Stitchwort Nibbler

After tidying the garden in the morning it was time to head out for the weekend shopping. However not wanting to waste the glorious weather I dropped into the Valley Gardens within Windsor Great Park next to Virginia Water first.

The gardens were full of colour from the rhododendron and azalea for which they are famed, but going through the images later this rather tatty example of greater stitchwort took my eye due to its companion bug. Initially I thought it to be an aphid, but using an insect ID app I discovered it to be a nymph or young speckled bush-cricket. 

Extra: Much later I was reminded of the chance for seeing the aurora borealis across much of the UK this evening.  Sure enough, I looked out just before going to bed and saw faint signs in the sky. The camera clearly has much better eyesight, and I got a few many shots for this phenomenon, my first sighting!