Small and Spotty

I photographed this tiny ladybird in a field of buttercups, last week.  It's a 16 Spot; only 3mm long, and distinguishable from the similar 14 Spot not only by the 2 extra spots, but also by the fact that it's spots are rounder and some of them are merged.

 The following morning, as I sipped my coffee in the back garden, this little fella crawled out of a brick beside my chair.  Again, only about 3mm long, and to my unpracticed eye it looked a very interesting ladybird.

 However, Klaas, from WAB, kindly informed me that it is not a ladybird, but a Dermestidae - Attagenus pellio, more commonly known as a Two-spotted Carpet Beetle.

These seem rather scarce on the NBN Gateway map; whether that's because they are considered pests, are so small, or because they really are uncommon, I don't know.  I do know, however, that it's wings looked amazing in the morning sunshine.

Ladybirds

First trip to the meadows since starting this blog.  I had hoped for some bird pics, and after what seemed an age of standing and staring and getting nothing, I enrolled my son, Tom to help me.  However, after a few, 'Mum...bird...missed it!'s  I turned my attention and camera to something a bit closer and slower.  The Seven-Spot Ladybird.

This one tried to outsmart me by hiding...

...birds hiding in trees 2 fields away - I'm finding tricky, but a ladybird hiding like a chubby toddler behind a lamp post, I can do.  This time, anyway.

Once home, I found a UK Ladybird Survey website, and submitted details of the 3 we spotted.  The Grab a Grid Reference site was useful in determining the, um, grid reference, obviously.