Wednesday 7 July 2010

Wednesday 7th.July 2010

I was on 'sick leave' from volunteering today , and the weather seemed in sympathy , as it remained cloudy and breezy for most of the day , but a bit of brightness after lunch was enough to make a visit to Spring Park pond .
Not that there was that much about , but the grass was alive with Grasshoppers and Crickets , and amongst them , good numbers of Roesel's Bush Cricket , identified by the cream edging to the pronotum , the saddle shaped plate behind the head . In the vegetation around the pond , a few newly emerged Common Darters were recorded . The tadpoles seemed to have found something of interest , out in the middle . The only flying Odonata were Broad Bodied Chasers , three males and a single female , looking very dull now . The vibrant powder blue of the males has gone too , but the dark line across the abdomen , just below the yellow spots , indicates that his offspring will be flying next year , the line made by the female holding on whilst they mated in flight . But , as one species is almost finished , another is just beginning . I found this Southern Hawker , still gripping it's exuvia , just before I left . As I did so , the Southern Hawker made it's maiden flight , upwards into the surrounding trees . On the way back to the car , lots of these small Bees , popping in and out of holes , mined in the ground . I believe they are Nomada species , possibly N.fulvicornis , but I'm not certain .

3 comments:

Warren Baker said...

The wethers meant to be getting sunnier over the next few days Greenie - back to the butterflies!

Thanks for the tip on PH's ( open wings)

Anonymous said...

Plenty of damsels about here but not seen many dragons at all.
Haven't knowlingly seen a Roesel's Bush cricket yet - I will be studying the pronotum next time out.

ShySongbird said...

Hope the finger is recovering, Greenie!

Nice photos again and good info on the BBCs, always interesting to read that sort of detail.