Abington Naturewatch: August 2021

Monday, 30 August 2021

Wasp Spider and Hummingbird Hawkmoth

24th August - Living nearby, Justine U regularly walks along Bourn Bridge Road noting what she sees in the Protected Verge. She took this lovely photograph of a dramatically-marked Wasp Spider on its web there this morning, and of a Hummingbird Hawkmoth feeding on buddleia.

Wasp Spider

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

Butterflies along the Roman Road

15th August - after the rather damp ANW trip along the Worsted Lodge end of the Roman Road, Andy and Polly M decided to visit again on a rather nicer day to see what butterflies were about when the sun was actually shining!

In the main, similar species were seen but in rather higher numbers, including several Painted Lady, Small Skipper and Essex Skipper, Small Copper, Small Heath, Gatekeeper and Common Blue, alongside the more familiar Small White, Green-veined White, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Brimstone and Meadow Brown.

A couple of Painted Lady butterflies

Painted Lady

Small Copper - with its rather striking bright orange and black colouring

Green-veined White

Small White - with the darker yellow hind wing

Essex Skipper - with black-tipped antennae

Small Skipper - with orange tipped-antennae

A 'bonded pair' of mating Skippers

Small Tortoiseshell

Peacock

Common Blue

Small Heath - unusually resting with its wings open ...

but only briefly - exactly the same Small Heath, seconds later.

Small Heath

Brimstone - camouflaged as a leaf as it rests in the hedge

Southern Hawker dragonfly

11th August - Andy M has spotted a few dragonflies 'patrolling' over his garden recently, catching small flies. Somewhat difficult to identify on the wing, he was happy to find this one resting in a hawthorn tree, allowing him to identify it as an immature Southern Hawker dragonfly.

Hornet Hoverfly

10th August - there have been several sightings of Hornet Hoverfly recently. This harmless fly mimics the markings of a wasp or hornet in order to deter predators. Andy M saw this one in his garden, feeding on Marjoram flowers.

Sunday, 15 August 2021

ANW Trip - Roman Road

7th August 2021

Despite the less-than-promising weather, four of us gathered at Worsted Lodge on to walk along the Roman Road looking for flowers and butterflies.

A good variety of flora were identified and, when the sun briefly came out - and with it the butterflies - seven species of butterfly were seen. [photos Andy M]