OK, finally got around to getting photos of the orchard now. I have older images somewhere I'll post when I have time. Here is images of the orchard: orchard1.jpg The tree in the background beside wall here is a Lebanon Cedar, there is a wild cherry beside it, woodland behind wall, the four trees in...

Back from butterfly transact at Inishargy, Co Down. 27C in open, 23C in shade, couldn't walk the whole area as the grasses were to thick. Saw 6 male common blues, lots of whites I couldn't get close enough to ID, 6 ringlets and 2 small tortoiseshells. Had to stop due to feeing a bit too hot.

Tuesday I am going to look for Dark Green Fritillaries at country park in town not far away, saw 19 last year in an hour so hoping I might. Silver-washed was found in nearby woodland (the largest mature deciduous woodland in Northern Ireland) but have yet to see any. Have a few hours so maybe have a...

Yesterday I got the Canon 600D with Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens and a sturdy calumet 7300 tripod. I have not used that lens yet as although its f/1.8, its min focus is 1.5ft and therefore took a couple of test shots and can't figure how to use the f/1.8 at that range. Just testing it today to see how it i...

Nice image. I saw one the same a few years back, first thought it was worn, but looked like yours.

I was out at 6pm and walking along a large meadow area near woodland and happened to see 18 small tortoiseshell in a small area (one was in spider web and was dead), BUT they were a nightmare to photo. First two were on thistle head, they flew off when I got near, next 3 were on path nearby, same wi...

Thanks all, interesting behaviour and interesting what a quick snap can get you

Doing big butterfly count in garden this morning. Saw x2 Red Admiral, x2 Large White and x3 GV white. I also looked up as I heard a lot of bird noises, and saw loads of swallows in a frenzy. They were churping loudy and flying around quite fast. Then I found why, a buzzard came past and was circling...

I was in garden testing out my new canon 600D with Sigma 105mm Macro lens and took a photo of this hoverfly (not the best image) but noticed from the photo, it seems to be shooting something out of its mouth. At first I thought it was a spider web just beside the fly, but you can clearly see its com...

Hi Nick,

Nice to see a peacock photo, they are as scare as hens teeth this year here, never seen such a bad year. Don't remember seeing any this year at al, which is unusual as I usually at least see a few.

That is a good idea John, I have been doing that already with some plants I am growing such as bilberry, juniper, white campion, wild strawberry etc... Probably just the yellow rattle I can't really do that with since its a hemiparasite of grass.

Thanks Mike. I am in bogs and wet places quite a lot so something that can handle that would suit best. I have a monopod which I find quite useful, as you say, a tripod is no good for fast moving subjects or moving subjects that don't sit long. Benbo Trekker tripod might work for me, I go to bogs, c...

Well won't be getting the camera for a couple of days and so thought about this: Canon 600D (Body) + battery grip + Canon 50mm f/1.8 II lens. I already have a good macro (Sigma 105mm EX DG) so if I do want to use this to film some things, the 50mm lens could come in handy, plus it could be a handy m...

Thanks Lee, I was kinda wondering what was up when the new owners asked me for a list of all the butterflies and moths I had recorded here since I have been here. Could have been changes like this. Since places like this around here have started to be looked after better, I have found Coleophora may...

I have lived here for 17 years (moving in a month) but I have lived near a walled in apple orchard that borders deciduous beech/oak/willow woodland. When we first moved here, there was brambles and hogweed crowing high, so much overgrown stuff, it was bad. There was two buddliea and there was butter...

Thanks for the info, wasn't too sure if it was female, still that is odd. A couple of years ago, when I was releasing a number of captive-bred Peacocks, a wasp began systematically attacking the new butterflies. All it did was to sever the head from the body of each one it attacked, before moving on...

This poor male ....... still had enough life left to crawl and to flap its remaining wing. This seemed to have been enough to tempt another individual to try to mate with it. The butterfly that attempted to mate with it was another male :?: (I assume females don't hunt down males). If that was the ...

Great we are making new discoveries, hopefully this one will turn our right, often have we had scientists trying to make "find" new species in others, some did try and say that the two forms of burnished brass were separate species.

Hi Dave, thanks for the 'virtual tour' of the islands, great bit of history detail in there! Your mystery bird is indeed a Reed Bunting. Only other thing to point out is that your Cormorants are actually Shags. Check the bill shape and head profile for starters. Cheers mate, Gibster (notably seeing...

Very nice images, pays to get up early in morning. Must to that sometime soon and head to my local patch to see if any common blues are there early in morning.