Fancy dress
“There’s an interesting hoverfly here,” I called out to the menfolk, who were watering the patio plants. (Or at any rate, the patio.) “Shall we go and see what Grandma’s found?” said R to the Boy Wonder. And then, a … Continued
White-faced darter
I kicked off my tenth year of blipping in good style today, by visiting Chartley Moss in Staffordshire. This floating peat bog is a privately owned site that’s currently managed by Natural England, and can only be visited under their … Continued
Nine
posted in: Bees, Beetles, Bugs, Butterflies, Damselflies, Dragonflies, Hoverflies, Invertebrates, Odonata, Worcestershire |
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“What are you going to do for your nine-year thingy?” enquired R yesterday. “Oh, bugger,” I said. “I’d completely forgotten.” And then, “I’m going to go to Trench Wood, and find nine interesting invertebrates.” Several things occur to me about … Continued
Stripy socks
I woke up this morning feeling completely wrecked. I think I’ve been overdoing things a bit recently, plus I currently have a virus that’s bad enough for me to have felt that I should do a Covid test (negative, luckily) … Continued
Back on track
R and I got up at 7am today, and by 7.10 the wheels had fallen off the day, with the discovery of a dead muntjac on the top lawn. I’d been planning to zoom off to Wiltshire straight after breakfast, … Continued
Empis tessellata
This is the largest UK species in the Empididae family, which are commonly called dagger flies, balloon flies or sometimes dance flies. The first of these names is the one that makes most sense to me, because they mostly have … Continued
Pushmi-pullyu
I did so much gardening today that right now I barely know what to do with myself. Some light spinal torture on the Shakti mat, I think, and then (hopefully) sleep. And tomorrow, with luck, I’ll go outside, look around … Continued
Bonus butterfly
A trip to Prestbury Hill this morning improved my butterfly list for the year by six species, of which this was the most spectacular, and least expected. It hadn’t crossed my mind that the Marsh Fritillaries might be out yet, … Continued