Two dragonflies at Holme Dunes

One of the pools at Holme was very busy with dragonflies on Saturday.  Apart from the Emperor and the Black-tailed Skimmer shown here there were also Common Darters flying singly and in pairs which dipped into the water occasionally egg-laying. One of the Common Darters got caught by a male Emperor which flew off to devour it.

Female Emperor egg-laying

Male Black-tailed Skimmer

A camouflaged Wall Brown

A rather unusual pose for a Wall Brown but one which gives good camouflage against the sandy soil. This was one of several Walls seen at Holme Dunes recently.

Two plants at Holme Dunes

Knotted Pearlwort Sagina nodosa is flowering in some of the dune slacks.

Smooth Cat's-ear Hypochaeris glabra has been found in a couple of drier locations on the reserve.  This photo was in the afternoon after the flowers had closed up for the day.

Great White Egret

Great White Egret, Holme NWT, 16th July 2017

Five Aphids

Sea Lavender Aphid Staticobium staticis, Holme NWT, 16th July2 017

Black Bean Aphid, Aphis fabae, Holme NWT 16th July 2017 

Sea-blite Aphid Clypeoaphis suedae, Holme NWT, 16th July 2017

Mugwort Aphid, Macrosiphonella artemisia, Holme NWT, 16th July 2017

Willow-Parsnip Aphid Cavariella theobaldii, Holme NWT, 16th July 2017

A new moth for West Norfolk (Vice-County 28) and 2 smart recent captures

Pine-blossom Knot-horn, Vitula biviella, Holme NOA 5th July 2017 (caught by David Bratt in the NOA).

New Tawny Tubic, Batia lunaris, Holme NOA, 5th July 2017

 Silver-streaked Case-bearer, Coleophora limoniella, Holme NOA, 5th July 2017

Three from today's excellent haul of scarce moths

Black Arches, Holme NOA, 15th July 2017

Bordered Beauty, Holme NOA, 15th July 2017 

Star-Wort, Holme NOA, 15th July 2017 

Common Awl Robberfly

 Common Awl Robberfly (female), Holme NWT, 15th July 2017

A new plant for the patch and one that is unaccountably scarce

Meadowsweet, Holme NWT, 15th July 2017 - rare and local on the patch, but a nice display at Gore Pt this year.

Common Valerian, Holme NWT, 15th July 2017 - a first for the patch found by Phil Amies

Summer Chafer

Summer Chafer - Hunstanton (came to moth trap light) 8th July 2017

Dark Green Fritillary

I have seen two Dark Green fritillaries this week; one at Ringstead Downs on Monday and this one on the bunker path at Holme Dunes today.  By its markings I think today's is a female.

A hoverfly, a bee and a damselfly

A hoverfly Volucella pellucens ? on my kitchen window

One of  several of these bumble bees feeding on Creeping Thistle flowers at Ringstead Downs.  Thanks to Nick Owens for identifying it as a male Hill Cuckoo Bumblebee Bombus rupestris a cuckoo of Bombus lapidarius.

A male Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens seen at the west end of Ringstead Downs.  I saw on in almost the same place last year.

Harebells at Holme

Lots of Harebells at Holme Dunes this year, especially big patches near the coastal footpath.

Four-banded Longhorn at NWT Holme

While looking for steaks for the beach cordons on 9th July found this lovely beetle, though recorded here before we didn't have any photos till now.

Off Patch: a Musk Beetle near Brandon

Another photo of gold-tabbed robberfly

A nice record for NWT Holme Dunes. It's gold tab (at lower part of abdomen tip), its black leg bristles, brownish wings and large size are main ID features. On release this evening it posed very nicely on The Firs wall.

A smart new Robberfly for the patch

Golden-tabbed Robberfly Eurolmus rufibarbis (male), Holme NWT, 8th July 2017