Emergent
This has been an exciting day, in more ways than one. R and I went over to Oxford this morning, to see the Pre-Raphaelite exhibition at the Ashmolean. During the drive we were trying, and failing, to remember the last … Continued
Pond dipping
It’s been quite stormy over the past couple of days, and by this morning the wildlife pond was pretty full of leaves, so I took a net and went to skim them. Almost immediately I realised that most of them … Continued
Marsh flies
I’ve been seeing single specimens of these orange-eyed flies hanging around the wildlife pond for a few months now, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen a pair of them getting jiggy. And as I know you like … Continued
Mono Monday: In and out
After I’d been around the village this afternoon and taken a lot of middling photos of insects I didn’t care about very much, I thought I ought to do something useful, so I got a net and skimmed the ponds … Continued
Eggscitement
As it was a warm and muggy morning, I wandered down to the wildlife pond in the hope that some more damselflies might have arrived and taken up residence. None had, but as I was walking around the perimeter trying … Continued
The Oviposition Champion
AOG Day 10 The crowd heard her before they saw her: the unmistakeable rustling sound of the wings of a large dragonfly. Already on the edges of their seats in anticipation of the Dragonfly Oviposition (Hawkers) final, they gasped and … Continued
Going for gold
AOG Day 9 The Hoverfly Copulation Competition concluded this afternoon, with what was surely an inevitable win for H. Hybridus, the hoverfly affectionately known to his team-mates in Team Eristalini as Alpha Male. Here you can see the unparalleled poise … Continued