Fleabane

From a few months back, fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica).  The leaves look like this:

Photos taken in Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-08-12.

Crab Spider with Hoverfly

A white crab spider, Misumena vatia (family Thomisidae, order Araneae) with an ambush victim, hoverfly Cheilosia illustrata.  For more on M. vatia see here; for more on C. illustrata see here.  The flowers are hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium).

Photo taken in Reading University grounds, Reading, UK on 2009-06-26.

Hoverfly on Hogweed

When I first saw this, I thought that it must be a bee, but when I got home and looked it up, it turned out to be a hoverfly: Cheilosia illustrata (family Syrphidae, order Diptera).  The flowers it is feeding on are hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium).

Photos taken in Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-06-19.

Red Kite over Broad Street, Reading

I was walking along Broad Street, Reading at lunch time today when a red kite flew out from over Marks and Spencer's.  I slowed my pace so as not to bump into anyone, and watched while it drifted off at roof-top level in the direction of the Oracle shopping centre.  The black, brown and white markings on the underside of its wings were clearly visible.

This is not the first time I have seen one of these birds from Broad Street.   See here for details.

Hoverfly on Sneezewort

A female Sphaerophoria scripta (family Syrphidae, order Diptera) feeding on sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica).

Photo taken in Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-08-16.