I regularly mow the mile and a quarter paths around the reserve.. the Mower is self propelled and pretty slow at about 2mph..which is ideal for spotting stuff as you walk along obviously keeping your eyes firmly ahead…….. so you are wandering ..why does it take him 2-3 hours to cut the paths?
Because I have to keep stopping as i’ve spotted something!!.
There was plenty of things to see you just have to look a bit harder as they were hunkering down on the vegetation but pretty sluggish in the chilly breeze. I spotted some really nice stuff I have never recorded before.. I sometimes have to collect any that need closer examination at home with microscopes and the like. so that takes even longer!
Heres a few highlights. Large Red Damselfly, Dotted Bee-fly, both the first of the year, One of theNomada bee species Nomada panzeri/ruficornis/flava/striata/villosa- resting on a Forget-me-not by grasping the stem with their jaws and just hang the sleeping.!. a couple of new beetle species- Nimbus obliteratus and Dacne bipustulata. A new plant bug Arocatus roeselii they can be found on Common alder and lastly a Cheilosia albitarsis/ranunculi agg. Hoverfly need close examination to be able to tell apart but it flew of before I could take a closer look.
I did eventually manage get the grass cut before dark!..
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