Wood Worker

I went to Amwell Nature Reserve intent on shooting a dragonfly close-up face-on. Might have managed it if a horde of binocular-wielding people on an organised tour hadn't descended on the ponds. I shot a brown hawker laying her eggs and got some good shots of damselflies but my dragon mug shot will have to wait.

This is a common wasp collecting wood for her nest. She chews it to a pulp and mixed with her saliva, fashions the fantastic paper structure. Luckily she is still busy. As the summer wears on her work is done and she no longer gets the sugary liquid produced by the larvae. She's at a loose end and looking for a sugar fix. That's when beneficial wasps become a nuisance to us as they home in on our picnics.

It is best to try to ignore them. If they are swatted or killed a pheromone is released that lets their mates know they are under attack and reinforcements soon arrive.