Saturday 7th. July 2012

Like yesterday , I just managed to grab a short while locally , in between drizzle and showers . Not much found really , but combining both days into pictures and comments :

A shot through double glazing of one of two young Fox cubs that were playing down the bottom of the garden yesterday morning , until Carol opened the gate , and they were gone .

Once again , no sign of Purple Hairstreak late yesterday afternoon , apart from the few butterflies , a female Broad-bodied Chaser was the only other interest .

Before the rain set in this morning , a pair of Soldier Beetles / Rhagonycha fulva were making the most of the sunshine .

It might not be to everyone's liking , but all this rain has been great for the Common Cow-wheat / Melampyrum pratense , a member of the Figwort family , it's all over the Common .

Posing on Bramble flower , the hoverfly Helophilus pendulus .

Close by , a juvenile Speckled Bush-cricket , showing well on a Hawkweed head .

The first Common Toadflax / Linaria vulgaris , another of the Figwort family , in flower on the Common .

And in the car park it's relation , Purple Toadflax / L.purpurea .

This afternoon between showers , I had a frustrating time trying to get a decent shot of this female Rhyssa persuasoria , one of the Ichneunon family , but she didn't like the windy conditions .

I believe this to be the male , who landed too close to a spider . I didn't see who won .

Also around , lots of these solitary Bees . I'm not sure if they excavated the holes , or whether they were visiting the holes as 'cuckoos' .

This Ruby-tailed Wasp , another 'cuckoo' , was hanging around as well .

And finally , a single flower from a well known plant , found in open woods , scrub and heath . The flowers grow on a stalked spike . But what is it ?