Goldie M

[David M]

Taking a camera to a garden centre is a good idea at this time of year. Nectar sources are rapidly drying up in the wild so those on offer in these places are likely to be well frequented!

[Goldie M]

I never thought of that before David, I'm definately going back to the garden centre and i'll take my camera every where I go now Mike
I'm not too sure what to do when copying into my Diary what some one has said, so i took the comment of Davids copied it then pasted it, I'm probably wrong, ( I've an excuse though, I'm a self taught computer user) Goldie

I was wrong so will now have to find out where I went wrong and try again Goldie

[Goldie M]

Well! I've been back from Kent a week now, the weather wasn't much better than here except for being warmer.
We went to Sandwich one day, it was the best day as it turned out, I managed to get photo's of a Comma and a Red Admiral feeding on an Ivy and I'm afaid that's all. We did go to the Roman Musem and that was really interesting and the Heritage M, which if the weather had been nice we probably wouldn't have.
I went to all the places where I'd normally see BF at this time of year and it was In the gardens at Tankerton I spotted a couple of White BF, of course, any thing White catches my eye now since my near mistake with the Bolaria Selene so I took a couple of shots of them, I wonder though isn't it abit late for Whites, I know the books say October, we don't seem to get them so late up north, I suppose it was because we were in the South, I've not totally given up here yet the sun's shining so I'm off out looking for those illusive Red Admirals of the North Goldie

[Wurzel]

Great shots Goldie. I like the white in particular due to the eccentric view, makes it very interesting and almost alien Hopefully the 3 days of "Indian Summer" due next week will reach you up there and mean more butterflies.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Our Indian Summer didn't last that long did it Wurzal not up here any way. I did manage to get some more Photo's though. When I went up the Ginnel between the houses where I knew the Ivy grows,( can't think of it's name )but it was there last year and so were RA I just had to go and look there again First thing I saw was a Comma and low and behold my missing Red Admiral's, that was on the 21st of October, also there to my suprise was a Small Tortoiseshell. I was so pleased to see them I thought the bad weather had really done some damage.
To change the subject we had a huge Moth blown off course ending up on some ones window sill. Did anybody see it on the News It came all the way from the Phillipines, one of the biggest moths in the World. In 1990 I was in the Phillipines, my husband was working there and I went out out to him. I happened to be in this shop looking for some head wear when the Lady came out of a changing room in a hurry shouting, my curiosity got the better of me and I went to see what was wrong, there was this huge Moth on some of the dresses I of course thought it was fantastic , they looked at me as though I were mad I have to look it's name up yet but I won't forget it, I'm sure it must be in a Butterfly House over here some where Goldie

[David M]

That Atlas moth was bloody huge:

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/ne ... ck_garden/

[Wurzel]

It looks like you had it a lot better up there than we did down here Goldie I was about to suggest that the weathermen got it wrong and then remembered that's a very dangerous thing to say on UKB Glad to see you made the most of it

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[essexbuzzard]

Well i will be brave-they did get it wrong-again! I don't think summers in India are dominated by fog,drizzle and gloom, though as i've never been,i could be wrong!
We havn't seen the sun at all in East Anglia for 8 DAYS!

[Goldie M]

Thanks David for telling me about where they've taken the Moth and it's name. I thought they closed the Butterfly House at the park in October. I'll have to go along there and see if it's open. I'll definately have to keep an eye on those Caterpillers.

We think we've got the bad weather here Wurzal and Essexbuzzard but my Brother-in-Law is stuck in New York in that Hurricane. I was in one once in Trinidad, Hurricane "Alma" that was called, they change the names, one year it's all girls names the next boys, I know it's not really funny but my in-law is also called Frank ( their calling it Frankstorm) He'll certainly get his leg pulled when he gets home
The Hurricane I was in did alot of damage and was very frightening this one is a super storm, more serious, looks like we're along way off that thank goodness. Goldie

[Goldie M]

At last! what a week I've had. last Friday I lost all my work on the computer, lucky for me I back everything up when I put it in so that wasn't too bad. Putting all the soft ware back as been the problem. Then to cap it all I've to have an Operation on my eye next week , I won't have any excuses then for bad Photo's
Before all this though a week ago I went to Pennington Flash for a walk, it was about the only nice day of the week. Since no Butterflies are around now I went looking for Birds.
I happened to see this one, I think it's a Nut Thacher, but there not supose to be in the North Of England. It flew very quickly from tree to nut and back, I got the best shot I could I hope I'm right, I've not had a chance to go back this week to see if it's still there Goldie

[Padfield]

That's certainly a nuthatch. Allegedly, this is the only bird that can go down a tree head-first and it seems to be showing that trick off on your nut feeder! I can't comment on its distribution - I didn't know it was supposed to be restricted to the south. I wish you well with the eye operation.

Guy

[Goldie M]

Thanks Guy, I read in My bird book about it's rariety in the North. It was a First for me any way. I hope I see it again Goldie

[MikeOxon]

I agree with Padfield. Although the Nuthatch is more common in the South, its range does extend up to the Scottish border and, occasionally further north. I have watched their entertaining way of descending trees head-first at Tatton Park, which I think is not so far from you. Although they are widely distributed, they are secretive birds and I always count it a good day when I see one!

Mike

[David M]

The chest markings are very dark by Nuthatch standards. Normally, when I see them (and they're not uncommon in south Wales), they're a very faded weak orange.

[Wurzel]

It's a great shot Goldie you've captured it mid head bang I was taught that Treecreepers work up the tree, fly to the bottom of the next and repeat, whereas Nuthatches go down - resource partitioning I think it's called. You can call them down using a technique called "pishing"...I can only ever get Goldcreasts but it's supposed to work on most woodland birds

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Gibster]

Pishing can occasionally be a dangerous affair,though. I was pishing a dense clump of scrub in Cornwall next to a tall hedge in farmland. I was certain there was a good warbler in there. Mid-pish a Buzzard launched itself over the top of the hedge and very nearly took my head off!!!

Not sure who was the more surprised, me or the Buzzard homing in on a "wounded mammal in distress"

Good to see you're sticking with the birding, Goldie. The smaller species get a bit easier to see around bird tables/feeding stations as winter approaches. Lots of photo opportunities coming your way, I feel!

Cheers,

Gibster.

[Goldie M]

Thanks everyone for your input, I've not been back yet to Pen flash, get my eye seen to first I know I shouldn't say this but I'm looking forward to abit of snow so I can watch the birds in the back garden, not too much snow mind you but they do help the winter to pass more quickly with their antics Goldie

[Goldie M]

Well I've had my operation and boy what a differance it's made. I don't like looking in the mirror now (too many wrinkles) Roll on Spring and the Butterflies D
I didn't have alot of patience before, to answer mail and comment, so when I put some more Shots in today I found what you said Mike and Dave about the Gate Keeper Image I put into favourites. I'm afaid I'm not too sure about how you get what people have said up on to your computer so I'll just have to ask you , " do you think the Gate Keeper is an abberrant " I thought it just looked weathered But then, I'm still learning Goldie

[David M]

It IS a faded specimen, but the 'eye-spots' on the forewing are usually much larger and have distinct white 'pupils'. Your Gatekeeper has only the tiniest glimpse of white and the spots themselves are probably less than a third of the normal size.

Do you have any underside shots of this butterfly?

[Goldie M]

No i don't think I have Dave, from what I remember it was abit to quick for me , but I'll go through my shots and take a look.
I put most of them on a disk in folders so this shouldn't be a problem. I've just to watch going on the computer for long periods since the eye op, so may take a couple of days Goldie.