Thursday 19 May 2011: Chrysotoxum...

This morning the dogs and I went up to Ring Haw with Pete, who's doing some survey work there for the local Widlife Trust. It was a fine, sunny morning - a complete contrast to the depressing overcast skies yesterday. As a result of the sunshine there were plenty of butterflies to be seen - common blues, brown argus, dingy and grizzled skippers, small heath and green hairstreak being the most frequent.

I spent some time trying to get a good shot of a male common blue, but they're tricky subjects, very easily disturbed and hard to get the exposure just right. I did manage to get one shot which captured the glorious blue colour, but it just wasn't quite sharp enough. There was plenty of other insect activity: bumblebees (including the recently arrived tree bumble bee in good numbers), thick-legged flower-beetles, wasp beetles and several individuals of this rather magnificent hoverfly, a species of Chrysotoxum.

Most of the rest of the day was spent overseeing revision and trying to catch up with the washing! Alex has his next exam tomorrow morning, so another early start. He's just working his way through his last past exam paper so I'd better go and see how he's getting on. Catch up with you all later!

PS Thanks for all the lovely comments on my damselfly macro yesterday :)

• Canon EOS 500D:
• f/6.3:
• 1/800":
• 300mm:
• ISO 400

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