Seen today. Help with ID please

[PeterD]

Photographed at Bere Regis today



and



Thanks

Peter

[Jason Green]

Evening Peter

#1: Garden Spider, Araneus diadematus.

Any word on your lens?

[PeterD]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Evening Peter

#1: Garden Spider, Araneus diadematus.

Any word on your lens?

Good Evening Jason

Thanks for your reply on #1. #2 had made a cocoon of silk with a horizontal opening for me to pear and shoot into. What drew my attention to this was that thorn plants were completely covered in webs. At first I thought, 'crafty spiders'. I had this idea that they had covered the plants to capture all the roosting insects within the foliage. Something like a fisherman laying out a trawl net. I then discovered these cocoons that were separate from th mesh of webs and placed towards the top of the plant. Poked a stick, gently, into the cocoon and the sipder came out clutching a white ball of silk. Closer inspection of the ball suggests to me that it was an egg parcel. I shall post these images shortly.

I had a great trip to Bere Regis which is within striking distance of numerous spots for wildlife. I had the dog with me so it was a bit limiting. Still, we both had to enjoy ourselves so it didn't matter too much.

My Bigma lens is still in Japan (as far as I know). Sigma kindly loaned me a new Bigma in May just before my trip to Cornwall. I am still waiting for news but at least I have a Bigma to use until it is returned.

Processing lots of images from my trip and will post some more as they are done.

Cheers for now

[Jason Green]

I'll await your shots with interest. Good on Sigma, too - was that insurance or a gesture?

[PeterD]

I beleieve this is a Drone Fly (Hoverfly) - Aristalis tenax. Could someone please confirm.



Thanks

[PeterD]

Another Hoverfly. This time I cannot make a guess



Thanks

[Jason Green]

You may be right on your second, you think E. tenax - do you have a dorsal or other abdomen shot? Your third, last image is of Helophilus pendulus I believe.

[PeterD]

Thank you Jason. I have checked out your suggestion for #4 and it fits.
I am sorry but I do not have any other shots of #3.

Now for a real puzzle - it may however be just me but here goes.
I saw this family of swans on the river Piddle and my attention was drawn to one of the Cygnets.

The cygnet in front is wildly different from the normal. The adult is the female. the male was busy chasing away a white goose that ventured too close.
Here is a closer view of the query cygnet.

The colouring differences are obvious. The other thing that was strange was that this bird was very noisy, giving off sounds similar to geese. It caused me to query whether it was a cygnet or gosling which had been adopted by the swans. Looking at the facial markings though - it was a swan

Can anyone help with this please?

[PeterD]

Originally Posted by PeterD

Thank you Jason. I have checked out your suggestion for #4 and it fits.
I am sorry but I do not have any other shots of #3.

Now for a real puzzle - it may however be just me but here goes.
I saw this family of swans on the river Piddle and my attention was drawn to one of the Cygnets.

The cygnet in front is wildly different from the normal. The adult is the female. the male was busy chasing away a white goose that ventured too close.
Here is a closer view of the query cygnet.

The colouring differences are obvious. The other thing that was strange was that this bird was very noisy, giving off sounds similar to geese. It caused me to query whether it was a cygnet or gosling which had been adopted by the swans. Looking at the facial markings though - it was a swan

Can anyone help with this please?

I have re-posted the above Cygnet/Gosling query in the correct forum. Please ignore. I shall however be posting more spider queries shortly. Sorry for any confusion caused.

[No.9 Spider]

Second species looks like Agelena labyrinthica.


No.9 Spider

Originally Posted by PeterD

Photographed at Bere Regis today



and



Thanks

Peter