www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

You know that you sometimes get one of those rare moments when by chance you get close to nature? For instance if you're in a wood and catch sight of deer, and if you're very quiet you can watch them graze because they haven't seen you?

On Friday I had one of those moments.

A little upstream from Willsbridge next to Siston Brook near where I live, I was watching a comma butterfly feeding off blackberries. It had seen my movement as I approached and closed its wings as a precautionary measure; the underside of an autumn comma's wings are dark and look very like a dead leaf, giving it excellent camoulflage. Very useful for the months to come when it hibernates through the winter. I knew that if I was patient and kept still, it would open its wings again to catch the warmth from the sun, allowing me to take a photo of it.

While I was waiting, a flock of longtailed tits flew into the hawthorn tree right above and in front of me, with one of them offering a perfect chance for a photo by sitting where there was a gap in the tree foliage.

These delightful birds are tiny, and I must have been less than six feet away from this individual, but I was still able to run off several shots before it got bored and flew away.

Then I looked back at the comma, and it had opened its wings. Perfect!

Bless! I just love the Long-tailed Tit shots Eccles, and with the blurry background, it enhances it even more.
I don't do birds very often, but did get the opportunity to take some shots of them at the weekend, only mine didn't come out as nice as yours

Wonderful shots Mike. Truly beautiful.
Denise

Hi Mike,
I'll 'second' that - fantastic shots of the L-t Tit. They're so cute I want one for Christmas.
Neil

Beautiful pictures, the first one is possibly the best shot of a LTT that I have ever seen.

This have to be the cutest little birds ever, but they are incredibly stupid at times. When I have been bird ringing they fly, in flocks, into the nets over and over again until you get sick of catching them. At least they don't nip when handled like Blue Tits though.

I guess now the butterflies are nearly done for the year it is time to turn my attention back to birds again. I saw a lovely pair of Wheatears at Cissbury Ring on Monday, not seen a pair of them for three years.

One of my most memorable "Wow" moments also involved a bird (of the feathered variety), although unfortunately, I didn't get photographic proof. The story IS genuinely true though - on the life of my children!..
I was fishing after dark in a field near Cambridge - a strange habit, I know, but a good time to be out - especially in the winter, when you are unlikely to meet another human being. You can really penetrate nature and get accepted by many bankside animals etc. especially if, like me, you don't habitually use a torch.
As I sat there, holding the line and waiting for a fish to bite, I suddenly felt as if someone was balancing a bag of sugar on top of my head from behind. I was so surprised, I flinched, but fortunately realised what it must be and sat perfectly still. I had not heard or seen anything beforehand, but just knew that an owl had landed on my head!!!
A huge smile appeared on my face as I felt it bobbing it's shoulders and turning around to face the river. It stayed there for maybe 30 seconds (seemed a very long time anyway), during which time I was frantically trying to work out how to get my camera out of my bag to try to get a shot. I obviously couldn't, so I just continued to sit perfectly still. After this time, it launched itself off it's makeshift perch and flapped off into a nearby tree, where (due to a full moon) I could identify it as a tawny owl. Totally amazing and a moment I will never forget. Thankfully, I did have a flat tweedy-type cap on at the time and didn't have to go to Addenbrooke's Hospital to have it surgically removed

Trev

Great photos, Brilliant Tawny Owl story.

Great pictures of the L-T Tits Eccles. I get them in my garden but have never managed shots as good as these; you've really captured their character in these pics.

Pauline

Best photos ever that I've seen of l.t.t., have you thought of sending them to Bird Watching magazine, with the story as well I'm sure they'd snatch your hand off to print those. . Shirley

Thanks for the tip, Shirley. I sent them to the Avon Wildlife Trust who will use it to launch their website's members section in October.

Indeed a great moment with great pics - and a very pleasant conclusion too!

Awesome shots

Great shots, I especially like the second one. I like L-T Tits a lot. Petty I only have a 105mm lens and nothing longer, I'd love bird photography. Great comma too!

I got close to nature once, pitty I had no camera. I was in a field, and this part of the field had a compost heap like clump that was covered in grass. Then there was a small flattish part and another bump of grass. I walked up slowly and just as I walked forward, touching distance away, a fox got up and casually walked away. I first noticed its tail then the rest of it. I don't think it even knew I was there. I watched it for a bit and then it disappeared into the forest nearby.

A couple of weeks ago I thought I was going to have a very similar experience again. I was in same field as before, but on the other side, a part that had various wild flowers growing. I looked and saw ears. Fox ears. I crept up slowly as I had my camera, got ready to shoot and stood on a twig and *snap* went the twig and the fox jumped off all the way through the field. All I could see as it went up the field was this jumping head and ears appearing every so often. Then a buzzard came and began to follow it, must have been something dead nearby as the fox stopped at the top of the hill (I could not see it, just its ears in the distance on other side of the hill) and the buzzard kept circling around it for some reason. I had to leave then as it was getting a bit late for me to be in area I was in and needed to get dinner.

Mention of the fox ears reminds me of a meadow in the Thames Valley. It was buttercup time and the field was carpeted in yellow. The only sign of the rabbits which were normally visible there in numbers was of the tips of their ears which just reached above the level of the buttercup flowers.