Thanks both, well I can wait. Just wanted the trees really to help wildlife in my garden along with the other trees I got (x3 Common Osier 6ft, x2 Grey Sallow 6ft, Hazel 4ft, x1 Sessile Oak 5ft, x2 bird cherry 5ft and x1 blackthorn 5ft). So if I got apples, that would be good, but don't mind waiting...

Yesterday I got x2, 4ft crab apple trees, both grown from wild apple seeds, both healthy. Does anyone know how long it will take to get apples appear on them? Will it be next Autumn or will I have to wait another year or more? I have seen small cultivars of domestic apple (3-4ft) that have had apple...

Sorry I missed this, but happy Belated Birthday Pete! HOpe you had a good one

I should add Red Valerian has been very popular this year - and is still in flower now. I have lived near a wall that is covered in it for about 17 years, and butterflies (and moths) seem to like it a lot, notice it every year right to end of November, its not a long wall but once I saw 25 small to...

Video I made on Sea Mayweed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_HyRfEL-F4[/video]

Thanks for the images, never seen the book before, but the plates are excellent.

Thanks for pointing this out. I have never seen one, so I assumed it was a fritillary because of its name. Silly me! I have not seen one either, but it was called a fritillay because of its fritllary like markings that makes it look like a small fritillary even though its not related to any of the ...

I have never seen a bird take an adult butterfly either, I have seen common darter dragonflies chasing red admirals and small tortoiseshells about trying to catch and eat them and once saw a four-spotted chaser, chasing a dark green fritillary trying to grab it, was quite a sight, especially at the ...

CFB wrote:No, it's not a fritillary.
--
Colin

And neither is Duke of Burgundy!

Would never have got this one.

CFB wrote:No, it's not a fritillary.
--
Colin

And neither is Duke of Burgundy!

Would never have got this one.

I was fascinated to learn of a caterpillar which spends 14 years with an annual cycle of being frozen solid!

Me too, never knew anything could survive basically shutting down to the point of death then coming alive after warming up, cryopreservation?

I have had a red admiral in my 6W Heath trap before, thought it could have been disturbed by light and fell out of the oak tree the trap was under and then into the trap. I have often thought it could be why some caterpillars come to traps, maybe disturbed by light and when distorted, crawl towards ...

no butterflies but not devoid of lepidoptera. i'm not going to spoil it as i believe they are doing a piece on it. or at least i hope they are. an amazing insect coming up. Chris I know what it is and can't wait to see it, I'll say no more either. I suppose it was cruel from the seal's point of vie...

That is interesting about the rabbit burrows, never really noticed that myself.

Not a lot around here, starting to miss seeing butterflies as I have not seen any in a while now, despite during the day being sunny and a bit warmer than usual for this time of year.

This is something I have been filming for since 2009 and its called "Dave's Rambles Through Nature: Wild Guides" and its about the flora and fauna of Northern Ireland. I have the first three videos nearly done which I'll have the first video on-line in a week or so. Here is a preview of wh...

It amuses me the way that Ray Mears has to show off his firelighting skills in every programme he makes :D Me too :) I like the show, its too short though, if it were an hour long, that would be better, but at the time its on, 30 mins is the best your going to get and it is on at a time anyone can ...

Thanks, that's it, first I have heard of these.

I took this on 12th at a grassy area beside some woodland and saw several dotted around. At first I thought it was left by someone who was sick, but think it could be a type of fungus? If not, got no idea. Anyone know what this could be?

If I had to choose a good compact (or is this more of a bridge camera?), I have seen the Panasonic DMC-FZ150 and was quite impressed by it, bit pricey though with cheapest I could find at £347, but I think its worth it if with all the features it has, if you want to go that far.

Thanks dilettante and Gruditch, it was actually the EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens. Not sure why I said macro. I was just thinking to use a f/1.8 properly, you'd need a small subject as I always thought that the smaller the f-stop number, the smaller the subject you could get in focus. Anyway, have to test i...