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Great Green Bush-cricket

Reference: GC27
Location: Stanpit Marsh, Dorset
Gallery: Grasshoppers & Crickets,

In my quest to see the largest Grasshopper or Bush-cricket in Britain I had a few near misses. I first heard their incredibly loud song on the walk back from Hengistbury Head while leading a photography workshop. It was dark and I tried to find them by torchlight without success. A few days later I popped in to Purewell Meadows but didn’t have time to look properly. I then spent 3 hours at Mudeford Woods and although I heard one again I didn’t see it. Finally I organised a trip to Hengistbury Head with the sole aim being to see one of these giant insects. The M27 and the A31 were both closed and we had almost run out of light so I changed plans and headed to Stanpit which would save us some time. We dashed out from the car park and pretty soon I could hear a couple of them and thank fully we found two males fairly quickly.