27 August 2022 - Hollingworth Lake

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Spotted Flycatcher, Spiked & Green Shieldbugs, Common Darter, Speckled Wood

The commonest butterfly around at the moment seems to be Speckled Wood - they're around almost every shady spot, sometimes two or three together.  A new species for me today was a Spiked Shieldbug, Picromerus bidens. It's easily identified since it has two distinctive spikes jutting out from its pronotum.  

A male Common Darter landed on a fence right next to me in the sunshine, and I was hoping to change the F-stop to get more of it in focus when someone walked past and it flew off.  The Green Shieldbugs were in their usual spot, and a Garden Spider had a web by the track at the back of Pavilion Wood. 

I walked down to Shaw Moss where I met Andrew who had seen a Spotted Flycatcher. After a couple of minutes wait, it appeared, though rather distantly, so I took a record shot before it moved  off down the valley.

Speckled Wood, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 1250 (view full size image)

Spiked Shieldbug, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 2500 (view full size image)

Common Darter, 1/640 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 400 (view full size image)

Green Shieldbug, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 320 (view full size image)

Garden Spider, 1/500 sec, f/11.0, 500 mm, ISO 8000 (view full size image)

Spotted Flycatcher, 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 100 (view full size image)