Out and about in May

The blog has been overrun in recent weeks by badgers, foxes and bees.  I have managed to get out for a walk for a few times so here is a summary of some of the things I saw last month in two local nature reserves, Weetslade Country Park and Banks' Pond.  First some dragonflies.

A male large red damselfly.

A male azure damselfly.

A teneral common blue damselfly showing almost no colour.

A male blue-tailed damselfly.

A four-spotted chaser.  I saw three at Weetslade but one was eaten by a reed bunting as I watched, so that was down to two.

A female broad-bodied chaser.

I found this unusual-looking bumblebee.  It is a hill cuckoo bumblebee (Bombus rupestris), also known as a red-tailed cuckoo bumblebee.  It is a social parasite of the red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius).  It is a rare sighting for the county and probably only the fourth in recent times.  Note the very dark wings and the lack of a pollen basket on the tibia of the hind leg.

This is a red-headed cardinal beetle.

A female orange tip butterfly on Lady's smock, a favourite flower.

I heard singing from the reeds and was trying to decide whether it was a reed warbler or a sedge warbler when I caught sight of it.  It is a sedge warbler.

I have seen quite a few dingy skippers.  I don't know if they are more common this year or if I am better at recognising them.

I'll return to both reserves once or twice a month to keep an eye on the wildlife and post anything interesting here. Gosforth Nature Reserve reopened this week so I shall add that to the rota for June.