, and in … Continued
