Hummingbird hawkmoth

Macroglossum stellatarum

This was the best photo I could get of this one, but it was in our garden.

Here is a rather better picture of one taken last year in my mother-in-law's garden in Cambridgeshire.

Birds seen: nuthatch

A little bit of sunshine among the showers

Hoverfly on
Smooth Catsear
(hypochaeris glabra)

2-spot ladybird

2-spot ladybird
(Adalia bipunctata)

There are 42 species of ladybird resident in the British Isles and this is one type of 2-spot ladybird (although it seems to have more than 2 spots at first glance, only 2 of the markings are spots!)
Gardeners' friends, ladybirds feed on aphids and other garden pests.

Birds seen: Great tit, dunnock, woodpigeon

Small Magpie moth
eurrhypara hortulata
I saw this one flying and followed it to where it settled underneath a leaf - no wonder I haven't noticed them before.

Unidentified caterpillar

Haven't been able to identify this one yet.



Birds seen: Long-tailed tits (1 feeding young), Blue tit, Woodpigeon

Persistence pays off

I've been stalking these moths, trying to get a better picture, and I think I've succeeded

Speckled bush cricket

Leptophyes punctatissima

A real example of how macro photography brings you closer to nature. This little creature looked pure green to the naked eye, but is so much more fascinating in close-up. The speckles even extend to his antennae!