Barden Lake

Slow ramble around Barden Lake looking for birds, especially yearlings birds, and dragonflies.

The pair of Swans still had their seven cygnets, safe so far from pike and other predators.

Interesting link to a Guardian article on the species expansion. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/may/25/specieswatch-egyptian-goose-breeding-population

I think this is the closest I have ever actually been to a Red-eyed Damselfly, come to the shore in order to find a place to mate or lay eggs perhaps. I hadn't realised how fuzzy their thoraxes are! There is no sign of any ante-humeral stripes on the males of the Red-Eyed Damselfly, a useful separation feature. 

The male is in reasonable focus here.

This picture brings the female into focus a little better, noting the broken lines of the ante-humeral stripes, forming "exclamation marks", another useful separation feature, parallel to that for the male above.

I found one pair of White Legged Damselfly on the edge of the shallows.

Lady Bagots Drive

Sycamore Leafhopper, characteristic colour pattern of late instar nymphs

Yellow Pimpernel,

Woodruff, note forward pointing prickles on leaves

Bod Petryal

A Grey Wagtail by the picnic tables before the lake. Sat by the lake and watched across the water for about half an hour - saw very little, but heard Song Thrush and Nuthatch in the distance.  Up above me a very close Coal Tit calling. Chaffinches singing all around. A lovely evening but a few insects too close to my neck for comfort.

Walking up the short diagonal cross path to the stream path and back down to the road by the stream with the Great and Small Sallows, more Chaffinches, Songthrushes and Blackbirds, and a repeated "ribbit" call, perhaps a Chaffinch, from the top of one of the conifers.

On the road on the way back a briefly hovering rather ungainly Buzzard - the first time I've seen one doing this oft-reported action.

Rosebush

Red Kite, Buzzard and Kestrel over the village/car park. Chaffinches, Blackbirds, Willow Warbler, Chiff-chaffs, Song-Thrush, unidentified birdsong, possible Dunnock, Wren.

Creeping and Field Buttercup, Greater and Lesser Spearwort, Crowfoot, Heath Bedstraw, more Ragged Robin than you could throw a stick at, CatsEar, Red Campion, Sheeps Sorrel, Wild Strawberry, Marsh(?) Orchid, Sallows and another possible (Eared?) Willow, Rowan, Bilberry, Rhododendron, Ash, Heather, Wood Avens, Hawthorn, Lady's Mantle, Birds-Foot Trefoil, a Trefoil, Tufted Vetch, Meadow Vetchling, Eyebright, Herb Robert, Cow Parsley, Speedwells, Brooklime?, Marsh Thistle, Smooth Sowthistle, goodness knows what else.

Painted Lady.

Large Red Damselflies, Emperor Dragonfly. 

Freshwater East, Bosherston, St Govans and West Angle Bay

Sea Plantain, Buckshorn Plantain, Kidney Vetch, .

Walk round the coast from Skerryback Cottages

Pignut, Queen Anne's Lace, Herb Robert, Ivy, Cut-leaved Cranesbill, Red Campion, Birds-Foot Trefoil, Meadow Vetchling, Kidney Vetch, Smooth Hawksbeard, Catsear, Borage, Japanese(?) Rose, Sweet Chestnut, Ash, Sycamore, Oak. Wood Avens, Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Gorse, Red Clover, White Clover, Common Vetch, Trefoil, Water Dropwort,

Azure(?) Damselfly, a Chaser sp.

Common Blue Butterfly, Speckled Wood

Access Trail

A nice walk down the section of the Access Trail from the Victoria Road lay-by, focusing mainly on insects. I saw quite a few Azure Damselflies along the sunnier parts of the trail.

This is a male Azure Damselfly, Coenagrion puella.

This next male with a dip in its abdomen, is munching away on an aphid. Nice view of the beerglass on S2.

And here is a closer-up view, interesting to see how the pronotum is angled upwards.

This next picture is a female, a common dark variation on the blue homochromic form. The colours on the top of the head and thorax seem fairly pale - recently hatched perhaps?