A Minsmere Medley

7-spot Ladybird, a native species. I have logged it on the UK Ladybird Survey.

We spent a sunny afternoon at RSPB Minsmere on Saturday. We may not have seen many birds (and indeed we looked in vain for Bearded tits on this occasion), but there were some lovely insects out and about. Our visit gave me the chance to pick up a copy of the site leaflet (previous post) that contains my Minsmere soundbite.

A small Hoverfly

A Darter (?Common Darter) perching in the sunshine

Poisonous toadstool, Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria)

Another Common Darter (?female)

Emerald Damselfly

Migrant Hawker Dragonfly

Close-up, showing yellow 'golf tee' mark on S2

A magnificent Fox Moth caterpillar

The windswept beach that adjoins the Minsmere reserve

Lepidoptera ~ Another Fox Moth Caterpillar

I spotted this handsome fellow at Sutton Hoo on one of the paths leading out towards the Anglo-Saxon burial mounds. If you click here, you will see what the caterpillar will become!

Lepidoptera: Furry Caterpillar at Minsmere

I encountered this striking Fox Moth caterpillar at RSPB Minsmere last weekend, almost exactly in the same spot as one I saw at the end of September a year ago.

I always find it strange to see a caterpillar crawling along the sandy scrub beside the beach. I tend to associate caterpillars with meadows and marshland, which of course is the case for some species of caterpillar.

If you turn your back on the shore, this is the view of the scrapes from the hide ... The reedbeds are just beginning to turn golden-brown. 

Nature Reserve Notes (3) Caterpillars at Minsmere

We saw three of these beautiful Fox Moth caterpillars at Minsmere, along the path between the beach and the scrapes. I think my previous sighting of this species was on Raasay in the Inner Hebrides. I see these caterpillars are sometimes found on the beach. You can watch one moving if you follow this link. You can see a photo of the Fox Moth here. 

Incidentally, if you know your hairy caterpillars, you might be able to help with identification here on the Cabinet of Curiosities blog.