Dragon day
After all the moaning I’ve been doing about the dearth of dragons around here this year, today turned out to be a Very Good Day Indeed. R and I were tidying the garden this afternoon, in preparation for the family … Continued
Leaf cutters
It’s not often you’re offered a face shot by a female Megachile willughbiella: they’re usually buried head down in a flower. But I was out quite early this morning, and several of my subjects, including this one, seemed dozier than … Continued
Polylectic
Well, you say that… Polylectic in this sense means a bee that collects pollen from a range of unrelated types of flower. It’s said that Megachile willughbiella is happy to collect from daisies, campanulas and willowherbs, as well as from … Continued
Early and late
Three weeks ago I posted a little clutch of first instar woundwort shieldbug nymphs, and commented that they would be approaching adulthood in around a month. I’ve tried to keep an eye on their development since then, but the weather … Continued
Refreshment
After the hottest night I ever remember failing to sleep through, the morning was dark and overcast, and eventually it rained a little. The temperature has now dropped into the normal range for a British summer, but we’re going to … Continued
Oak bush cricket
I’m indebted to R for enabling this post, by finding me an insect I’d never seen before, and then acting as my glamorous studio assistant while I photographed it. It was after 5pm, and after spending most of the day … Continued
Mr and Mrs
I’m back with the leaf cutter bees tonight – not least because they kept working today, when almost everything else had retreated to the shade, and thereby gave me the day’s best photo opportunities. The main image is a female … Continued