The Forest of Dean part five

 Some more images from our holiday.

I think I said in an earlier Blog that we saw loads of these Dor Beetles both alive and dead.

Harlequin Ladybird.

Helophilus pendulus Hoverfly.

Marmalade Hoverfly.

Zebra Spider.

Dark Bush-cricket.

Garden Bumblebee.

Moth Sp. pupa?

Female Mandarin with chicks.

One of the chicks trying to catch a fly.

The rest of the images, including this Buzzard being mobbed, were taken from the patio of the cottage.

Kestrel.

A short sequence of a Swallow hawking for flies.

Cinnabar Moth.

German Wasp.

BVNR part two

 I said in part one that I didn’t see many dragonflies at BVNR, here are some I did see however a couple of these were well away from the pond, they were on the path from the carpark. If I have the identification wrong on anything please correct me.

A Common Darter which did the decent thing and posed for me on different bits of grass.

Common Hawker too high in the trees to get a decent shot.

Common Darter with a damaged wing.

This one looks to be pristine.

Male Common Darter.

This male looks to be saying “who are you looking at.”

Male Common Darter in flight.

Emperor Dragonfly. These never seem to stop; I got these images as it flew past me.

Blue-tailed Damselfly.

A pair of Blue-tailed Damselfly.

3^rd? instar Common Green Shieldbug.

4^th? instar Common Green Shieldbug.

Harlequin Ladybird.

Another Harlequin.

Harlequin Ladybird pupa.

Ladybird larva.

Alder Leaf Beetle.

Another Alder Leaf Beetle.

Ladybirds

 29.11.23 A morning walk around our Churchyard and graveyard produced some canny Ladybirds however an afternoon walk in and around the village didn’t produce the Waxwing (and there are loads of berries on the trees) Fieldfare etc that I was hoping for.

I know they are an invasive species but I just like the colour and pattern variation on Harlequin Ladybirds.

Harlequin and Orange Ladybirds.

Orange Ladybird.

There was still a few Ladybird Pupa to be found.

Kestrel from my afternoon walk.

This big bird, an RAF plane, flew over a few times must have been out on exercise.