We have been living in Gloucestershire for a year now. It really doesn't seem that long - time sure does fly. Last year I caught the tail-end of the PBF flight period. It was great to see some flying at Siccaridge Woods but they were getting a bit tatty at that time. Not so yesterday when I visited ...

Ah, that explains it then. Thanks guys.

Hi all

I saw this moth on my garage yesterday. I managed to get a few shots before if flew off. Try as I might I cannot ID it even though there can't be that many moths that fly in March on a cold morning (4 degrees).

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks.

David

The reason why the rainbow is so broad is because I used telephoto feature on my camera to get a close-up from a distance. I did it like that because the actual bow was fading fast by the time I got my camera from the house and this was pretty much the last remnant of it that could be seen.

Wurzel I didn't know the answer to your question re the Chestnut Tree but assumed hanging branches touched the ground at some point and set out new shoots, like I have seen yew trees of age do. Wikipedia has this to say which seems to concur with my assumption... The Tortworth Chestnut is an ancient...

Today I took this picture from just outside my house.

There is supposed to be gold at the end of the rainbow isn't there? Well by coincidence from where I stood this rainbow had one foot in the valley known around here as the 'Golden Valley'.

Went to the little village of totworth recently. In a field beside the church is reputedly the oldest Chestnut Tree in Britain, possibly as much as 800 years old. The oldest Chestnut Tree in Britain - c1200 (99).JPG It looks like a number of trees but all these trunks are from a single root system!

Thanks, guys

I was in two minds about posting that but then I thought why not - there are loads of in-cop pics of butterflies on this website and David makes a very valid point about it being the 'Butterfly Position'.

Foxy Feature Freddy? Yes Fergie? P1260893.JPG Why do we have to do it in the Frost’s driveway when our den in the woodland round the back is a bit more private? Well I thought it would make a change, dear. Oh it is, it is, but... P1260897.JPG ... I have this strange feeling we are being watched! P12...

On the subject of Christmas weirdness, how about this effort from Bourton on the Water? Step 1: Buy an old petrol car that you don't intend to drive, let's say a Mini for example and leave it in your front drive. Step 2: Cover it in a wire mesh and weave foliage onto it. Step 3: Put some form of lig...

Bugboy

Thanks for the link. What a nice story. I shall look out for others now I know it could be nationwide.

Well I must admit I never knew that knitting 'toppers' for post-boxes was such a 'thing'. The one at Nailsworth was my first.

Best wishes for Christmas to everyone.

After living in Alton, Hants for 20 years I had kind of got used to the zaniness of Xmas around there. Remember the 'festive' marmots, the telephone box completely wrapped in Xmas prezzie paper and the giant Santa's hat just 'dropped' by him in a field? I came to Gloucestershire thinking that sanity...

Wurzel: I was surprised and delighted to see the Cranes. They were all at a distance but great to watch through bins and photograph on high zoom. Whilst the rearing station had no chicks being the wrong time of year, there were a couple of penned adults so we could see them close up too. David: I am...

At this time of year with no butterflies around, my attention shifts to birds which was my first love in Natural History. So, with Slimbridge just down the road from us, me and Gloria spent a lovely day looking at wild and penned birds. What I didn't realise until I went was that they have a Wild Cr...

I haven't posted for a month or so as there hasn't been all that much on the butterfly front, except to say there are a remarkable number of Red Admirals flying about. They seem to be just about everywhere. This one was I think feasting on sap at Uley Bury Iron Age Hillfort. Red Admiral on a sap run...

Thanks for the heads-up regarding the Brostreaks, Wurzel.

I was lucky with the open-wing shot David, particularly as I haven't seen another Cloudy since!

Selsley Common The usual stuff for this site. Red Ad, Meadow Brown, quite a lot of Small Heaths, Whites, Common, Chalkhill and Adonis Blue are still out too. But today was my first Clouded Yellow for this region. P1240586.JPG P1240580.JPG And perhaps my best ever open-wing shot... P1240598.JPG It on...

David

Ah, yes but I don't have Brown Hairstreak around my way now. I wish I had. My nearest I think is over near Andover which I won't be going to for some while yet.

Are you feeling a bit blue today? Well cheer-up! Remember, these guys I found at Selsley Hill today feel blue all of the time! c.JPG b.JPG a.JPG Plus - on the Bank Holiday Monday I espied a very rare bird flying over Minch Common. I had never seen this bird species before... . . . . . . . . . . . . ...