A Good Day for Ladybirds

Lambert’s Meadow.

The Sunday of the Art Trail weekend at the end of June. I was out early for a solo wander, and then later with TBH and J touring a few more art venues.

Common Spotted-orchid.

A group of almost entirely white Common Spotted-orchids.

White-lipped snail.

Seven-spot Ladybird pupa. I think. And a host of aphids.

I’ve always assumed, I think because of the rather crumpled appearance, that ladybirds like this were in the act of actively transforming from their larval form into an adult. I suppose I was right, but I hadn’t thought about the fact that there might be a pupal stage at all. I suppose lots of insects go through a pupal stage, but I generally only tend to see ladybirds in this phase. I wonder why they so often seem to choose such obvious spots – you’d think they would all get picked off by birds or other predators.
This one was on the thorny stem of a Teasel and, since ladybirds prey on aphids, looks well set for a good meal when it metamorphoses into its adult form. The aphids seem to be in all sorts of sizes and two completely different colours – I have no idea whether they are of different species or not.

Seven-spot Ladybird.

Two-spot Ladybird pupa. (According to Google Lens).

I also found a Twenty-two-spot ladybird, tiny and yellow and rather natty, but sadly none of my attempted photos were very sharp.

Dolycoris Baccarum – Hairy Shieldbug.

Lime Tree in flower.

Hazelwood Hall.

Hazelwood Hall was one of the art venues, which suited me since it provided another opportunity to have a peek at a Thomas Mawson designed house and garden.

Six-spot Burnet Moth.

Midweek Walks and the Art Trail.

Evening light on The Lots.

Back to June – some photos from three midweek walks and then some from the Saturday of the areas annual Art Trail.

A tea time visit from a Roe buck.

This was when the weather was still hot and dry and summer like and blue skies abounded.

Warton Crag, Clougha Pike and the village, from The Pepper Pot.

Silverdale, from Castle Barrow (i.e. from near where the last photo was taken).

Morecambe Bay from Castle Barrow.

Grange-over-sands from The Lots.

Unidentified bee on Common Blue Sow-Thistle.

Hoverfly, on Common Blue Sow-Thistle, a Syrphidae species, I suspect.

Our friend J and her daughter E came for the weekend, as they usually do for the Art Trail, and I managed to take absolutely no photos of them, not even a single one, as I usually do when in company. Actually, that’s poor, even by my own low standard.

Cuckoo Pint berries.

Much more important to record what Cuckoo Pint berries look like, obviously.

I also didn’t take any photos of the many art venues we visited, except, that is for The Mawson Garden.

The Mawson Garden.

It’s always a treat to visit, and even better this time since we bumped into a very old friend there and had a good natter too. (No photo, of course.)

The Mawson Garden.

Fox by Vicky Yates.

I don’t generally take photos of the art work – even the things I really take a shine too – unless the art work is sculpture or ceramics. It’s acceptable to photograph 3D art apparently, in my warped view of the world at least.

Black Backed Jackal by Vicky Yates – that’s TBH disappearing in the background – my only ‘people’ shot of the weekend.

We were all charmed by the Fox and the Jackal. The latter seems to still be available, at the time of writing, on the artist’s website.

There was a large Mullein flowering in the garden, so I felt duty bound to see whether it had any Mullein Moth caterpillars – I found one, and a ladybird and this…

Hairy Shieldbug or Sloe Bug.

Mawson Garden Pergola.

Roses.

More sculpture.

Mawson Garden Pond.

Another view of the Mawson Garden.

Grey Walls – also designed by Thomas Mawson and sons – the Mawson Garden is in the grounds of the house.

The Art Trail happens on the last weekend in June every summer and is well worth a visit – doubly so now that the Mawson Garden has been open to the public each year.