Common Dolphin breaching vertically yesterday from Berry Head. Suggested reasons for this are 1. to communicate something to other pods, the loud splash on coming down again would be a good signal perhaps of warning. 2. To dislodge parasites.

Two interesting moths in the trap this week: 1 Tree-lichen Beauty, its caterpillars feed on tree lichens and the moth is perfectly coloured to blend into woodland. Was an immigrant but is now naturalised in the south. 2 Bordered Straw, a migrant from Europe along southern coasts in particular.

Greenway NT Devonshire home of Agatha Christie, did she write "Murder in the Woodpile"? Here in Coronation Meadow a Kite-tailed Robberfly Tolmerus atricapillus left its perch on the woodpile and came back with prey. Looks a bit like a Caddisfly.

Helice form of Clouded Yellow butterfly (f) seen this morning at Berry Head. Pictured here as it took off with the blue of Torbay behind it. Thanks to Steph Murphy who spotted it.

Even body snatchers need to take a break. Bee-wolf Philanthus triangulum resting on her way back to her nest burrow with a Honey Bee Apis mellifera. Other prey species have occasionally been recorded such as Yellow-legged Mining Bee Andrena flavipes. Berry Head, South Devon.

Red-veined Darters Sympetrum fonscolombii at Clennon Lakes this afternoon. Ovipositing in tandem in Lake 1. Hopefully they will be present here for years to come.

Red-veined Darters mating. Clennon Lakes, Paignton.

Special Dragonflies at Clennon Lakes today ! 1+2 Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope. Delighted to get some shots over lake 2. From the same spot, a Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii, again one of two seen. Note the blue at the back of the eye. Known as a migrant but has started to breed in UK.

Red-banded Sand Wasp Ammophila sabulosa taking 3 steps to getting provisions into her nest burrow: 1. Dump caterpillar to one side and clear entrance to burrow. 2. Pick up caterpillar and take down into burrow. 3. Turn around and cover up entrance to burrow. I wish I'd had the wit to video this.

Photo 1 is a Heath Potter Wasp Eumenes coarctatus regurgitating a gobbet of water brought back from a fresh water source. Its purpose is to moisten some of the clay in its quarry so that it can mix it into a soft clay ball to be carried back to be plastered into its clay pot nest. See pic 2

Emperor Dragonflies Anax imperator (m) flying non-stop over the pond at Bovey Heath.

Bee-wolf Philanthus triangulum provisioning the chambers in her deep nest burrow with paralysed Honey Bees Apis mellifera. There seem to be many more than last year at Mansands beach.

Clouded Yellows blown into Berry Head this morning. They headed straight for Red Valerian ignoring Knapweed and all else.

Comically named, Astata boops the Shieldbug Digger Wasp. From the greek Astata = restless and boops=large eyes. It provisions its nest burrow with shieldbug nymphs. Seen here on the South Devon coast at Berry Head and the other at Mansands.

Silver-washed Fritillaries flying around the buddleia at Berry Head yesterday evening. Six-belted Clearwing Bembecia ichneumoniformisare, a moth, starting to appear at Berry Head. Their larvae feed on Bird's -foot Trefoil which is quite plentiful.

Rock Pipits finding grasshoppers in plentiful supply at Berry Head.

Common Dolphin, mother and small calf off Berry Head this morning. C. Dolphins back in numbers today and not a Risso's to be seen.

50+ Risso's Dolphins widely dispersed off Berry Head this morning. Great to watch , occasionally they came in quite close. I wonder if they are feeding on octopus during daylight hours. There are lots of octopus and they are not very deep. There were Risso's well within Torbay this morning.

Western Bee-flies Bombylius canescens, many of them patrolling the footpaths on Aish Tor today, especially near bee nest burrows in the path. This one in pic 1 descended on a Tormentil flower for some nectar. Given as Nationally Scarce in Brocks Britain's Insects.

Risso's Dolphins passing Berry Head this morning. The highlight was this mother and calf in shot 1. The pod was widely dispersed and moving quite slowly, in fact just ambling along.

If I hadn't seen it I wouldn't have believed it! - A Slowworm swimming across the pond at Bovey Heath. Also an Emperor Dragonfly and a Silver-studded Blue.

Tiny, very fast moving and very beautiful this is the Green-eyed Flower Bee Anthophora bimaculata. These can now be seen flying flying on Bovey Heath foraging mainly on Heather and Bramble. Their nest burrows are dug into well trodden footpaths.

Red-veined Darter (m) needing to rest from time to time, it was hot at Clennon Lakes this morning. A female Black-tailed Skimmer ovipositing and being investigated by a Common Blue Damselfly.

Fabulous butterflies in Long Wood, Noss on Dart, this morning: Silver-washed Fritillaries, 3 of them in a glade. First we've seen this year. Purple Hairstreaks up in the oaks, occasionally breaking into flight. White Admirals, we had to wait until past noon before they came down to nectar.

Slapton Ley NNR this morning: A Reed Warbler coming up out of the reeds just long enough to get a shot. Pair of Great Crested Grebes courting with pond weed! Getting worked up for a second brood perhaps.

A little Colletes Bee - Plasterer Bees on Berry Head. I haven't found any nest sites yet for this bee, except for Colletes hederae which doesn't start flying until late summer.

Marbled Whites flying this week on Berry Head, South Devon. Always great to see them again.

One of UK's rarest plant species - Small Hare's-ear known in only two areas on the British Mainland, here at Berry Head and at Portland Bill. Portland Spurge Euphorbia portlandica, recognisable with its red stalk. Growing out of a sandstone rockface, Coast Sand-spurrey Spergularia media. Berry Head.

Emerging Scarlet Tiger Calimorpha dominula on Berry Head this afternoon. What a splash of colour on a grey afternoon!

Risso's Dolphins off Berry Head this morning, they are here to feed on the great numbers of Octopus available off the south coast. Encouraging to see calves amongst them in 2, 3 and 4.