well i finally took the plunge and bought the popular lumix fz38. so the first clear night for a while i thought i would have my first ever attempt at a few night shots. i even had to manual focus :shock: and change shutter speeds etc. what a learning curve this is going to be. But being my first ti...

lovely shots Susie. i'd have them both up on the wall.

Chris

I grow cabbages and i feel the same way about large whites. :evil: "don't waste my money trying to get people to think that Winter Moths are anything more than an expensive pest" they aren't they are just telling people to look out for them. it's the first 3 lines of your quote :D Chris (a...

lovely shots Zonda, keep your eyes peeled, the waxwings seem to be on the move. I had 4 outside work in Verwood today.

Chris

I can't help with the butterflies i'm afraid but i had a wander and thoroughly enjoyed the Australian butterfly photos, the green awl and green-banded blues were the ones that caught my eye. after looking through that i thought i'd see how many types of moth you have over there...... only an estimat...

and from me. having seen Sussex kippers pics i've even treated myself to a Z38 so fingers crossed i'll be able to put some pics up for critique during the season.
Best wishes to all for 2011
Chris

Thanks for that 59 Species. but it all depends on who you believe, from Natural englands website and just following links i came accross this one http://greenreview.blogspot.com/2010/09/farmland-bird-numbers-at-lowest-ever.html which states that where birds are concerned the scheme isn't working. al...

i did read this when Gary first put it on and thought the same as you Jack, poor article. and i also have now read the butterfly conservation link also. the last paragraph re the documentary made me laugh but that has already been covered in other threads so i'll leave that bit. but i have to say ha...

Hi Susie, that was teucrium chamaedrys a very good bee plant even with the lavender directly behind it. it was these that the wool carder bee used patrol and Silver-y (and the only plant i ever found the small ranunculus nectaring on by night.)
Chris

i already have some here but no harm in bolstering the population. I'm a long way off it looking like my old garden Susie.

a fond reminder of my old garden

just had to go into work to sort alarms out and just as well i did, my latest plant order must have turned up late on thursday. so now i have the following plugs ready to go in the garden in the spring. :) Bugloss - viper's x 5 Campion - White x 3 Cranesbill - meadow x2 Daisy - ox-eye x 5 Heartsease...

Happy Christmas All

Chris

all this talk of sun anomalies reminded me of a link a friend in canada sent to me. hope you don't mind my adding it.
http://worldwellnesssymposium.wordpress ... ire-light/

Happy Christmas

hi Susie, have you decided which plants you are keeping/adding and which you are getting rid of? are you trying to attract anything in particular or just greater numbers?
Chris

hi Lee, I agree with comments on the book mentioned, but be warned, this book only does what are known as the macro (larger )moths (approx 850 out of the 2,500 species) unfortunately there isn't one that does them all (i wish) but another nice reasonably priced book which includes some micros and bu...

i did see a butterfly today, my money would be on a peacock if i had to say which but not 100%. But i can also echo the plaudits for the heavens above website. I found it over 10 years ago after seeing my first irridium flare. I was outside work looking at jupiter when this object suddenly got brigh...

try one of the pyralids for the cream wave. Mother of pearl maybe?
Chris

Thanks for the offer Susie but i have my steatoda nobilis, grossa and bipunctata. but i wouldn't mind some rosemary beetle , attractive wee beasties and you reminded me. Butterfly world would be one for me too.

Chris

plans for next year. hmmm. i have come to the conclusion this year that i'm actually an armchair butterfly watcher. i seem to get far more pleasure seeing butterflies in the garden than i do seeing them where they are supposed to be. It won't stop me walking round reserves like Denbies or Bentley as...

from memory i think the red line down the back makes it a white ermine.

Chris