Ladybirds have been a theme of 2022. Fresh from twelve months of ladybird recording, here’s a quick round-up of the highlights this year.
Category Archives: Insects
Getting Started with Aphid Identification
Having never tried my hand at aphid identification, this Summer proved quite a steep learning curve with many interesting species seen.
A Quick Guide to Black Ladybirds
A short guide to some of the black ladybirds you could encounter while ladybird spotting across the UK
A ladybird extravaganza – local recording in July
With visits to some of my favourite haunts and lots to see elsewhere, July has been a great month for ladybird recording.
Rearing ladybird larvae – an experiment
To help identify a few of the tricker species out there, recently, I’ve been experimenting by rearing ladybird larvae at home.
Brownfield wildlife at North Shields
Not only are brownfield sites phenomenal for wildlife but offer a rare look at what would happen if nature was permitted to reclaim larger tracts of our towns and cities.
Heather Ladybirds at Rothbury
Continuing this year’s quest to find and record ladybirds across the North East, back at the end of March I popped up to Rothbury in search of the elusive Heather Ladybird (Chilocorus bipustulatus). This is a species which should, theoretically, be incredibly numerous up here given the abundance of Heather but despite this, there isContinue reading “Heather Ladybirds at Rothbury”
Exploring the scarcer ladybirds of Newcastle
While out and about in search of ladybirds this last few weeks, I have been lucky enough to stumble across a number of scarce and unusual species
Winter ladybirds on conifers
Continuing this year’s Ladybird Year List and capturing records for the North East Ladybird Spot, the last few weekends have been spent admiring winter ladybirds conifers. Scots Pine, Larch, exotic Lodgepole and Black Pines, even the odd spruce. Havannah Nature Reserve near Dinnington first and few visits to explore the site’s conifers turned up aContinue reading “Winter ladybirds on conifers”
The North East Ladybird ‘Year List’ begins
With the Natural History Society of Northumbria’s fantastic North East Ladybird Spot launching this week, most of this weekend has been spent searching for these colourful insects at various sites across Tyneside. A January pastime I would never have considered a few short years ago that now, knowing where to look, is becoming somewhat ofContinue reading “The North East Ladybird ‘Year List’ begins”
Recording North East nature in 2021 – ten highlights
2021 has been a funny old year but despite the big c and the various restrictions it brought, it has also been a memorable one.
Ladybirds in Newcastle
Keen to further explore Newcastle’s ladybirds as part of the North East Ladybird Spot, last weekend I set off for two local sites that I seldom visit. The first, Newcastle’s Great Park, a new suburb of the city located four miles from the city centre, and the second, the well-known Havannah Nature Reserve near Dinnington.Continue reading “Ladybirds in Newcastle”