Raft Spider

Today we went to Whixall Moss NNR, it's a lowland peat bog and  SSSI so a very important place for ecology. We heard a cuckoo (my first of the year) and saw hobbies flying so high that they could only be seen with binoculars, a whitethroat and a lizard.

The blip is of a raft spider that sits in ponds waiting to feel the vibration of prey then dash out using surface tension to walk on water. It can also swim and dive so quite an adaptable water predator.  This was a small one of about an inch across but they grow up to 6".  

The very hot Bank Holiday weather had brought lots of insects out with plenty of butterflies and hoverflies around. The extra is of a Four Spotted Chaser dragonfly and I saw a large red dameslfly too.

There were a group of people watching a couple of Emperor Moths, they had lured them using pheromones. I felt a bit sorry for the poor moths circling a bag when they'd hoped for a lady moth!