Lady's Smock

Lady's smock (Cardamine pratensis). 

I remember these from Kemplah field in Guisborough, back when I was 5 or 6 years old.  They used to grow in the long grass near a small pond that we used to play in (actually the pond was really just an overgrown puddle around a broken field drain).  In the field, there were also buttercups, bees, and horses, and in the pond, leeches. 

Alas, Kemplah field was long since built on, and a school has even come and gone on the site of the pond.  This makes me feel old.

Anyhow, this is what the leaves of lady's smock look like:

Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2010-04-28.

Bibionid Fly

A male Bibionid fly, probably a St Mark's fly, Bibio marci (Diptera: Bibionidae).

Photo taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2010-04-28.

Orchid

Probably a green-winged orchid (Anacamptis morio = Orchis morio).

The leaves look like this:

Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2010-04-27.

Hoverfly

A male hoverfly, probably species Epistrophe eligans (Diptera: Syrphidae).

And I think this a female of the same species:

Photos taken in the Wilderness, Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2010-04-20.

Dagger Fly

A dagger fly, probably Empis sp (Diptera: Empididae). [Note added 2010-05-10: Actually, the short proboscis and dark colour looks more like Rhamphomyia sp., possibly Rhamphomyia sulcata.]

On Saturday I had to take Zoe to Charvil for a piano exam.  We had a bit of time to kill beforehand so we went for a walk and I took these photos.

Photos taken in Charvil Country Park, near Reading, UK on 2010-04-24.