Grey Wagtails

I took this photo of a nest of Grey Wagtails at the factory where I work. The factory is in a semi rural area surrounded by a river on 3 sides and a canal on the 4th side. The habitat outside the factory is really good for wildlife in the wide flood plain of the river. The parents have made this nest on top of a low wall about 3 feet of the ground in a loading area for some really nasty chemicals. Its one of the grimmest areas on the whole of the factory site where people are working all the time and tankers are loaded and unloaded several times a day. The chicks are doing really well and should be off soon. This is the second brood this year in this nest.

More from my day off...

Blue Tailed Damselfly-Male



Large Red Damselflies coupled.
This photo was taken at Clodhall Pond which is at the side of the road between Baslow and Owler Bar. I went to look for Golden Ringed Dragonflies but didnt see any, the weather was poor. I was sat on my backside leaning over the pond trying not to fall in or sit in a pile of dung.



Shortly afterwards they separated. The female is above and the male below.







Think this one is a Common Blue Damselfly. Struggling to ID it from this angle with my limited knowledge.



Again not sure what ths is. I thought it was a 6 spot Burnet moth when i first spotted it but im having second thoughts. Need to look it up.



This one above is a female blue tailed damselfy showing a different coloured thorax. From my book this looks like a rufescens form of the female less than 8 days old. After 8 days the colour will change.


This is also a female Blue Tailed Damselfly but is the violacea form.

Day Off

Had a day off work to recover from a weekend in Amsterdam and took off with the camera to Cupola Ponds. It was windy and overcast so didnt expect much but in the end got some half decent pictures....


I think this is a common spotted orchid.



This is the best of the bee pictures, this one is covered in pollen.



Im really pleased with this one of a fly, no idea what sort it is.

Cupola Ponds

Hottest day of the year so far, took a trip out to Cupola Ponds at Stonedge near Chesterfield. The pond bank side was teaming with insects. Loads of Large Red Damselflies all over the place.


This half eaten fly was hanging on in the wind.

No idea what this is.


Is it a bee or a wasp?


Large Red Damselfly.