Yesterday evening I was booked in to give a talk to the RSPB
Potters Bar local group and planned my approach to include some insect type
places en route but as seems to be the norm at the moment the weather had other
plans and as I headed west from Lowestoft I drove into increasingly bad weather
with the Brecks being particularly hazardous on the roads.
Beyond Cambridge I veered up towards Fowlmere, the little
chalk marsh RSPB reserve that I first visited with my parents and brother 40
years ago and I had not actually been back in 30.
I parked up and waited for the rain to let up before heading
out on a solitary circuit. It was very
cool, and grey and breezy and the rain felt like it was not far away but I
enjoyed my amble down memory lane. I can’t
find it in my ancient journals but I think it 1984 or 85 and we stayed at
Thaxted in the caravan where I saw my first Hobbies – breeding no less. I remembered the path way bordered by the
crystal clear chalk River Shep and the Brown Trout that still hung cleverly in
the currents. A large Mayfly briefly
touched down and was sucked down with a splash and slurp.
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| Brown Trout |
My brother said he saw a Water Vole that day and my memory
says we heard a plop. This time there
was a big plump Ratty going about his business while in the reeds there were
still Water Rails and Reed Warblers although I suspect that way back then there
were no Cetti’s shouting at me.
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| Upwelling |
There was so much water on the reserve and you could hear it
noisily belching out of the ponds in silvery balloons. If only it had been warm and sunny then the
air would have been alive with insects.
As it was I saw almost none. I
listened in vain for Turtle Doves but it was good to hear Yellowhammers and
Corn Buntings in the surrounding farmland as I neared the car.
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| An ex-Mole - I turned it over to look for Burying Beetles but no joy |
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| I need help with this single Orchid in a wet meadow |
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| and Enid... I have no idea on this one! |
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| Marsh Figwort |
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| False Watercress |
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| Yellow Flag |
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| A very chocolatey Brown Lipped Hedge Snail |
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| Water Crowfoot sp |
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| Not far off fledging |
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| Lipara lucens - one day someone, somewhere in the fly world will want my records! |
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| Pyrochroa coccinea |
I moved on to Therfield Heath where the rain returned and I
watched the windswept grassy hills for 90 minutes before continuing south for
the evening…
My talk on Spring and Summer on the Kentish Downs last night
went well although as usual my picture of a wonderful Spanish Fly (beetle of
course) passed most people by! Dorothy
and Phil fed and put me up for the night before I wiggled my way back out of
the Lea Valley and up the M11 after an early breakfast. It felt like it was going to be an ok day and
I deviated on to the A1066 towards Diss deciding to visit Reedham and Lopham
Fen too look for their Raft Spiders.
I remembered to put my wellies on and trudged around the red
Spider Trail. I saw no big spiders but
the occasional busts of sunshine and momentary warmth gave me my first and best
Bramble session of the season.
I saw four Damselfly species and a few Four Spotted Chaser,
a pretty good selection of Hoverflies that included three Volucella amongst
many Topidia scita, Eristalis and Helophilus while Early Bumblebee was the
commonest along with four other species.
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Four Spotted Chaser
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| Blue-tailed Damselfly |
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| Common Blue Damselfly |
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| Large Red Damselfly |
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| Azure Damselfly |
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| Azure Damselfly |
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| Azure Damselfly |
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| Azure Damselfly - amazing difference in the females |
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| Volucella bombylans |
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| Volucella inflata |
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| Volucella pellucens |
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| Helophlius pendulus |
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| Helophlius pendulus |
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| Helophlius pendulus |
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| Helophlius hybridus |
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| Parhelophlius sp |
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| Tropidia scita |
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| Eristalis pertinax - male |
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Eristalis pertinax - this furry female confused me
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