Short but sweet safari

The Safari spend most of the morning and early afternoon trying to get to grips with the wilderness that is the wild area at the bottom of the garden. We had wanted to go back to the dock yard but early news on tinterweb suggested our intended quarry had relocated northwards and out of range

Eventually we got a chance to wander up the hill to Patch 1. On the way we spotted a Ruby Tailed Wasp.

The Philadelphus hedge smelt divine, it must be awesome at dusk, full of bees too, how many moths must visit at night?

One of our neighbours hasn't shorn here Privet hedge (thankfully) and the flowers (why does everyone cut the flowers off Privet hedges) and it was smothered in moths of several species...without a torch or net we couldn't say which.

Some nice stuff in the park including our friend BB, a hoverfly expert, armed with his sweep net.

We were just armed with bins and camera which was pointed mainly at butterflies in the absence of the Tree Bees, as per usual!

Lots of other stuff about too like this one of several very hoppy Frogs.

 Plenty of Large Skippers were on the wing and lively in the calm heat of the Butterfly Zone.

 Not many birds about although a Chiffchaff and Blackcap sang almost all the while we were out.

Back to the butterflies...

Small Skippers are just starting to be noticed

 Lots of Speckled Woods were flitting along the glade today.

Still no White Letter Hairstreaks yet though.

This Robber Fly wouldn't face the front.

On the way back to Base Camp we saw a tiny ladybird. Without our specs we couldn't tell if it was a 7-spot Ladybird or not so taking a pic was the only way of getting an ID - as you can see it is 'just' a regular common or garden 7-spot Ladybird.

Nearby on an adjacent leaf was a cool hoverfly, not cool as in trendy but cool as in the cloud had come over...one of the Drone Flies.

Back at Base Camp we found the other species that imitates Common Carder Bees.

Where to next? Could be an interesting week with some beachy stuff and the dentist which may offer the oportunity to do some twitching out of town.

In the meantime let us know what didn't show in your outback.