Tue 2011-12-27 
A female hoverfly, probably an Orthonevra sp (Diptera: Syrphidae). There are 3 species of Orthonevra on the UK checklist: O. brevicornis, O. geniculata and O. nobilis, of which O. nobilis is the most common but the other two are by no means rare.
Photo taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2010-05-30.
Mon 2011-12-26 
A parent bug, Elasmucha grisea (Hemiptera: Acanthosomatidae), with eggs on the underside of a birch leaf. This species got its common name because it protects its young before and after they have hatched. I followed this individual for several days but, sadly, it and the eggs disappeared before they hatched out. Maybe a bird found it.
Photo taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2010-05-28.
Sun 2011-12-25 
An oak apple gall with ants. This gall contains male and female larvae of the sexual generation of the wasp Biorhiza pallida (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae).
Photo taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2010-05-18.
Sat 2011-12-24 
A hawthorn shieldbug, Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale (Hemiptera: Acanthosomatidae). Similar to the birch shieldbug, Elasmostethus interstinctus, but with sharper shoulders and an all-green scutellum.
Photo taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-09-14.
Fri 2011-12-23 
An unidentified slime mould that is just starting to form sporangia.
Photo taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2011-12-21.
Tristram Brelstaff
A photo of the same specimen taken on the 2011-12-24 shows the white lumps to have disappeared leaving just a smooth translucent white plasmodium. Either it wasn't forming sporangia after all or else something happened to cause it to give up on that plan.
Tristram Brelstaff
This might be the plasmodial stage of Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa.
