Natural history highlights - Archive

SELECTED NATURAL HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS ARCHIVE

WALL BROWN: One of several of these attractive butterflies (Lasiommata megera) basking on a stony path in late summer sunshine. RSPB Buckenham Marshes, Norfolk, September 2025.

ELEPHANT HAWK-MOTH: For the second year running, one of these large and striking-looking hawk-moth caterpillars (Deilephila elpenor), which we assume are feeding on Fuchsia in our garden, has made an appearance. More usually the background colour is purplish-brown, but green is a recorded variant. Norwich, Norfolk, August 2025.

MEDIAN WASP: These large and colourful wasps (Dolichovespula media) have been visiting flowers of Snowberry (Symphoricarpos) and (here) Fennel (Foeniculum) in our garden. This one, from its relatively long antennae and abdomen, was a male. Norwich, Norfolk, July 2025.

SHORT-TOED EAGLE: This eagle (Circaetus gallicus) was a thrill to see as it did a low pass over us when we were on holiday in the south of France recently. As a bonus, I luckily had my camera to hand. Ners, Gard, France, July 2025.

GARDEN SPIDER SPIDERLINGS: A tightly-packed cluster of recently hatched spiderlings from a cocoon of the Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus), Norwich, Norfolk, May 2025.

DAY-FLYING MOTH: A Mother Shipton moth (Callistege mi), NWT East Wretham Heath, Norfolk, May 2025.

MINOTAUR BEETLE: A male of one of these beetles (Typhaeus typhoeus) found walking on a path at NWT Buxton Heath, Norfolk, April 2025.

SPRING INSECTS 1/3: Hoverfly (Eristalis pertinax), Norwich, Norfolk, April 2025.

SPRING INSECTS 2/3: Bee-fly (Bombylius major), RSPB Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk, March 2025.

SPRING INSECTS 3/3: Comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album), NWT Buxton Heath, Norfolk, March 2025.

CATTLE EGRET IN NORFOLK: I am still getting used to the sight of Cattle Egrets in the UK. This one was at St Benet's Abbey, near Ludham, Norfolk, December 2024.

HOVERFLY ON IVY FLOWER: A late example of this striking hoverfly (Sericomyia silentis) feeding at one of the last flowers of autumn. RSPB Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk, October 2024.

SAWFLY LARVAE IN COMMUNAL DISPLAY: These sawfly larvae (Nematus septentrionalis) were eating the leaves of a small Hazel in our garden this summer (June 2024).

DIGGER WASP WITH PREY: The small black and white digger wasp Oxybelus uniglumis nests in a sandy 'bee-bank' that we constructed in our garden a few years ago. In the summer (June 2024), I was lucky enough to witness females returning to their nest with their fly prey. As in the photo, they transport captured flies in a unique manner by carrying the paralysed body behind them impaled on their sting.

SPARROWHAWK WITH CAPTURED SWIFT: A male Sparrowhawk with a captured Swift on our lawn last spring. I was very surprised to see a Swift as prey in this way, but have since read that Sparrowhawk predation of Swifts is known to occur, but rare. Norwich, Norfolk, May 2024.