Tuesday 30 June 2020

Day 30, Final Day of #30dayswildcreativity: The Sea and its Islands

Two Noah's Ark panels of stained glass from St Neot's Church, Bodmin Moor

I discovered very early on that I enjoyed drawing. When I was about four or five I was asked to draw Noah's Ark, a challenge I relished as I loved animals. I also loved the sea, being by the sea and paddling: it took me a long time to learn to swim. Sadly I failed to keep that drawing, but the version in the stained glass above always make me smile when I see the dove being sent off to look for dry land in one panel and the dove returning in another with what must be the olive leaf in its bill. 

There is something about setting off from the security of the shore and heading out into the vastness of the ocean. I was a timid swimmer and it was many years until I was finally awarded my bronze Personal Survival Medal. I am also a timid sailor in choppy seas. But I love a short excursion out into the ocean, particularly when there is the lure of an island at the far end of the voyage. 

Back in 2011 we were holidaying in Lochinvar in Assynt in the north-west of Scotland. The weather in that magnificent region is very unpredictable, though it is usually safe to predict rain. We checked the weather forecast at breakfast and decided that all was set as fair as it was likely to be. 


We boarded a vessel to the Summer Isles and set out in fine weather...


... and were soon leaving the brooding silhouettes of Stac Pollaidh and Suilven behind.


A few minutes later the sun came out and we were able to feast our eyes on these intense ocean blues.


By the time we reached the island of Tanera Mòr, it had turned into a beautiful afternoon. 




There was just time to call in at the Post Office, which has been issuing its own stamps since the 1970s, before heading back along the bank to enjoy some local wildlife. Stamps bought on the island can only be used to transport an envelope or postcard as far as the mainland. Thereafter a missive will only reach its destination if it also carries a regular stamp.




We noticed some orchids, and as we drew closer we saw...



... this 6-spot Burnet moth ...



... and this one that landed on David's hand. The bank was full of these colouful insects, and judging by their shiny appearance, I think they had just emerged and were drying off their wings in the bright sunshine.  




Another surprise took the form of this impressive (and ferocious) Green Tiger Beetle

Our time on this special island was fast drawing to a close. I looked up at the remains of an old dwelling and paused to wonder what life would have been like in the 1880s when a population of 119 was recorded. Doubtless many, or most, of these would have been linked to the herring industry

Everything changes, including Scottish islands. Tanera Mòr has been sold since our visit, and a new vision is taking shape. 


As we waited by the shore for our return voyage, we watched these female Eiders drifting through the tranquil waters.  




 
The photograph above shows me in my element aboard a boat on the water in fabulous weather, and with the mainland not far away. The Tate (Tate Britain, I believe) holds an 'aquatint on paper' of the pier at Tanera Mor, produced by William Daniell, who died in 1837, the year before members of my Scottish family emigrated from the Cairngorm area under the Lang Bounty Scheme, via Oban, to Sydney. What a voyage that must have entailed. Their fortitude is something I find hard to imagine; but, like Noah on Mount Ararat, they reached the safety of dry land. 

* * *  

This post was written in response to Dr Miriam Darlington's final #30dayswildcreativity meme on her Facebook page. We were invited to write about something we had fallen 'in love with as a child', and I have chosen to focus on a number of different threads, many of which weave together in my life as I enjoy the natural world and its oceans. 

Threads represented in my 'sea collage' below include time spent afloat, looking in rockpools, watching wildlife, writing, sketching and taking photographs. 



Thank you, Miriam, so much for your inspiring themes and memes. I have thoroughly enjoyed responding to them in word and image. Thank you, too, for the literary excerpts and poems you have introduced us to along the way.  


Monday 29 June 2020

Day 29 for #30dayswildcreativity: Winds (or Wings) of Change



The expanse between the garden and the wood is a turbulent ocean of leaves. The wind ruffles each branch in relentless pulses as it buffets the Silver Birch, Hawthorn and Horse Chestnut trees. No wonder the resident Blackbird’s sentinel perch at the top of the fir is currently untenanted. The 'crow’s nest' is Crow-less. Even the Magpies have made a dash for cover. Up above the highest branches, a tarpaulin of grey cloud blocks out the sun one might expect to see on this late June afternoon. Down below, flurries of Silver Birch seeds float in raindrops on the picnic table. The chairs we used for balmy alfresco meals only a few days ago have been carried indoors. 

A kit of Wood Pigeons has just flown past my window. I can hear the coo of the Collared Doves, but cannot see them. I wonder where the recently fledged Blue tits have hunkered down. The rambling rose bush is shedding peach-pink petals at an alarming rate. Its stems criss-cross in and out of the trellis and are still intact, but on a day like today I cannot help wondering whether the rose grower who gave the species the appellation of ‘High Hopes’ was feeling just a shade optimistic. The only plant that seems untouched by the strength of the gusts is, of course, the lofty and indestructible Mile-a-Minute.

Suddenly the sun appears for a few fleeting minutes. Velvet-brown wings skitter past my arm and come to rest, wide open, on a shiny leaf of what I think is Woodbine. I see they are framed by a delicate line of white scales. It may be the force of the storm that is ruffling my lockdown hair, but it is the unexpected joy of seeing what is only our second-ever Ringlet here in the garden that causes my heart to flutter.     

 * * * 

This post was written as a response to Dr Miriam Darlington's #30dayswildcreativity 'Winds of Change' meme on her Facebook page

Sunday 28 June 2020

Day 28 Dr Miriam Darlington's #30dayswildcreativity Meme on Gardens

Cornflower, courtesy of Butterfly Conservation in Suffolk

Thanks to Dr Miriam Darlington's #30dayswildcreativity meme, I have been pondering the difference between being a 'guardian' and a 'gardener' today. But are these two roles mutually exclusive?

Consider a piece of land. Is it best to...

(a) leave it entirely to its own devices, and see what grows, perhaps as a result of seeds blown in the wind?

(b) tend it by using all that modern science can provide, including chemical sprays, electric strimmers and the like, so that it looks like a pristine show garden?

(c) say 'no to the mow' and to chemical insecticides, but enhance the patch by sowing seeds that will bring wildlife in? 

Readers of this blog will be aware that we made a pledge with Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT) at the SWT Summit last year to allow our grass to grow. A micro-meadow has formed, and is only interrupted by a strip that, as a shielded person, I use for daily exercise. 

Apart from the positive but passive step of letting the grass grow, have we done anything in a proactive way to enhance our patch?

Well, yes we have in a small way, and with a little help. One of the most significant things we did was to join Butterfly Conservation.



This is what happened...

(1) The Suffolk branch gave us a packet of seeds that would grow into flowers for pollinating insects to find.

(2) We sowed the seeds and watered them when it was necessary to do so.

(3) The seeds germinated and grew into seedlings and then into stalks with buds.

(4) The flowers opened and we had a burst of bright blue, gold and white flowers to enjoy.

(5) As you can see from the top photo, insects came to pollinate these flowers.

(6) We had insects, including moths, butterflies, ladybirds, bees and hoverflies, to enjoy.

(7) Creatures higher up the food chain had insects to eat.

(8) We had birds and even a few bats coming into the garden.


*
Has it been a case of win, win, win? Well, almost. The only fly in the ointment so far has been the blackfly. Like many others this year we have had rather more of these than the ants, ladybirds and other insects seemed able to eat. But this has been a small price to pay for a garden that has been rewarding us with a bright splash of colour and the whirring of wings. 

As in all things, a sense of balance goes a long way, and it seems to me that we can be responsible and proactive guardians. Reserves like Minsmere are fabulous habitats for rare species like adders, bitterns and marsh harriers. They are successful, it seems to me, because they are managed with care by those who apply the necessary ecological knowledge. 

Mine has hardly been a scientific experiment here in our suburban patch for we don't know what would have happened if we had followed course (a) or course (b) above. What we do know is that we have had the satisfaction of working (well, hardly 'working') alongside nature, and have been richly rewarded. Only this morning we watched a shower of spiderlings disperse from their nursery web. Yesterday a Leaf-cutter bee flew into one of our insect houses with a disc of cherry leaf. And since I began typing this post, a large Stag Beetle has flown past my window, bringing a smile to my face. 

If you would like to consider what it means to be a 'guardian' rather than a 'gardener', do head over to Miriam Darlington's Facebook post for 28 June 2020, where you will find a link to a YouTube presentation, offering further food for thought.

Saturday 27 June 2020

#30DaysWild: (Lesser) Stag Beetle


We usually see a good number of Cockchafers flying around our Acer and Silver Birch trees on warm evenings. Occasionally we see Stag beetles, and this seems to have been a good year for them. A few days ago we even found a female climbing the brick wall on the outside of our house. Two evenings ago, when it was very warm and sultry, I wandered over to the fence after our alfresco meal, and noticed this large beetle on top of the plinth of one of our wooden planters. I wish I had taken a better photograph, but it was about 8.45 pm and the light was fading fast. Despite calling this a 'large beetle', which it was, I have a hunch it may be a (female?) Lesser Stag as it was certainly considerably smaller than some we have seen and was definitely a matt black colour. 


I posted these photographs on iSpot this evening, and it will be interesting to see whether others agree with my tentative identification or not. The People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) have an excellent website here, which includes information on the #greatstaghunt


Friday 26 June 2020

#30DaysWild Day 26: Colourful Wasps

With the exception of the top right image, these photographs were all taken in Suffolk

Before we moved to Suffolk eight or so years ago a wasp to me was pretty much a wasp, an insect to be avoided at all costs if at all possible. I still fight shy of what is sometimes referred to as the Common Wasp, having ended up in A&E the last time I was stung.

However, I have discovered that a wasp is not a wasp is not a wasp. These insects come in many shapes, sizes and colours; and in terms of showiness, my favourite is undoubtedly the Ruby-tailed wasp which we sometimes see in our garden. It has cuckoo wasp traits, but I love the brightness of its iridescence, which is seen as shiny reds, greens and blues.

I decided to make a collage of some of my more colourful or unusual wasp photos for Day 26 of #30DaysWild. I wonder what picture comes to mind when you hear the 'wasp' word...

A wonderful site to visit... here.

Thursday 25 June 2020

Day 25, #30 Days Wild: Ringlet butterfly


We saw our first Ringlet in the garden today, the first Ringlet we have ever seen here (though David noticed one on his walk around the block yesterday). I have just added it to my insect total for the garden: it is number 98 on my list. I am nearing 100, but it is taking a bit longer than I had expected.

Today's butterfly was very skittish, and I failed to photograph it before it fluttered over the fence; but when we set eyes on it, neither David nor I were in any doubt over its ID. The photos I have posted are from previous sightings in Yorkshire, Buckinghamshire and Scotland. 



I would like to think today's Ringlet was attracted by our long unmown grass. We have now seen a current total of 16 butterfly species in our suburban Suffolk garden this year: I know because I have been listing them on the Butterfly Conservation Garden Butterfly Survey. This year's Big Butterfly Count will run from 17 July to 9 August 2020 and I look forward to taking part.




Wednesday 24 June 2020

Day 24, #30dayswildcreativity: The Ford

2 March 2020, the road from RSPB Minsmere

This was the world we left behind, a patchwork of flooded meadows, illuminated by the last tinge of a rosy sunset. We had been up on Dunwich Heath earlier that afternoon, enjoying the company of Hebridean sheep and views of a Stonechat on its gorse lookout. I was surprised that the coconut aroma of the gorse was so rich and intoxicating at this point in the season. How wonderful it would have been to have bottled a little of it to counteract the smells of hand gel and disinfectant that were to irritate my nostrils as lockdown took hold. 

But here we were, in the evening light, faced with a flooded road. A couple of cars came up behind us, probably full of hungry birders on their way to the popular Eel's Foot Inn at East Bridge. We have found high water levels in this area before, but this was the most extensive flooding we had encountered in this spot. 

This was the scene that lay before us as we drew closer...


The last glimmer of light was ebbing away. It was time to cross the gulf.


I am glad to report that we reached the other side with the car's brakes in working order. 


The flooding remained, of course, but it would subside in time. We had taken our first metaphorical steps, steps we continue to take in these unusual days and nights, towards horizons that are familiar and yet distinctly altered. 

*  *  *

The path to the sea, Dunwich Heath

This post was written in response to Dr Miriam Darlington's #30dayswildcreativity meme on the theme of 'The Ford', acknowledging, in Miriam's words, that 'sometimes we have to make a crossing we were not expecting, a journey we didn't want to take...'


Tuesday 23 June 2020

Day 23, #30DaysWildCreativity: Conservation Collage




'Will we permit the rewilding of our hearts and minds, 
that is so needed now?' 

for today's #30DaysWildCreativity meme 


I wanted to remind myself of some of the threatened wildlife I have encountered over the years, and I hope you may also enjoy seeing my pictures of these fine creatures. 

I recall seeing a whale washed up on a Cornish beach several decades ago. It was dead, and the memory stays with me. The 'Save the Whales' slogan certainly made an impact on me as a teenager, even if I did not know how these magnificent mammals might be saved. 

Picture 1: Otter
Many of us read about otters as children and teenagers in books like The Wind in the Willows, Tarka the Otter and A Ring of Bright Water. I visited the Otter Trust near Bungay in the 1970s, but I did not see an otter in the wild until I visited Skye some thirteen years ago. I have also watched them off Mull and the Kintyre peninsula. Miriam Darlington writes about otters she has encountered and observed in Scotland (and also in Devon, Cornwall and other quiet corners of the British Isles) in her wonderfully evocative book, Otter Country.  

Picture 2: Purple Emperor Butterfly
We were visiting Chedworth Roman villa in Gloucestershire when we were called over to see an unusual butterfly. It seemed to be in need of a little sugar and water, which the cafe supplied. I took this photo, and sent it off to Matthew Oates, who confirmed that we had been looking at Her Imperial Majesty, the Purple Emperor (you can read his upbeat reply in the Postscript to my post here). The fact that this resplendent, if slightly dehydrated, Emperor was visiting a Roman villa made us smile. I hope she revived and lived her butterfly life to the full.  

Picture 3: Bittern
When I was growing up, one of our family board games was Conservation, a game produced by the RSPB to encourage young people to learn about endangered birds in Britain. The Bittern was one of these species, and it was a bird I never thought I would see despite the fact that our home was only about a mile from some of the Norfolk reedbeds. It was only when I moved to Suffolk some eight years ago that I finally saw, and heard, my first Bittern at RSPB Minsmere. I remember the wave of excitement that rushed through me when I set eyes on a sight I thought I would never see.

Picture 4: Water Vole
Speaking of The Wind in the Willows, I believe I was in my 40s when I first realised that Ratty was in fact a Water Vole. The photo above was taken (with zoom lens) at RSPB Minsmere. You can read about the conservation status of this delightful species here

Picture 5: Red Squirrel
Like thousands of other children, I first encountered the Red Squirrel in the pages of The Tale of squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter. Later on, when I was about eight, I saw one or two for myself on Brownsea Island. More recently I have watched them in the Cairngorms and in Dumfries and Galloway. You can read about their situation here

Pictures 6 and 7: Grass Snake and Adder
I had seen very few snakes in the wild here in the UK until we moved to Suffolk. Since then I have seen a handful on a couple of reserves, namely RSPB Minsmere (Adder and Grass Snake) and SWT Carlton Marshes, where I photographed the Grass Snake in the picture above. The adder in the photo was on the Minsmere Adder Trail: an RSPB official pointed us in its direction, and there were in fact two snakes coiled round one another. What a privilege to see these reptiles.

Picture 8: Swallowtail butterfly larva
Ah, I had been longing to see a Swallowtail butterfly, and here at last was a Swallowtail larva on the NWT reserve at Hickling! I had spent my teenage years in Norfolk at the edge of The Broads at a time when these butterflies were practically non-existent so the thrill of seeing this magnificent caterpillar was almost overwhelming. 
 
*
I hope you have enjoyed my 'conservation' selection. The lockdown has certainly allowed our wildlife to experience a more peaceful few months than usual. Let's acknowledge that there may be lessons we can learn. It is wonderful when people join together to put measures in place, whether political or environmental, to enable threatened species to fight back. 
 

Monday 22 June 2020

Day 22, #30DaysWildCreativity: Post-Solstice, 2020





Of Eyes and Iridescence
Monday, 22 June 2020


On this day when the first poppy opened
I sensed the tug of the long haul
towards winter through the amber light
of harvest, the embers of bonfires
and the muted music of freezing fog.

On this day when the first poppy opened
I buried my eyes in the corn marigold’s gold,
immersed myself in the deep sea-blue
of the cornflower, and delighted in the yellow
and white design of an ox-eye daisy.

On this day when the first poppy opened
I committed these flowers to memory,
afraid that fiery petals would soon flutter 
to the ground, fearful that I would miss
the eyespots of the peacock butterfly.


                                         © CG 2020


* * *
This post was composed this afternoon as my response to Dr Miriam Darlington's 'What do you miss, grieve for, as the year tips?' Facebook meme as part of #30DaysWildCreativity.

Sunday 21 June 2020

Day 21 #30DaysWildCreativity: Paying Close Attention


This is a post in response to #30DaysWildCreativity, organised by Dr Miriam Darlington.

With the exception of my shielded 'exercise path', we are not mowing our garden this year. It has been very interesting to watch the weeds and wildflowers that have grown up in areas that would normally be lawn, albeit of a rather dry sandy-soil variety. 

The first plants to emerge unexpectedly were Ox-eye daisies (you can see my post here), and the second was the Common Knapweed you can see in the collage above. For several days now I have kept the Knapweed under close surveillance to see what insects it might attract. I think you will agree that with everything from Skipper butterflies to Thick-legged Flower Beetles and Red-tailed Bumblebees, I have had plenty to watch. I have found the ideal way of doing this is by placing an outdoor chair by the plant and waiting, trying to use not only my eyes but also my ears. 

In the scheme of things, the tiny ant was just as valuable a find as the showy Skipper, and I know I have benefited from these 'close observation' projects I set myself. The next stage on is not only to recognise the 'usual suspects' but to find out more about each species, and, as ever, I often turn to the kind folk on iSpot for a bit of help. 

Saturday 20 June 2020

It turns out it's not a Hoverfly Mystery


I watched these insects in my Suffolk garden this afternoon, and would be delighted if anyone can tell me what is going on. Is this a hoverfly nest, please? (Update, I now know it isn't.) I know very little about hoverflies. 









Update: many thanks to Crafty Green Poet for informing me that these are not hoverflies. Please see her comment. 

P.S. You can find my butterfly-related #30DaysWild post for Day 20 here.

Day 20 #30DaysWild: Update on the Wildflower Seeds provided by Butterfly Conservation (Suffolk)




Back on 4 April, the day we on which we saw the only Comma we have seen in the garden so far, we planted a little pack of wildflower seeds that had arrived with our copy of The Suffolk Argus (vol. 77) from the Suffolk branch of Butterfly Conservation. I am glad to report that the seedlings and young plants survived swarms of blackfly and are just bursting into flower.


The Cornflower above was first to open...


...followed by this daisy-like flower (I must learn what this is)...


... and then finally this Corn marigold.

I so hope that these flowers will indeed attract more butterflies to the garden. It has been windy for much of the day, but I have seen five Meadow Browns, one Large White, one Holly Blue and...


...this beautiful Skipper. We have had Skippers in the garden before, but they are not frequent visitors. I so hope there will be more tomorrow. 

But where are the red butterflies, the Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshells and Red Admirals? Perhaps we will see more of these when the Buddleia comes into flower. Meanwhile I must update my sightings on the Garden Butterfly Survey

Oh, and I must add one final picture. Some of you may have read my post on our Nasturtiums for Dr Miriam Darlington's #30DaysWildCreativity meme for Day 17... well, the first flower opened today as you can see below. I hope it will attract insects. 



P.S. Is this a hoverfly nest in my next post, please?

Friday 19 June 2020

Day 19 #30DaysWildCreativity: A Dazzle of Damselflies



This collage was made in response to Dr Miriam Darlington's #30DaysWildCreativity meme on the theme of the reciprocal relationship we have with nature. The idea was not (necessarily) to write about feeding the birds or planting vegetables but to tap into something that represented what we had done to connect with an aspect of the natural world. 


After a difficult spell I found myself drawn back and back, with camera and binoculars, to the WWT centre at Llanelli in South Wales. I became increasingly aware of the variety of 'damsels and dragons' that could be found on the bushes and at the edge of the scrapes on the reserve. I was keen to see how many species I could spot on each visit; and the more I looked for odonata, the more I became intrigued by the damselflies with their slim bodies, beautiful markings and shimmering iridescence. 

I don't recall seeing any Demoiselles on the WWT reserve, but these majestic insects remain a particular favourite to this day. It was not just the physical features of the Llanelli damselflies that made me want to photograph them: it was their eyes. Now, I don't want to enter the realms of anthropomorphism or speculation here, but I think you may agree that to peer into the eyes of a damselfly is like opening a window on a very distant past. 

 * * * 

My photos in the collage were taken in various places, some at WWT Llanelli and other locations in South Wales, some in Suffolk and one in Norfolk.


Thursday 18 June 2020

Day 18 #30DaysWild: 97 Insects on the List, And Still Counting



I had hoped to have reached 100 different insect species on my home-patch list by today, but I am still not quite there. Watch this space!

My #30DaysWild activity has been to review my recent photographs and update the list. A red star indicates an identification given by the folk who use iSpot

Insect sightings 
  • HPi1 Small Tortoiseshell butterfly [March 2014] [27 Feb 2017]  2019: where are these butterflies?
  • HPi2 Buff-tailed Bumblebee [March 2014] [Jan/Feb 2016] [Mar/Apr 2016] [2017] 2020
  • HPi3 Brimstone butterfly [April 2014] [5 June 2019] 2020
  • HPi4 7-spot Ladybird [April 2014] [Oct 2014] [2015] [Jul/Aug 2015] [Sept/Oct 2015] [Mar/Apr 2016] 2020
  • HPi5 Small Skipper butterfly [July 2014] [26 July 2019] [20,21 June 2020]
  • HPi6 Meadow Brown butterfly [July 2014] [Jul/Aug 2015] [12 June 2020, six!]
  • HPi7 Large White butterfly [July 2014] [Jul/Aug 2016] [21 June 2020]
  • HPi8 14-spot Yellow Ladybirds [July 2014] [May 2019] [1 July 2020]
  • HPi9 Small White butterfly [May 2014] [Apr/May 2015] [Sept/Oct 2015 - larvae] [2 May 2019] 2020
  • HPi10 Orange tip butterfly [May 2014] 2020
  • HPi11 Harlequin ladybird  [May 2014] [October 2014] [Sept/Oct 2015] [1 April 2019, N.B. spotless] 
  • HPi12 Garden Chafer (Phyllopertha horticola) [June 2014] [June/July 2016] [18 May 2018]
  • HPi13 Ruby-tail Wasp [June 2014] [May/June 2015] [May/June 2016] [21 May 2017]  [May 2020]
  • HPi14 Blackfly [R]  2020
  • HPi15 Marmalade Hoverfly [July 2014] [Jul/Aug 2015] [Jul/Aug 2016] [20 June 2020]
  • HPi16 Gorse Shield bug [27 March 2020] New!
  • HPi17 Migrant Hawker dragonflies [July 2014]
  • HPi18 Gatekeeper butterfly [Jul/Aug 2016] [9 Aug 2019]
  • HPi19 Comma butterfly [August 2014] [June/July 2016] [2017] [8 Aug 2019] 2020
  • HPi20 Red Admiral butterfly [August 2014] [October 2014] [Jul/Aug 2015] [8 Aug 2019] [14 June 2020]
  • HPi21 Peacock butterfly [August 2014] [Jul/Aug 2015] [Nov/Dec 2015] [8 Aug 2019] [27 March 2020]
  • HPi22 Green bottle flies [August 2014] [May/June 2015]
  • HPi23 Ants [R] [27 March 2020]
  • HPi24 Squashbug aka Dock Bug, (Coreus marginatus ) [August 2014] [May 2018, mating]
  • HPi25 Birch Shieldbug (late instar?) [September 2014]
  • HPi26 Lacewing [October 2014] [Sept/Oct 2015]  [14 June 2020]
  • HPi27 Cereal Leaf Beetle [Apr/May 2015]
  • HPi28 Painted Lady [2018] [8 Aug 2019]
  • HPi29 Rosemary Beetle [[Sept/Oct 2015] [May/June 2016 - four] [May 2017]
  • HPi30 Hawthorn Shieldbug [May/June 2015] 
  • HPi31 Forest Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes) [Sept/Oct 2015] 
  • HPi32 Early Bumblebee [Mar/Apr 2016] 
  • HPi33 *Species of Miridae [Mar/Apr 2016]  
  • HPi34 Cranefly [R]  2020
  • HPi35 Crossocerus, wasps family Crabronidae [May/June 2016] 
  • HPi36 Wasp Beetle (Clytus arietis) [May/June 2016]
  • HPi37 Tree Bumblebee (Bombus (Pyrobombus) hypnorum) [May/June 2016] 
  • HPi38 Moth Least Black Arches (Nola confusalis) [May/June 2016] 
  • HPi39 Holly Blue Butterfly  [26 May 2017]  [27 April and 6 June 2019] 2020
  • HPi40 Dark Bush Cricket (nymph) [18 May 2017] [10 June 2019] [10 June 2020]
  • HPi41 Common Cockchafer  [18 May 2017] [14 June 2019] [10 June 2020]
  • HPi42 Scorpion Fly [May2017] [23 May 2017]  
  • HPi43 Soldier Beetle (Cantharis rustica [2017] [13 May 2018][2019] 2020
  • HPi44 Cabbage Bug (Eurydema (Eurydema) oleracea)  [2017]  [9 June 2017]  
  • HPi45 Light Brown Apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana) [2017] [23 May 2017] 
  • HPi46 Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula)   [9 May 2018] 
  • HPi47  Common Blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus)   [11 May 2018] 2020
  • HPi48  Speckled Wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria)   [15 May 2018] 2020
  • HPi49  Ruby Tiger moth (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)   [18 May 2018]  
  • HPi50  Mint Moth (Pyrausta aurata)   [24 May 2018]  [2019] 2020
  • HPi51  Mullein Moth larva (Cucullia verbasci)   [14 June 2018] 
  • HPi52  Silver Y moth (two)   [August 2018] 
  • HPi53  Rove Beetle (Platydracus stercorarius)   [September 2018] 
  • HPi54 *Species of Nomada [27 April 2019] 
  • HPi55 Fire bug nymph [17 April 2019] 
  • HPi56 Pine Ladybird [1 April 2019]  2020
  • HPi57 Cinnabar moth [4 and 5 April 2019] [21 June 2020] 
  • HPi58 Small Red Damselfly [20 May 2019]  2020 
  • HPi59 *Tortoise Bug [3 June 2019]   
  • HPi60 *Cryptolaemus montrouzieri [6 June 2019] 
  • HPi61 *Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus (Nathrenus) verbasci)  [6 June 2019] 2020
  • HPi62 *Empis tessellata [31 May 2019] 
  • HPi63 *Macrophya [22 May 2019] 
  • HPi64 *Bagworm moth case (Psychidae) [31 May 2019]  
  • HPi65 *Greater Bulb-Fly (Merodon equestris) [22 May 2019]  2020
  • HPi66 *Figwort Weevil larva (Cionus scrophulariae) [22 May 2019] 
  • HPi67 *Arge Sawfly (Arge cyanocrocea) [22 May 2019]  2020
  • HPi68 *Sarcophaga [16 May 2019]
  • HPi69 *Juniper Shield Bug (Cyphosthetus tristriatus) [16 May 2019] 
  • HPi70 *St Mark's Fly (Bibio marci) [28 April 2019] 
  • HPi71 Fairy Longhorn moth (Adela) [9 May 2019]  
  • HPi72 *Dagger Fly (Empis Tessellata) [13 May 2019]  
  • HPi73 *Honey bee (Apis mellifera) [31 May 2019]  2020
  • HPi74 *Rutpela maculata [14 June 2019] 
  • HPi75 *Soldier Fly (Stratiomyidae) [12 June 2019] 
  • HPi76 *Small Dusty Wave moth (Idaea seriata) [31 May and 5 Sept 2019]
  • HPi77 *Planthopper (Issus Coleoptratus) [18 June 2019]  
  • HPi78 Sexton (Burying) Beetle [7 Aug 2019] 
  • HPi79 Small Copper [3 Aug 2019]  [10 May 2020]
  • HPi80 *Speckled Bush Cricket [3 Aug 2019] 
  • HPi81 Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombylius major) [24 Mar 2020]
  • HPi82 *Rhyparochromus vulgaris Ground bug [2 April 2020] 
  • HPi83 *Tawny Mining Bee (Andrena (Andrena) fulva) [11 April 2020] 
  • HPi84 *Dolichovespula media [19 April 2020] 
  • HPi85 Mother Shipton moth [May 2020]
  • HPi86 Green Hairstreak [May 2020] 
  • HPi87 *Angle Shades moth [25 May 2020] 
  • HPi88 Green-veined White [Apr 2020]  
  • HPi89 Malachite beetle [June 2020]   
  • HPi90 Thick-legged Flower Beetle [June 2020]    
  • HPi91 Common Froghopper [12 June 2020]     
  • HPi92 Small Heath [13 June 2020]    
  • HPi93 Stag Beetle (female) [13 June 2020]    
  • HPi94 Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius, m & f) [18 June 2020]    
  • HPi95 Long hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta [18 June 2020]    
  • HPi96 Blue-tailed Damselfly [14 June 2020]    
  • HPi97 Common White Wave moth [13 June 2020]    
  • HPi98 new: Ringlet butterfly [25 June 2020]    
  • HPi99 Leaf-cutter bee (Megachile centuncularis)  [26 June 2020]