Today, 11th June 2017, the weather improved after a cloudy start, with insects very active over the warm shallows of the river and over sheltered banks and riverside grasses.
Only visible because it was flying over the river bank, a female Beautiful Demoiselle damselfly chose a leaf in the sun to perch and lay in wait for prey:
The male Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly is usually far easier to spot, with its brilliant electric blue body and dark wings (see previous posts) but the female is subtly beautiful too, with its greenish-bronze body and brown-bronze wings.The wings have a dull whitish spot near the ends.
Looking down onto the river from a bridge upstream, thousands of aquatic and other insects could be seen. After a few moments - a disturbance - a brilliant metallic green damselfly suddenly flew across, grabbing one of the insects and returning to perch on a Willow leaf hanging low over the water. It consumed the insect and resumed watching, then flew out over the water again, grabbing another insect and returning to the same leaf. It was a female Banded Demoiselle Damselfly. More were present -
catching insects downstream - flashed of green over the water. They grab prey in their feet and secure them using their 'spiked' legs.
Bees were foraging all over the Bramble-covered banks, exceptionally numerous in the sun whilst more were foraging on the sweet White Clovers covering the level grass. It was a good time to do a survey -
the result was an average of 8 bees per square meter on the Clover covered areas - a varied mix of Bumblebees, Honeybees and others, working at different speeds. The White Clover flowers suit short-tongued bees but long-tongued bees will use the flowers as well.
Honeybee on Bramble flower
Volucella pellucens
Pellucid Hoverfly amongst the brambles
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