Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wuzal, I love the the Comma's on the Blackberries and the Brimstone shot's look forward to more if you have some Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Trevor Next time you're planning a visit PM and we may be able to coincide
Cheers Goldie Unfortunately October was pretty mean to me in terms of butterflies although there were other things to see and photograph...

Bits and Bobs – or “my October”

From the end of the month I wasn’t too hopeful for my chances at finding any more butterflies on my morning or afternoon stop-offs. So as September moved into October I settled for just grabbing my camera for interesting or different shots. The first came while bringing in some logs from the store to feed our new Woodburner (29-09-2014). While I was wrestling with the tarp top and trying to balance odd shaped logs along my arms one log in particular caught my eyes. Right at the top of the pile was a log with an unusual marking which looked slightly like the UK and Ireland.

A couple of days later (01-10-2014) the weather was slightly brighter and so I thought about stopping at Larkhill one last time. On the way the sun had brought out the Great Bustard pair again. I don’t know if they’re occupying this area or whether this is just part of a much larger territory which they stop in and visit occasionally? This time they were slightly closer in, still nowhere near as close I’d like them to be in order to get some really class shots, but close enough for semi-decent record shots. These aren’t too bad as they clearly show that only one of the birds has the wing tags as well as giving more of an idea of the scale – those are some pretty hefty legs .

I did make the stop at Larkhill but it was definitely my last of the season unless there are some interesting landscape shots in the offing as the shot below shows the typical scene from my local stop-off at the moment.

On the 3rd October one of my pupils brought in a mushroom to identify – it was the easiest job ever as it was a Giant Puffball. Unfortunately for me it was the last from their field and plans had been made for cooking it but hopefully next year there will be more of the fruiting bodies so I can have a fungal feast.

And that was that pretty much it for October – there was the occasional sighting of butterflies at work but a lot of my time is taken up with marking, report writing and planning and at home the arrival of Teddy (actually Damien Noble Angel Doll) has kept me entertained and busy. He’s a 5th generation Seal Bicolour Ragdoll and we got this breed as they are very docile and also indoor cats – so there’s no risk of this pussy terrorising and depleting the local bird/small mammal populations or annoying the neighbours in the various ways that cats can.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

HI Wurzel
The White Letter Hairstreak site is not near you unfortunately,its at Hollingbury Park on the outskirts
of Brighton. There was nothing there this year when I went, but who knows next year.
If you want to give it a try ,let me know nearer the time.
All the best
TREVOR

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Wurzel, lovely looking cat...the total opposite to our jet black 'moggie'.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Goldie M]

Love your cat Wurzal, thank goodness it's an indoor one for your neighbour's sake we've two cats on our Ave that I chase out of my garden every day their always after the birds and hide behind my evergreen's also they do their mess on the lawn ugh! I've got my trusted water pistol for them Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Trev for the info It does sound a bit too far for me unfortunately
Cheers Neil He is running amok in the house but I wouldn't have it any other way
Cheers Goldie Teddy is more than happy enough to "kill" a pair of slippers but that's about it.

27-10-2014 Moors Valley

The Family Trip was down in numbers to only 15 today as one sister in-law and nephew had returned to the big smoke. Even so it was pretty hard work keeping tabs on people and also the surrounding wildlife. On top of which hoards of screaming kids running amok and generally doing all those things they should be doing rather than staring at a screen means wildlife is very hard to track down. Saying which the day started off cool and damp with the vague hope of some sun later so I took my camera with me anyway and right by the entrance was a tent with some Owls. They were there to pose for photos with the children and so I managed a few shots while the ‘models’ were waiting. It was interesting to see the different Barn Owls with American and the two forms of Eurasian; the paler British form and the much darker European form.

American Barn Owl

Eurasian Barn Owl – light British form

Eurasian Barn Owl – dark European from

White faced Scops Owl

Eagle Owl

After this brief respite we set off along the Adventure Trail accompanied by hollers and shouts emanating from the woods originating at the various stops along the trail. There weren’t any butterflies so I trained the lens on whatever I could find – a caterpillar, an unusual Ladybird (probably a Harlequin but could it possibly be a Pine Ladybird?) and a nice range of fungi.

Later while we were in the proper park the sun finally came out so I took a brief walk in the neighbouring field near to the pond where the gulls out on a nice show and a stumbled across a dragon fly. A few of the gulls were hanging out on one of the wooden sculptures and as they squabbled and squawked at each other I took a few shots. It felt like I was watching the poseur of the gull world as it took off and did a quick circuit before hovering back above the sculpture. All it got for it’s efforts were disdainful looks which shouted out “bloody show off”!

And so we came to the end of the day and there were still no butterflies Still something might crop up soon...
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Philzoid]

Hi Wurzel
Some lovely Owl photos you've taken there. Is the Eagle Owl a Bengal Eagle Owl

Initially thought the caterpillar was a Brown-tail moth but now I think it's a Knot Grass moth.

The Brown coloured Hawker dragonfly (not Brown Hawker) has got me baffled Looks like an Emperor without the colour.

[Goldie M]

Beautiful Owl photo's Wurzal , we don't hear them a lot here but when I'm at my Daughter's house in Kent we hear them I love their sound Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Philzoid The Eagle Owl was probably a Bengal as that seems to be the most common subspecies in captivity. The moth larva is a new one for me so I can add another folder to the iPod Photos album I like you am still in the dark as to the Dragon fly though...
Cheers Goldie If you love the sound they must be Tawny Owls (Kerwick is the female, tawhoo is the male answering) as Barn and Little sound quite horrendous

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Mikhail]

I think your dragonfly is most likely an elderly female Common Darter.

M.

[PhilBJohnson]

Hi Wurzel,
I like that Gull picture which helps tell a storey.
When visiting the coast I am always looking out for that comical moment when an experienced gull steels a sandwich or something similar from an unsuspecting tourist,
kind regards,
Philip

[Wurzel]

Cheers for the ID Mikhal
Cheers Phil Gulls seem to be just about the right size for my lens

28-10-2014 Five Rivers

While the family visit continued I managed to steal away for a brief check of Five Rivers while the remaining 14 visited the swimming pool. I was caught out by the weather but in a positive way for once. I’d worn my jumper thinking that the sun wouldn’t get to powerful and after I’d covered the distance to the start of the reserve proper past the football field I was rolled up shirt sleeves and jumper round the waist mode. In the full glare it was “mighty w” as my dad would say! Still this would mean butterflies and so I wiped the sweat from my brow and rubbed my hands together in excited anticipation.

It all started with a Bombus humilus and then round the corner was a Comma. I stalked it, taking slow footsteps towards it and stopping every now and then as it would close and open its wings nervously. I was just within range and I got one distant shot when a dog off its lead barged through the bushes and spooked it. Cursing I turned back towards the path and a Clouded Yellow shot by and away over the football pitch. Again double curse – not only in interrupted Comma but also my first Cloudy from this site and it didn’t stop once the whole time I watched it. Was this how the visit was going to pan out – a series of ‘almost got the shot’?

I carried on round and up towards the Banks but they were bare. The leaves are really starting to fall and as another leaf I’d catch it out of the corner of my eye and so glance round almost giving myself whiplash each time. Yet each time it wasn’t a butterfly just the wonder of Apoptosis/tree excretion. At the corner where the path swings round I checked out lower down nearer to the river but the Common Darter that was there refused to allow me an approach. An odd coloured leaf caught my attention and this time it actually turned out to be a Red Admiral. I thought at first it was going to go the same way as the Comma, Cloudy and Common Darter when it took off and I was wording the “here we go again” line for my mental PD but it must have been wanting to continue its bask as it landed down on the path. This was great news for me as a slow approach meant I could get in close enough for plenty of shots. In the end I left it basking there and slowly backed away and up the hill.

Further round at the opposite corner another Red Admiral flew by and this one almost took my head off. It was joined by another dragonfly, and backlit it really stood out with the wings almost aflame in the autumnal afternoon light. It darted forward and back with brief hovers in between like an irate Tinkerbell!
Time was starting to run out so I made my way back to the corner of the spinney and the Comma was back. This time there were no disturbances and I had my choice of shots with this individual really pulling all the poses. Most of the time it perched on a branch looking like it was floating in mid air.

With time almost up I begrudgingly headed back half expecting the Cloudy to reappear and allow me a few shots of it...it never did but at least it’s on my Five Rivers Tally now.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Lovely shots of the Comma Wurzal, roll on next year Goldie

[Philzoid]

Nice report and photos Wurzel …a shame about the cloudie . The warm weather peaked on Halloween (23C in Surrey apparently) so perhaps you’ve still got us some surprises in store
Unfortunately I couldn’t take advantage of the warm weather because like you, I had my own family get-together (up in Sunderland for 3 days). No time to go butterflying or moth-ing for that matter … and there would’ve been plenty of moths judging by the number my car headlights picked up on my way home from a day out in Barnard Castle

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie Indeed roll on 2015...
Cheers Philzoid Yep October came and went far too quickly Still there was plenty throughout the rest of the year and I needed to catch up with my PD

31-10-2014 The Devenish

After the members of my wife’s clan had all returned to their various destinations the holiday returned to relative normality and I settled down to chop firewood, play with the cat, write reports and mark an endless sea of books. Luckily my wife had arranged a play date at the swimming pool and so dropped them off early and called in at the vets as Teddy had learnt the hard way that the Woodburner can get quite hot!
The blisters on his pads had healed nicely so once Teddy was at home and settled down I headed straight out as I had about an hour and a bit of free time left? I’d already visited Five Rivers recently so tried The Devenish again...

The main area I thought would be the Paddock and so it turned out – and it was an easily spooked Specklie that got the ball rolling. After the initial eruption from the grass it landed back on the deck amongst some even taller grass and I couldn’t relocate it. I moved on and through the Orchid Meadow and stopped near the Bramble Bush as I heard a soft whistle call that was slightly mournful. I scanned around for Bullfinch and caught a flash of white rump from a female and next to her were three males. They looked stunning in their fine livery set off against a turquoise sky.

Up on the Down all was quiet apart from what looked like the Beast of The Devenish . The unusual profile amongst the pale grasses was actually one of the sheep herd but for a fraction of a second I was heading off into Crypto-zoology territory. The dearth of butterflies continued but I did find a nice looking moth and also vainly attempted to follow a larger one which I think was a Silver Y?

By now my meanderings across the side of the Down had brought me to the scrub at the edge of the tree line. I was contemplating giving up as even though the temperature was continuing to rise and the sun was burning off the mist and dew in some parts the majority of the reserve was still cool and cast in the morning shadow. As I made my way along the scrub line something fluttered by and landed amongst the bare branches. I approached where I thought it had landed and after stepping over, round and lifting off various Bramble branches I found a Red Admiral – one of the butterflies I’d come hoping to find. She remained in this spot until I’d finished photographing her and after I’d worked my way back out of the Briars she took off and landed higher up in the tree. She seemed to be feeding from the area around the buds – possibly taking on sap?

Taking on sap?

Once safely back down the Down and in the Orchid Meadow another Red Admiral fluttered around the in Orchid Meadow keeping itself to the trees which demarcate the field. Unfortunately it didn’t come down so I made my way back to the Paddock hoping to relocate the Specklie. It was there but again was playing hard to get as was a Comma. However I climbed up the gate and twisted my feet around and through the top two sets of bars locking myself in position to attempt a few shots. This precarious and potentially fatal balancing trick paid off with one or two distant shots but I was running out of time so untying my feet I jumped down and made my way back to the car park. As I did a second Comma put in a brief appearance but I didn’t have time to go searching for it further into the Paddock.

I made it back to the Swimming Pool just in time to pick my girls up and on the way back home I wondered if I could get a November butterfly?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

I see you're finally catching up, Wurzel.

That sheep image does look a bit concerning at first. Trick of the light, I suppose.

[Katrina]

A bit of a belated posting from me but what a handsome cat - lovely eyes!

[Wurzel]

Cheers David I'm glad that I'm not the only one that saw the likeness
Cheers Katrina Teddy is now lording it over us, honestly he's better fed than me His 'mask' has got a little darker now so he's looking quite bandit like

December

Better start on next years calendar...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Where’s the Grayling?

Every year I take a visit to at least one site for Grayling and because of the particular behaviour of this species I always seem to end up with a huge number of shots some of which leave me perplexed. Often the first sighting of a Grayling is as it erupts from under your feet. I then try to follow it’s erratic zipping flight until it drops down and lands. I try and fix the position that it hit the deck and then stealthily stalk towards it. As I approach I swing the camera round and take a shot and then start looking in earnest reasoning that should the butterfly disappear again I might be able to salvage and crop something from a scenic shot. However when I get home and start sorting through my images I'm presented with lots of heather and gorse shots and so “Where’s the Grayling?” was born.

I was holding off on this year’s shots as I still have one more 2014 post to go but as it’s been mentioned on other posts I thought I’d crack on and post anyway as it seems the time is right. I have been accused of not playing fair in the past so this year the shots show whole butterflies . Enjoy!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, I love your Red Admirals, but I'll pass on the Graylings Goldie