Wildlife pictures

[Harvestman]

This might be the last time I get to post shots of these great insects this year. Here are some recent pictures:

Common Red Darter
Male

Female

This might be a female Ruddy Darter. If not, it is a Common Red Darter. I'm not sure.

Black Darter

Southern Hawker (wouldn't stay still for me)

Common Blue Damselfly (both male)

Emerald Damselfly
Female

Male

 

[Harvestman]

Next, the spiders. Look away now...

Common garden spider Araneus diadematus
Female with wasp prey

Male

Four spot spider Araneus quadratus
Female (note the colour variation)

Male

Common Marsh oprb-weaver, Larinioides cornutus

Daddy-Longlegs spider Pholcus phalangioides

A long-jawed spider, Tetragnatha striata (bit of a rarity, this one)

 

[Niels]

Cool. I love the dragonflies. They're the combat helicopters of the insect world.

I just got this. Not sure what it is either.

 

[chimpy leon]

Those are some brilliant pictures Harvestman (and everyone else). I've never seen anything like those wasp spiders before. Are they fairly uncommon?

 

[Harvestman]

Those are some brilliant pictures Harvestman (and everyone else). I've never seen anything like those wasp spiders before. Are they fairly uncommon?

Thanks for the comments about the pictures. I've been lucky lately.

Wasp spider has a limited UK distribution, being fairly common in the south and east, especially coastal , but pretty much unheard of north of Birmingham.

 

[Harvestman]

Cool. I love the dragonflies. They're the combat helicopters of the insect world.

I just got this. Not sure what it is either.

The dragonflies have been good this summer.

Neat hoverfly. I had to look it up as it is a new one to me, but that is Helophilus trivittatus, a species primarily of coastal marshes. I'm going to post a shot or two of one of its close relatives soon.

 

[Niels]

The dragonflies have been good this summer.

Neat hoverfly. I had to look it up as it is a new one to me, but that is Helophilus trivittatus, a species primarily of coastal marshes. I'm going to post a shot or two of one of its close relatives soon.

Cool, it was on my island which is partially surrounded by coastal marshes.

 

[Harvestman]

Right then, it seems that the hoverfly pictures should be up next.

Lots of bee mimicking Eristalis hoverflies about, usually known as drone flies.
Eristalis arborustrum

Eristalis pertinax

Esristalis tenax

For Niels, Helophilus pendulus (easily the commonest member of the genus). In the UK the genus Helophilus is pretty much the only one with stripes on the thorax

Big and impressive Sericomyia silentis

Small and obscure Sphaerophoria scripta

The marmalade hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus, the only UK species with 2 black strips per abdominal segment. Incredibly common.

And here's one I haven't identified yet. - edit - Eupeodes luniger.

 

[Harvestman]

Continuing the theme of insects we might not see much more of this year, here are a few butterflies.

There has been a recent influx of Clouded Yellows

The Small Tortoiseshells are still around

Small Coppers too

This Grayling was really hard to find in the camera lens as it blended in so well.

 

[brancho]

Some great stuff here Harvestman.

Here are a couple of mine

A honey bee


Honey Bee by alf.branch, on Flickr

This fly is uncropped


Fly on Sedum by alf.branch, on Flickr

 

[Harvestman]

Brancho you put me to shame, Fantastic images. :You_Rock_

 

[brancho]

Brancho you put me to shame, Fantastic images. :You_Rock_

Thanks Michael but you have some great images mate many of things I have never spotted.

 

[Harvestman]

Alf that bee picture is stunning. :You_Rock_


Pet hate here: please transpose the a and e in my name. I hate having my name spelt wrong.

And my apologies for being so pathetic about it.

 

[brancho]

Alf that bee picture is stunning. :You_Rock_


Pet hate here: please transpose the a and e in my name. I hate having my name spelt wrong.

And my apologies for being so pathetic about it.

Sorry about the spelling Mike I can spell but not type.

The latest two shots were taken with my Sigma 105 f2.8 macro lens which I have not had long and not much chance to use.

 

[Niels]

Pet hate here: please transpose the a and e in my name. I hate having my name spelt wrong.

And my apologies for being so pathetic about it.

If I got a penny for all the times people on here write Neils They're anglicizing my name.
Now, what are these please?

The catterpillar is about 3 cm long, and it was yellow and black with orange/brown hairs. It's hard to see in the picture.



And this thing:

 

[Turnstone]

After so many great insect and spider shots it's time for some variety!

This summer, German wadden sea, taken from a boat:

 

[Harvestman]

After so many great insect and spider shots it's time for some variety!

This summer, German wadden sea, taken from a boat:

Hey! Who put those things with less than six legs up on here?

That's a lovely picture Turnstone, and a nice change from the usual disembodied seal head sort of shot.

 

[Harvestman]

Since nobody seems to be reading my blog (Hint!), and Turnstone is suggesting there are too many bug pictures on here (), here are some cute and fluffy pictures instead.

Water voles. Picked up by the tail and given a stick to grasp, hence the unnatural looking shots. Taken as part of a vole release program at a local nature reserve.

And here's a bad shot of an established vole at a feeding platform. My only 'wild' vole picture.

 

[Niels]

Since nobody seems to be reading my blog (Hint!), and Turnstone is suggesting there are too many bug pictures on here (), here are some cute and fluffy pictures instead.

I commented to your blog the other day and you thought I was DaveO http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/entry.php?b=29#comments
Nice voles.

 

[Harvestman]

Hey, you want me to pay attention as well? You are lucky to get a reply.





Very, very sorry