Nature in the garden – 06.06.21

It has been another exciting week for nature in the garden, still lots of flying things it seems. This is for the last week or so and one pic in May I forgot to post, but most all of these are my first time seeing them. I may have given them a glance before, but not that I remember, and not that I noticed. I amazed at just how much there is once you start paying attention and letting the garden grow a bit wilder and by plating a bit more.

Pellucid Hoverfly

I haven’t ever seen one of these hoverflies before, there have been a number of different ones, so of course they will get their own post at some point 🙂

Mayfly

A very small weird looking mayfly, checking out my new little tub pond I put together mid week. It’s a work in progress and a trial run really. We’ll see how that goes.

Nephrotomoa Crane Fly

This is another first – a type of crane fly that looks a bit more special than the ones I see all the time. Nature is great.

Light Brown Apple Moth

A new moth for me, and more exciting because it was in my own garden. This almost looked like a leaf at first, but on second glance I noticed it had wings, and a brilliant blue trim on them. I have now seen another of these, so that’s two in a week (I know it was a second moth and not the first again, because it was smaller).

Leafcutter bee

At first I thought this insect had orange eyes. He was moving quickly and didn’t settle for long. After getting a couple of pics he left. I studies the picture to see what it was having worked out it was a type of bee, and discovered the orange bits appear to be pollen. Must have been a very pollen filled flower he visited before getting to me garden.

Ruby-tailed wasp

I love these colourful little wasps. They are so quick and settle for so little time, it’s a difficult process trying to get a good pic, so this one isn’t great, but as it appeared this week again, I really wanted to get a shot.

Eupeodes luniger hoverfly

I am seeing these almost daily now, they land often and give me plenty of time for shots, but are easily spooked. So I wait and enjoy watching them a while first usually.

Crossocerus square-headed wasp

Again, not a great pic as it’s another fast moving wasp. Enough to work out what it was though. They are as small and cute looking as the rub-tailed wasp.

Red-tailed bumble bee

This chap did not settle long, enjoying the fully flowering loganberry bush but there wasn’t much left for him it seems as the visit was brief. I’m trying to capture all nature at the moment, rather than wait for a perfect shot or miss it.

Hopefully I will get to see lots more this week, maybe something new, maybe not. That part of what makes nature watching so exciting.

(c) K Wicks

Nature in the garden – 29.05.21

Well, this was a top notch day for nature. Other than the activity at the bee Hotel, there was much occurring elsewhere in the patches and undergrowth.

Buff-tailed Bumblebee

Started with another bee because they are awesome and all over the bigroot geranium at the moment.

Flesh Fly

We had a fly stop for an extended shoot, perfectly landing in the sun and waiting for me to get my shot. He landed on the shed too so will get his own post soon.

Orb Weaver Spider

This was small, not the tiniest I saw making a web, but has some growing to do before it gets to average size.

Sparrow

I know they aren’t bugs, but still daily visitors to the garden. Enjoying the little bench we put up for them.

Speckled bush-cricket

These little guys were still around and after I put a geranium flower near one, it crawled right on! Have to say, very happy with this photo.

Deraeocoris plant bug

I haven’t actually seen one of these before so was a new find.

Weevil

I rescued this little weevil from the bird bath, he was floating and trying to hold onto a small bit of something.

Some type of parasitic wasp

I don’t actually know what this one is, it seems to be a type of small parasitic wasp, but was tiny and didn’t stay still so my shots aren’t really good enough for a conclusive ID.

Seven-spot Ladybird

This beautiful red ladybird was just wandering through one of the beds. Hopefully there will be more.

Baby orb weaver spider

There were a couple of things I couldn’t identify or get a good enough picture of. Baby spiders being very difficult, but this tiny orb weaver is already on it building a web. I’ll keep you updated on garden progress.

(c) K Wicks