Strolling into September

Autumn is on it’s way.  The year is slipping by.  Day after day, week after week of heat, humidity and drought is slowly coming to an end.  We have finally had a little rain, not much, just enough to settle the dust.  This morning was that cool I had to put on a cardigan!  The last couple of weeks we have decided to reprieve our walks that were such a feature of the covid lockdown.  Sadly one of my favourites, by the old canal, has been blocked by the landowner who had received abuse when asking dog walkers to control their pets.  The minority spoiling it for all.  Still, there is plenty to see at this time of the year as a different suit of species take front of stage.

With the flowering of the Ivy comes the Ivy Bees (Colletes hederae), really cute little mining bees

I mentioned in my last post Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) romance, here it is in action at Hickling Broad

Just hanging around. One of the largest UK dragonflies is the Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanae). This is a beautiful male

The most numerous of the butterflies encountered on the walks has been the Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) which likes shady areas

Sometimes you capture a shot you are really pleased with. A female Common Darter on dead Bracken, simple muted colours of Autumn