Kibblesworth Brick Works…

 …or Bowes Valley Nature Reserve is a great place for Dragonflies so around the middle of last month my wife and I had a walk around the pond to see what was there. We weren’t disappointed.

Female Emperor Dragonfly.

She landed on the pond

And began to lay eggs.

She was laying eggs in several places.

Male Emperor Dragonfly.

They were always patrolling

So, getting one in a perched position was a bonus.

Emperor with an Azure Damselfly flying close by.

An Emperor with a Four-spotted Chaser above.

Four-spotted Chaser.

One of them kept landing in the same place sometimes with prey.

Black-tailed Skimmer.

Burnet Moth.

Small Skipper.

Large Skipper.

Shaded Broad-bar Moth.

Grasshopper.

Little Grebe humbug.

Little Grebe.

At last Shieldbugs

 I cannot believe it has taken so long but I have finally found some more Shieldbugs (thanks Alan for all of the info) not many but it’s a start. There was also a canny selection of other stuff.

Forest Bug

Final instar Forest Bug

Birch Catkin Bug

Mating Birch Catkin Bugs

Once again I have been through them all but can’t find this one.

2nd instar Parent Bugs

2nd instar Birch Shieldbugs

Exoskeleton of a Shieldbug

Harlequin Ladybird

7-spot Ladybird

Ladybird

Green Nettle Weevil

Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Moth my first of the year.

Small Skipper Butterfly also my first of the year

Rusty Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Priocnemis Sp. Wasp

Greenfly

Beech Aphid?

Great Pied Hoverfly