Dragonfest
My 2025 dragon list still doesn’t include the Common Clubtail, so this morning I went off looking for some. By the end of the day I’d seen over a hundred dragonflies (including two species that were new for the year), … Continued
Freshly Scarce
I worked my local Odonata beat today, starting at Cleeve Prior Community Orchard, then dropping down to the Avon at Cleeve Prior Mill, before swinging round to the Heart of England Forest section of the river near Barton. My field … Continued
Smiley face
Tired after yesterday’s surfeit of fun, I didn’t put in much effort today, and more or less pottered the day away. Because it was rather dark and cold I wasn’t expecting much insect activity either, so I was surprised when … Continued
Anniversary surprise
R and I went out for lunch today to celebrate our wedding anniversary (I’d tell you which one but I doubt you’d believe me, as I’m clearly not old enough to have been married this long), and when we got … Continued
Praenubila
This morning the Orchard Pond at Cleeve Prior Community Orchard was being ruled by a pair of Four-spotted Chasers. They were, of course, chasing each other, but they also set on any other large insects they noticed trying to access … Continued
Reflective
The weather went over a cliff overnight, taking my energy and my mood with it. Abandoning a vague plan I’d had to go after small early butterflies up on Prestbury Hill – even if it wasn’t too cold and windy … Continued