Sandhouse Lane NR, 23rd - 25th May

A hot and sunny bank holiday weekend !

It was nice to catch up with the Downy Emerald once again.



We are in the midst of a huge Painted Lady invasion.



A pair of Dingy Skipper 'in cop'



A new, ocassionally day-flying moth for me - Treble Bar



I liked the blokeh on this image of Green Hairstreak.



The male Common Blue seems to have limitless energy chasing rivals away - this one, however, takes a break



A Small Heath basking in the glorious sunshine.



Another day flying moth - Burnet Companion.

Extremadura, Spain, May 2008

Spanish Purple Hairstreak

The Marsh Fritillary Eurodryas aurinia beckeri is a variable species across europe and asia. This one was basking in the garden of our base in Extremadura.

Speckled Wood



A female Common Blue

Thanks to Don Green and David Anderson who helped in the identification of the lacewing Nemoptera pennis.

Wall Wonder

So, before the Wall Brown disappears completely from Bedfordshire, I managed to track down a known individual which took up territory just yards from a main-line railway track !





Common Blue



Small Heath

Sandhouse Lane NR

A single Brown Argus and a few Common Blue brightened up the afternoon !







Six-spot Burnet Zygaena filipendulae



A Small/Essex Skipper



A male Gatekeeper



A single Ruddy Darter by the main pool.

Sandhouse Lane NR

There were a few butterflies on the wing today, including this confiding Small Copper.



Common Blue





Comma