More From the RSPB Flatford Wildlife Garden

This was my first 2017 sighting of a (male) Banded Demoiselle.

It was perching above the small pond, while down below...

...two Common Frogs were putting in an appearance.

I am not sure whether this Mayfly was alive or dead. The creature on the left of the leaf is a Ladybird larva: there were several on the willow fronds.

Flatford

Mullein Moth Larvae in the RSPB Garden, Flatford

There is usually something interesting to see in the RSPB Wildlife Garden at Flatford, and on this occasion it was this eye-catching larva of the Mullein Moth. What a magnificent caterpillar! 

Doesn't it blend in well with the Ox-eye daisies? 

You can see photos of the adult moth here. It is nocturnal and is rarely seen. 

The photo below shows Bridge Cottage on the River Stour in 'Constable Country'. The entrance to the RSPB Wildlife Garden is very close to the far side of the bridge.  

RSPB Garden, Flatford - Insects Emerging

We paid a short visit to the RSPB Wildlife Garden in Flatford, home of the artist John Constable.

It was not particularly sunny, and there was a breeze about, but we managed to spot a few insects.

The photo above shows a corner of the dedicated Wildlife Garden, and the photo below shows the scene from the bridge above the Stour, including Bridge Cottage, in the care of the National Trust.

One of the volunteers in the garden helped us to see an Orange Tip egg, which you can just make out as a golden yellow dot on this stem of Jack-by-the-Hedge (aka Garlic Mustard).

You can see a close-up Orange tip butterfly egg here.

I saw one adult Orange tip, but failed to photograph it.

We noticed a couple of Peacocks in a sheltered spot.

I believe the creature above is some kind of parasitoid Wasp.

I was admiring the rosemary when I noticed this Rosemary Beetle. What a fine-looking insect, but what a pest (do check your lavender, rosemary and sage: you can report your own sightings here). We came home to find one of these beetles on our lavender bush...

There was a Queen wasp (something like Vespula germanica?) on the wooden planks.

Despite one or two less welcome visitors, it was a joy to see the emergence of a variety of insects.

Six 7-spot Ladybirds and Eggs at Flatford

On sage leaves

I have seen a few more 'seasonal firsts' recently, though have yet to hear a Cuckoo (though I gather Cuckoo Chris has been in Suffolk). We saw what we believe are our first 7-spot Ladybird eggs of 2015 (photo below). I have just logged the photos on the UK ladybird Survey's iRecord form. Six 7-spots and the cluster of eggs were on foliage in a bank adjacent to the RSPB Flatford Wildife Garden last Saturday. It is always lovely to see ladybirds that are not Harlequins! 

Nature Reserves: RSPB Wildlife Garden, Flatford Mill (Constable Country)

We went off in search of some sunshine after a grey cloudy spell, and having checked the forecast carefully, were delighted to find the Stour Estuary around Flatford Mill basking in a glorious summer day. The RSPB Wildlife Garden above was burgeoning with new greenery. Listings on the board included a grass snake in the water, and there was a good show of Orange Tip butterflies in the air.



It was very difficult to photograph the butterflies as they were active and airborne nearly all the time. I managed to get a 'quick pic' of this female Orange Tip as she came to rest momentarily, presumably for some nectaring.
 

You can see the distinctive shadowy markings on the outside of the wing in the photo above. It is only male Orange Tips that have the distinctive amber markings on the inside of the wings.

There were a few ragged Peacock butterflies along the tow-path, and we also saw a couple of Small Tortoiseshells.

This is Flatford Mill (above) ...

... and it is easy to imagine Constable living in this area and drawing inspiration from the scenes that were so familiar to him.

The ducks were flapping about, but we didn't see any ducklings. There was a bit of rivalry between these two!

Another 'Manky Mallard'!

Beautiful Birds (and a Couple of Lighthouses!)

We have been out and about on the estuaries of the rivers Stour and Orwell. We went for a walk on Saturday in the vicinity of the (Roman-built) Saxon Shore fortification known as Walton Castle, which stood on the coast at what is now known as Felixstowe. You can read about the site here. You can only - possibly - see remains at a very low tide, which is why I was not able to take a photograph. I must wait patiently for the right time of the year ...

Then yesterday afternoon we turned our attention to the banks of the Stour. We had hoped to see waders in the form of winter migrants, but our path did not take us close enough to the water's edge for any decent pictures. However, I took a couple of record shots of Brent Geese in a scrubby field which you see below. These were a first for my 2013 bird-list, along with five Curlews that flew overhead. The Brent Geese in the photo above are small creatures. Adult birds have the distinctive white stripe on their necks. They will have been here on our coast since the autumn, and will probably leave Britain in about a month's time. You can find out more about them here - and what happened back in 1930.

We had actually been looking for the Stour Estuary RSPB Reserve, which we found later in the afternoon, but we ended up initially at the Wrabness Nature Reserve, run by the Essex Wildlife Trust.  

The Wrabness Reserve boasts a rich collection of fauna and flora, so perhaps we will head back there in butterfly and damselfly season. We heard fabulous birdsong, but only caught sight few of the songsters, such as a Blackbird and a Blue tit.

We drove on to Harwich, a town I had never visited before. By this time the light was fading, but we were able to see three lighthouses. I particularly liked the one known (appropriately) as the High Light (here). You can see Constable's painting of the Low Light (as it was in his day) here.