Family Activity Session - Pond Dipping/Bug Hunt

We had one enthusiastic family join us for pond dipping and the bug hunt this afternoon. We managed to avoid one shower but definitely not another! We had more joy bug hunting than pond dipping this time, although we saw both Greater and Lesser Water Boatmen and some leeches in the pond. We caught two different spiders, lots of little blue hopper things (still to be identified) and then there were those which got away . . .
Becky

Pond Dipping fun

Black Darter (female)

Crab Spider (Xysticus cristatus?)

Harvestman sp. (Paroligolophus agrestis?)

Leaf hopper  - Cicadella viridis

Bug Hunt

The rain and midges didn't stop us enjoying our bug hunt in Bridgend Woods this afternoon - thanks to all those intrepid bug hunters! We were also looking for Peacock Butterfly eggs (which look like tiny gooseberries) on the underside of nettle leafs. We want to put these in our butterfly pavilion and watch them hatch and go throw the four stages of a butterfly's life cycle. Instead we found a yellow parasite called nettle rust (Puccinia urticata) - yuk!

The goods news is we found LOTS of things for our bug tank - millipedes, centipedes, a shield bug, ground beetles, wood lice, snails and spiders. It was great fun. Here's a photo of us hunting and a photo of some beetle's eggs in the soil - I'm not sure which species.

Tomorrow is meant to be rock pooling, but if the tide is in we'll do a bit of a beach comb/peacock butterfly egg spotting instead. Meet at 4.30 pm at Port Mor car park, Port Charlotte.

Becky