Yesterday afternoon was very fine with a sunny, 17 degrees. It was a bit blowy over at Noar Hill but sheltered in the pits - it was relatively still and calm. And that is where I saw my first Duke of the year and also "The Green One".

Thanks, guys.

Yes, I was lucky with my Skylark. It is always good to watch their airborne antics up on Magdalene Hill and when they swoop down to their nests, but this was my first shot of one actually singing and my closest ever shot too so I was well pleased.

Magdalen Hill, 4th April 2021, 3-4 pm Full Sun, 14 degrees Today, a walk with wifey up on the hill near Winchester. Didn't expect much but it was a glorious day - hardly any breeze. I went in my winter overcoat and within minutes wish I hadn't - it was far too hot but the padded coat was too bulky t...

Thanks, all. I was very lucky with the Stoat. Don't suppose that will ever happen again for me.

... but with the Pine Marten, I am a little uncert-en.

Noar Hill, 30th March 2021 12.30-1.30pm, Full Sun, 21 degrees A fine summers day in March. Apparently it almost reached 25 degrees in Kew Gardens, the hottest British March day since 1968. So I came out of hibernation and visited Noar Hill, just on the off-chance that a Duke might have been enticed ...

Happy belated New Year to one and all. Hope you are all keeping well, and as far as possible avoiding the virus, the storms, the snow, the floods & etc…. As a follow-on from the bizarre Alton Town Xmas decorations noted in my previous posts, I have finally come to the conclusion that they must b...

Note

Guy has posted some even better photos under the General Forum. Go take a look - he even shows the names of Jupiter's moons alongside them.

Well it's the Winter Solstice tomorrow and not only that - by pure chance it is also the Great Conjunction. That's when Earth, Jupiter and Saturn all line up, according to the internet an event that happened last over 400 years ago. Tomorrow it will appear like Jupiter and Saturn are combined but of...

Thanks Folks

Those marmots are a bit of a giggle.

Thanks also Neil for the info on the November Moth group.

29th Nov 2020, early evening on outside of kitchen door I had to do a double-take. It was a moth, but when I first saw it, it had its wings pressed together like some butterflies often do. November Moth (1).JPG I am no moth expert so it being November I looked in my books and went straight to Novemb...

Wurzel, Trevor, Dave, David

Thanks, Guys.

Those were to be my last butterflies of the year. I went back to Broxhead once more after that but saw nothing there and have not seen any butterflies since anywhere else either.

2nd Nov 2020, 11.30 am Broxhead, Mostly sunny but quite breezy. Since my last post about a late Small Copper (26th Oct) it has rained every day and been quite windy. Last night there was one hell of a storm so coming out to Broxhead today was the height of optimism. Would I see my little copper frie...

Thanks, folks. I guess I am stretching my luck now. The end of season for Butterflies must have nearly ended by now.

Broxhead, same place, same time, next day (26th Oct 2020) almost same temperature as yesterday and same Small Copper. I managed to extend my record of late sighting of this species by another day. There is bad weather forecast for tomorrow. Will it survive? P1160162.JPG Trevor - In reality, my only ...

On the 24th October 2018 I saw 5 Small Coppers at Broxhead. This was my latest record for this species. I didn't go back again that year to find them again to extend my record. So today, being the 25th October, I went to Broxhead to try my luck. Now in 2018, the 24th Oct was a balmy 16 degrees with ...

Thanks Guys

Zigzag. I always suggest to people not to eat any wild mushroom unless they are 100% sure of the species. I once thought any UK mushroom that had pores rather than gills was OK - but this is NOT true so it seems. Just as well I didn't try any!!!

Deadwater Valley woods In 2018 there was a path in these woods that was getting good sunlight in one spot and sustained a single Speckled Wood into late November. I checked it out and sure enough, again a Speckled Wood in exactly the same spot, right down to perching regularly on the same tree as be...

Just catching up with peoples PD's, so started through yours Bugboy. Love that sequence of LT Blues prior to and in-cop and also the purplier shots of LT Blue uppersides. And the mating Wall Browns. Plus I found both the Grayling in your "Spot the Grayling" competition but have to admit I ...

Trevor

I'm catching up with peoples PD's. Love your pic of a Cloudie with blue sky behind and an amazing number of Wall Browns. Looks like they are expanding their range if you are seeing them in places you never saw them before. Hope they come over my way some-day.