In The Nettle patch

I spent an hour rooting through a local nettle patch in the village, finding over 25 species in that time, including several that are new to me parish records.

The Patch

Hadham Ford from The Patch

Easily identifiable stuff was photographed, such as peacock butterfly, angle shades moth and nettle tap micro moth. Other stuff just breezed by i.e. brimstone, large white and orangetip butterflies. A female blackcap was flushed as a chiffchaff and whitethroat sang. The sun was out following a heavy hale and thunderstorm. As can be seen from the above photo, the sky remained threatening.
Bugs and flies abounded as did rapidly disappearing spiders. An azure damselfly was the first of the year for me.

azure damselfly

angleshades

peacock butterfly roosting under nettles

nettle tap moth

Plenty of bugs were also present, a little more difficult getting a photo of them, but with patience, a few average shots were taken. More stealth required and realising not to cast my shadow over them.

7 spot ladybird

14 spot ladybird

dark bush cricket

greenbottle

Pyrochroa serraticornis

Scaeva pyrastri (I think)

Other creatures, are, at present, unidentified. These photos have been forwarded to those far more knowledgeable about such. I shall edit and update accordingly.
Edit: now tracked these spiders down to specific species in one case and just species in the other three. Progress!

Pisaura miribilis

Xysticus sp

Araniella sp

Bombus pascuorum

Xysticus sp

However, I have managed to name the following. Some I am very familiar with, whilst others are relatively new to me.

Phyllobius pomaceus

scorpion fly, female

spotted cranefly

All in all, a wonderful hour and, with the weather forecast to improve over the next few days, I reckon I shall be returning frequently to this and other nettle patches.