Noticing Nature Blog

A rather attractive little hoverfly, probably Sphaerophoria interrupta, on an oak leaf. Sphaerophoria interrupta

Another selection from around Staple. Clockwise from top left: Wall Brown butterfly, Silver-Y Moth (quite numerous at the moment-they are migrant moths moving up from the continent on the warm air-flows), Brown Argus butterfly and a Small Copper butterfly in my garden.

This strangely deformed Spear Thistle flower head seen at Gt Pedding farm, may be the result of a process called fasciation. This could be the result of a genetic mutation. It could be environmental stress or contact with a herbicide. Or, it may have been caused by an insect attack or infection from a bacterium. The flowers on this stem of the plant seem to be fused together, the rest are normal. Deformed Spear Thistle

Not the best weather for snails. In the churchyard, they will seek refuge at the base of gravestones, deep in the woodpiles and at the base of shaded vegetation. This Brown-lipped Snail (Cepaea nemoralis) is resting at the base of a recently cut Ragwort plant, conserving moisture during this hot, dry period. A work of art really and no doubt the inspiration for a pottery glaze at one time! Brown-lipped Snail

The seed-heads of Wild Carrot in the churchyard are a joy to see but they also make wonderful platforms for insects and other invertebrates to rest on. This Speckled Bush-cricket (Leptophyes punctatissima) seemed quite at home and unperturbed by my attempts to photograph her. Speckled Bush-cricket