I've got a little behind with posts recently but last weekend I visited 2 rather different fens both of which provided plenty of interest.
On Saturday I suggested we have a long walk around the great reserve at Wheatfen. I wanted to try and find the rare beetle Galleruca laticollis at it's only UK site but think I may have been a little early for that. Nevertheless I couldn't complain with new insects for me including Black Snipefly, the attractive fly Tetanocera ferruginea and 2 new beetles in the form of Lagria hirta and Plateumaris bracata. Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle and Four-banded Longhorn Beetle are always nice to see as were the day-flying moths Brown China Mark and Small China Mark. Norfolk Hawkers were whizzing about and my first Gatekeeper of the year sat nicely for a photo. Plants too were very good with Monkeyflower, Green Figwort, Small Balsam, Marsh Pea and Greater Burnet Saxifrage the highlights.
Fast forward to Sunday and a trip out in the opposite direction - to Redgrave and Lopham Fen. The Fen Raft Spiders here have been on my to do list for some while having only looked half-heartedly a couple of timesin the past. This time I was delighted to find half a dozen and get some photos too. It was fairly quiet otherwise (apart from a cow trying to eat Belinda's top!) but a trio of hoverflies in the form of Furry Dronefly, Tiger Hoverfly and Ferdinandea cuprea were around oaks and brambles. The latter being a new one for me.
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