16th June

Hard work at the moment particularly with the wet weather which has vetoed most trips out but a brief spell of brighter weather got me in to the Magic Garden.

I first saw these cracking Longhorn Moths last year…

but this year the numbers are amazing with probably around a hundred individuals seen including a group of 40-50 dancing males in a patch of sunlight.

The little fen area in the magic garden was alive with insects including this Wasp Beetle

Clouded Border moth...

And on the Flag Iris, Pellucid Hoverfly…

And Snout moth…

And talking of moths, the trapping from a fortnight ago left a few unidentified moths John has added a further three to the parish list with Bud Moth, Marbled Minor and this little micro  Epermenia falciformis… 

    .

This is only the second ever record for VC65 (North-west Yorkshire).

Finally, I know this is against my policy of just covering the parish but I did get out to photograph some more orchids, in this case a veritable swarm of Bee Orchids at Nosterfield...