I am spending spare moments on my walks and cycle rides into Oxford at the excellent Trap Grounds nature reserve which used to be a rubbish dump next to the canal by the final pound approaching the inner-city quarter of Jericho. Volunteers have cleared the mess and laid out meandering paths and the wildlife has responded accordingly (although some of it may also have enjoyed the old rubbish days).
The best-known inhabitants are the family of swans, Eddy, Slipper and four cygnets, who are often to be seen pottering around on the towpath nearby. They are the latest of a dynasty which has had some tragedies but has largely survived the perils of living so close to so many human beings.
The patch of woodland, ponds, small meadows and shade-dappled walks has a healthy tally of birds, reptiles and mammals and lots of insects to absorb the likes of myself. I have spent a happy time in the last two weeks, photographing Gatekeepers, Ringlets, Meadow Browns, Small Skippers - as in the photo two below - and this little creature just underneath which photobombed my stalk of a Gatekeeper and is the first Two-banded Wasp Hoverfly to be recorded in the Trap Grounds.
That's less due to any rarity of the species but more because of the limited number of people out looking for hoverflies and taking pictures of them, a hobby which requires the sort of time with which we retired types are blessed. It was also a hobby pursued by a local, self-taught photographer Nicola Devine whose skill and patience amassed a wonderful store of photos until she sadly died two years ago.
When I first saw them on the Friends of the Trap Grounds website, I assumed - especially with this being Oxford - that she worked for National Geographic or some similar illustrious employer. But she had discovered her skill by herself and supplemented it with the tremendous patience and ability to listen and watch which can bring such rewards to all who love the natural world.
In the absence of butterflies, I've also enjoyed trying to photo smaller insects which nip about like jewels between the many flowering heads of ragwort and various cowslippy plants. These pictures were taken in bright sunshine which made focussing my iPhone camera almost impossible. But I will keep trying.
The Cinnabar caterpillars here and at the head of this post were the first I have seen this year and perhaps illustrate the benefits of the Trap Grounds sheltered position in an urban setting which may be a little warmer overall than the open countryside. We have plenty of ragwort round us but, as yet, no Cinnabar catties.
Bees abound on the reserve too and here is one - I will try to sort out which type it is of the surrpisingly large number of bee species in the UK. I would personally just call it a Bumblebee, but that probably doesn't suffice.
The canal and road bridge just to the north of the Trap Grounds has some excellent murals of the wildlife so far recorded in the reserve. And you can get involved too. There's an excellent photo competition on at the moment in memory of Nicola (who also has three discreet benches dedicated to her at very good points for sitting quietly and Nature-spotting in the reserve). I've pasted in the details at the bottom and if you are within reach of Oxford or visiting the city, I very much encourage you to enter. I got a picture of a Brown Argus in the calendar last year, but only because by chance, they didn't have any other entries of butterflies.
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