Surprise Ornate Shiedbug, Red Kite and Large Red Damselfly - Highstead and Marshside

I haven't been to Highstead for quite a while and thought I would give it a try today as it allowed for less walking and would give me a chance keep my eyes open for any interesting insects. Their was a fairly cool north easterly wind but with wall to wall sunshine. A few Swift and Swallows were hawking for insects around the old stable area and as I wandered down the track I was accompanied by the song of Whitethroat, Blackcap and an exuberant male Linnet was giving it everything he had with his song. Initially I could not see any sign of any damselflies but the wind was keeping the temperature down. As I came to the more sheltered areas, though, it was nice to find a few Azure Damselflies.

male Azure Damselfly

female Azure Damselfly

A moth fluttered up from the vegetation at the side of the path as I passed and settled briefly before disappearing back into cover. Having looked it up I think that it is a Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana.

Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana

The local Carrion Crows and Jackdaws started alarm calling and looking up I saw one of the local Common Buzzard's coming over low, its eye glinting in the light as it did so.

Common Buzzard

Common Buzzard

I miss very much being able to see the flooded gravel pit, which is no longer visible since the land was reinstated as farmland once the quarry lease ended. I could, however, hear Coot, Moorhen and Little Grebe calling coming from there. I caught sight of a Broad-bodied Chaser on the field side of the vegetation but it disappeared from view and I didn't see it again. I was pleased to catch up with my first Silver-Y Moth of the year.

Silver-Y Moth

A couple of Chiffchaff were singing and above a Sand Martin had taken an exception to a Swallow and was in hot pursuit. I caught sight of a red and black Shieldbug and as it made its way through the grass stems and I grabbed some photos before it moved further into cover. I couldn't believe it when I looked it up at home to find that it was an Ornate Shieldbug Eurydema ornata, which with the best will in the world did not seem possible as it has very restricted range and I don't think occurs in this part of the country. However, without a doubt that is what it was, it has all the identifying features and it was a little beauty and not something I thought I would ever see.

Ornate Shieldbug Eurydema ornata

Ornate Shieldbug Eurydema ornata

Ornate Shieldbug Eurydema ornata

A funnel web was glistening with dew that had lingered on in a shaded area. A small spider was active at the edge of the web but I will need to look it up to see which it is as it does not appear to be a Funnel Web Spider..

Funnel Web

Skylarks were singing away as I started to make my way back and a Cinnabar Moth briefly settled.

Cinnabar Moth

I finished the first visit of the day with a Red Kite passing high overhead. Two of the local Common Buzzards flew to meet it, thermalling with it while calling loudly but not mobbing it. Once the Red Kite moved on the Common Buzzards dropped height, still calling to each other, before moving off to hunt.

Red Kite and Common Buzzard

Common Buzzard

I came out for another visit in the afternoon and driving through Marshside stopped to check out a patch of vegetation that is often a good spot for Broad-bodied Chasers. I was chuffed when after a few minutes one flew in and perched. I grabbed a quick shot and moments later as the Chaser lifted off to pursue an insect a female House Sparrow suddenly flew from one of the bushes and tried to catch it. I didn't think that the House Sparrow would stand a chance of catching such a fast moving insect but actually it came within a hairs breadth of doing so, appearing to take the Chaser totally by surprise. Luckily for the Chaser its lightening quick reflexes saved the day and it shot past me and did not return.

Broad-bodied Chaser

A single Blue-tailed and several Azure Damselflies were in the same area and with no sign of the Chaser returning we drove on round to Chitty Lane. 

Blue-tailed Damselfly

Azure Damselfly

It was still beautifully sunny and though the wind was still cool I was nicely sheltered here and Azure Damselflies were plentiful in the sheltered areas. A sub-adult male Marsh Harrier was searching for prey following the line of one of the dykes.

sub adult male Marsh Harrier

I enjoyed watching the Azure Damselflies as I made my way along but suddenly caught sight of a flash of red and was pleased when a female Large Red Damselfly settled, which was a very welcome sight, and was my first for the year. What a beauty. I haven't seen a Large Red Damselfly at Marshside for 3 years now so it was certainly a very welcome sight.

female Large Red Damselfly

female Large RedDamselfly

Large Red Damselfly

The Marsh Frogs  were very vocal and I could see a couple of Hairy Dragonflies patrolling the dyke but unfortunately, though they settled, it was always on the nearside of the bank and out of sight for me. A Tibellus species Spider was making short work of a fly that it had caught. I think that is is a Tibellus oblongus.

Tibellus oblongus

I could see 6 Lapwing sitting, well spaced out on a large bare patch in one of the fields. Another was investigating the border of one of the other fields.

Lapwing

Lapwing

A Common Lizard was sunning itself amongst the grass stems and a little further along a patch of Yellow Flag Iris shone out, giving a vivid splash of colour amongst the greens.

Common Lizard

Yellow Flag Iris

A very worn and battered and torn Painted Lady rested up briefly before moving on. It was still managing to fly well despite the state of its wings. On the other side of the path I could see a large Drinker Moth Caterpillar making short work of a blade of grass. They are always a really impressive sight.

Painted Lady Butterfly

Drinker Moth Caterpillar

I started to head back with Skylark, Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler song surrounding me. An Ichneumon Wasp was very active and Red-and-black Froghoppers were plentiful.

Ichneumon Wasp

Red-and-black Froghopper

I could hear Lapwing alarm calling and two were in the air and chasing off a Herring Gull that had flown into their territory.

Lapwing and Herring Gull

I caught sight of movement from the dyke and a female Hairy Dragonfly was ovipositing in the dyke and she would pause briefly to oviposit before moving on to the next suitable piece of vegetation.

female Hairy Dragonfly

female Hairy Dragonfly

I finished an enjoyable visit with a couple of newly fledged Linnet. One was quite active while the other was having a quick snooze in the bush as I passed by. I hope they both get on well.

newly fledged Linnet

newly fledged Linnet

Birds seen morning visit included: 5 Swift, 8 Swallow, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, 7 Whitethroat, 8 Blackcap, Carrion Crows, Rooks, 1 Linnet, 1 Sparrowhawk, 9 Blackbird, 2 Collared Dove, 1 Dunnock, 2 Chaffinch, 1 Wren, 1 Song Thrush, 4 Common Buzzard, 1 Sand Martin, 4 Skylark, 2 Coot, Moorhen, 1 Little Grebe, Great Tits, Blue Tits, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Red Kite

Birds seen afternoon visit included: 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 8 Lapwing, Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, 4 Chaffinch, 6 Goldfinches, 4 Mallard, 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 5 Linnet 

Mating Grass Snakes, Rambur's Pied Shieldbug and Nomada Bees - Marshside 29/05/21

With being unable to do much walking for the next few days I paid a visit to Marshside to see what I could see from the road. Overall it was quiet for birds but I enjoyed seeing what insects I might be able to find in some of the sheltered areas. Small numbers of Azure Damselflies were in each area that I looked but I did not see any sign of Variable Damselflies today.

male Azure Damselfly

male Azure Damselfly

I couldn't see the pair of Little Owl today but the air was full of the song of Whitethroat, Skylark and Blackcap. Unusually enough I did not hear a Cetti's Warbler during the visit. A male Scorpion Fly landed briefly before heading off again.

Scorpion Fly

A Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina was resting up. They may be common but they are always an impressive sight. 

Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina

I caught sight of what I thought, at first, was going to be a Pied Shieldbug but I was pleased to see that it was actually a Rambur's Pied Shieldbug Tritomegas sexmaculatus. It was a little beauty.

Rambur's Pied Shieldbug Tritomegas sexmaculatus

Rambur's Pied Shieldbug Tritomegas sexmaculatus

Rambur's Pied Shieldbug Tritomegas sexmaculatus

Rambur's Pied Shieldbug Tritomegas sexmaculatus

Despite being right by the road the patch of vegetation was proving to have a good selection of insects. An attractive female Nomada panzeri was also sunbathing.

Nomada panzeri

Nomada panzeri

Nomada panzeri

I also came across another Nomada bee which I think  is a female Nomada signata but I only saw it briefly and did not get great photos so cannot be 100% sure. It appears to have the necessary identifying features for signata, both the pattern of the transverse yellow bands and the pair of yellow markings on the propodeum, both identifying features of which can be seen in the photo even if not very well. As I am not sure that it normally occurs in our area I could be wrong and will need to look into it further.

? Nomada signata

A large German Wasp Vespula germanica was very active.

German Wasp Vespula germanica

German Wasp Vespula germanica

A pretty little Liocoris tripustulatus was on one of the nettles and a 14-spot Ladybird Propylea quattuordecimpunctata caught my eye as it made its way along. For such a small Ladybird it certainly has an impressively long Latin name.

Liocoris tripustulatus

14-spot Ladybird Propylea quattuordecimpunctata

At one of the bridges over the dyke I looked down into the dyke and got a real surprise when I saw a pair of mating Grass Snakes on a piece of floating polystyrene. Now that I really wasn't expecting and it was an absolute privilege to be able to witness it and also is the longest view of Grass Snake I have ever had. Normally I have only seen them as they are swimming away. The female was longer and thicker in girth than the male and though he was missing the end of his tail he still would have been shorter than her. The parts of their bodies that were intertwined were in constant motion under water the whole time while their upper bodies remained relatively stationary. 

male and female Grass Snake

male and female Grass Snake

The female did not have any yellow in her collar. She only had the black unlike the male which I think means that she might be an older female as apparently older females are sometimes missing the yellow colouration of the collar.

female Grass Snake lacking yellow in collar

male Grass Snake

male and female Grass Snake

Towards the end the male slowly moved back along the females body but with them still firmly intertwined. He continued moving back until his head was level with hers, at which point she started to move towards him.

male Grass Snake

male and female grass snake

That appeared to be his cue to leave and once separated he made his way rapidly to the other side of the dyke while she made her way to the opposite side, both disappearing into cover in opposite sides of the dyke. What an incredible experience to be able to watch them.

male Grass Snake

male Grass Snake

After they had disappeared from view I had a look at the nearby vegetation and could see a few Azure Damselflies were resting up nearby and Common Vetch flowers were a vivid splash of colour amongst the greens.

male Azure Damselfy

Common Vetch

A somewhat scruffy Dunnock was searching for insects and as I came back up to the bridge and a Blue-tailed Damselfly was resting up.

Dunnock

Blue-tailed Damselfly

I had a peep from the bridge again as I came back over and the female Grass Snake had returned to the piece of polystyrene and was sunning herself. She certainly was an impressive length.

female Grass Snake

I came across more Azure Damselflies at the next stopping point but, once again, there was still no sign of any Variables.

male Azure Damselfly

female Azure Damselfly

A Common Nettle-tap Moth Anthophila fabriciana contrasted well against the yellow of a Buttercup and though very common they are lovely little moths.

Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana

During the visit I had seen several pairs of Spotted Crane-fly Nephrotoma appendiculata mating with them flying in tandem if disturbed before resettling.

Spotted Crane-flies Nephrotoma appendiculata

I finished an enjoyable visit as I started with some more Azure Damselflies one of which had a kink in its abdomen which didn't seem to affect its ability to catch prey.

male Azure Damselfly

female Azure Damselfly

On the way home, the rabbits in the horse paddock were surrounded by a profusion of daisies and the strong sun light shining through their ears was highlighting the blood vessels within.

Rabbit

Rabbit