A busy Spring gave way to an even busier Summer so this posting only covers July.

The fine, sunny weather brought out the butterflies and some day-flying moths. Clockwise fom top left: small tortoishell, ringlet, mint moth and red admiral. There is a large tortoishell but it is virtually extinct in the UK due to the devastation of its main food plant by Dutch Elm disease. The mint moth is only a few mm long.

Likewise pollinating insects were active in the garden and at ANR. Top line: Several species of bumble bee and a honey bee. I learned via Twitter that the fearsome insect (left) is a red soldier beetle. I observed more species of hoverfly than you could shake a stick at. The large specimen in the last image is commonly called ‘The Footballer.’

Dunnock and reed warbler at ANR. Robin and jackdaw in the garden.

Top: Cape ruddy shelduck and eclipse red crested pochard. The lower images (from Highfields) represent many weeks observing a pair of great crested grebe producing first a pair of chicks and another brood of four a few weeks later. A very special experience.