8. Damsel Fly.

Be sure to click on these images to magnify them and see them at their best.

Lastly a damsel fly seen on the edge of the walnut field.

7. Robber fly Sucking Dry its Prey Whilst a Ladybird Looks On

Click twice for full enlargement.

This robber fly was spotted amongst the grass of the old orchard on the wing whilst carrying its prey and looking for a grass stem where it could secure itself whilst consuming its prey - also a fly. These are agressive flies which hunt on the wing. Their prey is other flies, sometimes the same size as themselves. They then pierce the carapace of the thorax with their sharp triangular mouth piece, rather like the sucking mouth part of a horse fly, and then suck out the insides of their prey. This robber fly eventually found a suitable grass stem and is nocholantly suspended from the seed head by one leg, it holds the prey with four legs and has one left over. A ladybird loafs above. The orange spot on the abdomen of the robber fly may be a parasite of the robber fly itself.

6. Hoplia caerulea

This is one of the jewels of Le Port and is most often to be found on stinging nettles close to the river bank, although this one is on a bramble leaf. It is not paricularly active but will suddenly and unexpectedly take wing or drop to the ground and play dead if disturbed. Known to (some of) the French as l'hoplie bleu. The long hooked hind legs are characteristic and are probably used in some obscure reproductive function or may merely be used to secure them to sloping leaf surfaces so they may look their best whilst being totally relaxed.

5. Black and Red Beetle.

This beetle flies actively but otherwise lies still in and on flowers. This is the only image of the series not taken today because, although an individual of the same species was photographed within the hour, the image is rather dreary so I have substituted this one taken a few days earlier. The creature is just taking off from a Ragwort flower.

4. Thighs Beetle on Mauve Flower.

This beetle is quite commong at Le Port and spends a lot of time wiggling its antenae at the anthers of various flowers. Here it is enjoying the colour contrast with a flower that has bloomed on part of the field which was cut short in early May.

3. Day Flying Moth in Dieing Rose.

This is the first sighting of this moth at Le Port.

2. Common Wall Lizard.

On the stone gate post a female Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis), well marked and gravid. There were a lot of small lizards around last year so they appear to be breeding well.