The Ladybird thread (6 Viewers)

[Larry Sweetland]

Twitching Todd's Canada Goose in Lancashire led to a week long road trip round Wales and back to Bristol looking for ladybirds in random stops and parkups. I added 4 ladybirds to the yearlist bringing it to 25:-

11-spot Ladybird (one at Flint Castle).

Four-spotted Nephus (one in a car park at a toilet stop further west along the coast).

Red-patched Nephus (one at Newborough Forest on Anglesey was a lifer)

5-spot Ladybird ( one on the Wye by the bridge at Glasbury).

 

[Euan Buchan]

Saw my first Ladybird of the year

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Ladybird #26 for the year found today: Dot Ladybird. Two of them in a Bristol garden where I found them last year, in the same two locations within the garden (Ivy-covered tree trunk and a small bay leaf bush)

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Ladybird #27 for the year, and #32 for the lifelist: Larch Ladybird. Found in a young Larch on the central reservation of the Bristol ring road by UWE campus. Pics on the UK ladybird Facebook group

 

[Surreybirder]

Were you beating the larch? - I wouldn't have the nerve in such a public spot!

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Were you beating the larch? - I wouldn't have the nerve in such a public spot!

I've got used to funny looks and "Can I ask what you're doing?"s now, since starting to use a net 🙂

 

[Owene]

Had orange ladybird today. My first one apart from the common number-spot and harlequin ones.

 

[Surreybirder]

Had my 10th species for the garden (this year) yesterday. Cream-spot.

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Ladybird 28 for the year 33 for the lifelist: Striped Ladybird, two found today (and a 10-spot) in a pine tree near the Stejneger's and White-winged Scoter twitch site in Scotland😃

 

[Surreybirder]

Ladybird 28 for the year 33 for the lifelist: Striped Ladybird, two found today (and a 10-spot) in a pine tree near the Stejneger's and White-winged Scoter twitch site in Scotland😃

Great going! If you are doing the grey-headed lapwing, there seem to be good ladybird sites near Newcastle. Havannah nature reserve, for example. Just as a matter of interest, do you report your sightings somewhere?

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Great going! If you are doing the grey-headed lapwing, there seem to be good ladybird sites near Newcastle. Havannah nature reserve, for example. Just as a matter of interest, do you report your sightings somewhere?

Thanks for tip. I was contemplating doing more ladybirding after the lapwing. But we're an exhausted van load heading home and I'm the only ladybird enthusiast in the vehicle 😆.

Re reporting, I've been reporting my Bristol sightings but I've been slack about the few notable sightings I've had elsewhere. Especially as most of those aren't photographed.

 

[Surreybirder]

I'm the only ladybird enthusiast in the vehicle 😆.

Yes, well that would make things tricky! And I guess that made it hard to spend time taking photos, too. I photographed an 'inconspicuous ladybird' today only to find that it was a water beetle (about 3mms long).

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Species #29 for the year, Red-flanked Scymnus, found on the same ivy-covered wall as last year in Bristol. Pics on UK ladybirds Facebook group

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Just found a 4-spotted Nephus on the same ivy-covered tree trunk as last year, so it appears that this species and Red-flanked Scymnus have established themselves at effectively "twitchable" spots within 50m of each other near my house.

 

[Surreybirder]

I'm getting more ladybirds but so far not much variety. This p.m. in my garden: 24-spot, 22-spot, heather x 3 (two started mating in my net); R chrysomeloides x 2.

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Just found a Forestier's Rhyzobius in a rose bush in the garden! That's ladybird #30 for the year and I still haven't seen a Cream-spot 😀!

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Nice to see a Spotted Marsh Ladybird roaming about out in the open in the Reeds at the local pond today. Up until today my only sightings this year have been of hidden overwintering ones.

Mostly distracted by Odonata and birds on my visit so not much actual ladybirding done.

 

[Surreybirder]

My first 'lifer' of the year today. Sweeping a wildflower meadow I found at least three 'Meadow ladybirds' (Rhyzobius litura).

 

[Larry Sweetland]

My first 'lifer' of the year today. Sweeping a wildflower meadow I found at least three 'Meadow ladybirds' (Rhyzobius litura).

Nice one Ken, hopefully others to come 👍

 

[Surreybirder]

Nice one Ken, hopefully others to come 👍

Shouldn't be too difficult as I've only ever seen two species in addition to what I've observed in my garden! My main challenge is accessing suitable habitat round here, where even the woodland seems to be private - people don't like their pheasants and horses being disturbed.