Some warmer weather in early June at last so I have been walking down our local lane to see what creatures I can find in the grass and hedgerows. There doesn’t appear to be the abundance of insects like last year or it’s maybe I’ve been too eager to go on my nature hunts this year but May wasn’t so good weather wise and the insects have been slow showing.

Most of the images have been taken on our afternoon walk with our two dogs who are very patient waiting for me to compose and take a picture, like the White legged Damselfly who conveniently posed on the top of a Goosegrass stem. 

I spotted the male Scoprpion fly in the spinney at the bottom of the lane showing why it is so aptly named. It is relatively small at around 3cm wingspan.

I was pleased to see one or two Large Red Damselflies, I never spotted that many close to home and they are usually in the spinney again, which edges on to the river Stour.

Always plenty of Banded Demoiselles in the lane and the spinney.

I spotted this Caterpillar on a blade of grass, I didn’t have a clue what it was until I got home and asked on Butterflies UK Facebook page and they were soon back with an answer it is the caterpillar of a Drinker Moth. A new one for me, the Moths are night fliers. We miss so much at night! It’s called a Drinker Moth because the larva’s supposed to drink drops of dew. It was in a good position for me to take a picture of it’s face, as always quite intricate and a bit like a lion with a golden Mane!

This spider was posing nicely on White Clover, I haven’t been able to identify which one yet.

Not much evidence of Dragonfies yet but I’ve seen a couple and managed to get images of two when they stopped for a short while, they are on the move most off the time! I wasn’t sure what they were, I thought at first Four-Spot Chasers but I wasn’t convinced, I put the images on the UK Dragonflies Facebook page and soon had the correct identification and more. The first one is a female Scarce Chaser and the second an immature Scarce Chaser male and as their name suggests, scarce there are only six locations in England where they are found which includes Dorset/Hampshire so I’m pleased I spotted them!

I’m still trying to get comfortable using my macro lens at 1 to 1, the focusing is very critical and it’s quite a big learning curve but I’m getting lots of practical tips on the Olympus Uk Facebook site so I must get out and try more! This Yellow Dung fly at 1 to 1 shows so much detail and he stayed still for me!