Sallow

6:th of September 2009
For the second year I have observed this nice yellow/ lilac Moth taking interest in my plums as they ripe in late summer/ early autumn. Last year I caught one in the act of sucking on them at night. Now I find one as I pick the fruit in daytime. The Moth and the plums are in fact exactly the same colour(!) And I think it is a Sallow (Xanthia icteritia). In swedish called (the totally unsexy name): Blekgult gulvingfly.

Crane season started

5:th of September 2009
Last week the number of Cranes seems to be building up in the vallety, I counted 400 in one flock and could also identy 3 colour-ringed individuals, all swedish and all from the county. Tonight we enjoy a great evening at the roostingsite by Lake Fläcksjön for the first time this autumn. We see 3 White-tailed Eagles, some Marsh Harriers and Water rails before the Cranes start to come in. They seem to be late, at 20.15 a big group of at least 200 comes in, but not more. Nice though!

Beauty visit

6:th of September 2009
A Camberwell Beauty comes to visit my garden today, probably attracted by all rotting fruit. I don´t get very much time with it, but it sits on the wet grass for a while between the showers.

The lake

3:rd of September 2009
This anonymous lake in Uppland is totally covered with Water soldiers and hence an excellent site for Green Hawkers (Aeshna viridis). We also encounter surisingly late flying Yellow-spotted Emeralds (Somatochlora flavomaculata). As we move around the blue border between the meadow and the reedbeds, we flsuh plenty of Green Hawkers and ... mind you.. Baltic Hawkers. Quite an Aeshna hotspot!

Ovipositing

3:rd of September 2009
After a while we encounter a female Baltic Hawker (Aeshna serrata) ovipositing in the shallow water inside the reedbeds. Being totally paralyzed in the process it allows close views and photography.

Moorland Hawker

3:rd of September 2009
Several Moorland Hawkers (Aeshna juncea) fly on this nice little spot.

Moorland side

3:rd of September 2009
And from the side.