catching up a bit

it's been a while since I posted anything, so,
spread across the last month or so, here goes.
Newest stuff first, backwards in time as we move down the page.

Summer, while popular with most people, does not afford much in the way of photo opportunities bird-wise -too many leaves!

Hence some of the other creatures included here.


25.06.09
a nuthatch popped up for just a brief appearance in front of the hide.
So brief, that this was my one and only shot, as he left.

25.06.09
a heron flies in for a bit of easy poaching, moorhen and coot chicks in mind, no doubt.
Instead however, he flew into a territorial fight with another heron.
Lots of squawking ensued.
Hard to photograph in the trees.

25.06.09
the ever cheerful coot.
Just after a huge territorial bust up with a moorhen, he/ she started gathering nest material.
Odd, considering the 2 adults on the Mere have 8 chicks of all sizes at present.
Here is a youngster helping mum, or dad.

just managed to catch this shy great spotted woodpecker.
Hard to get a clear shot amongst the ropes and pulleys.
Think it's a female.

24.06.09
a broad bodied chaser.
Handsome isn't she?
I think its a female, males are blue according to the reference books.

24.06.09
one of those tiny blue things we see zooming about all of the time,
a blue tailed damselfly.
Still for just one moment here.

02.06.09
on a day devoid of birds, I found this fellow.
Call him Clint, as I don't know his name!

18.05.09
a nice view of a dunnock's tongue.

18.05.09
lovely colours on a male gadwall, he didn't stay long I gather.

18.05.09
a large white butterfly, nice background, cannot remember exactly what it was.

18.05.09
a lovely orange tip, they rarely settle it seems to me.
Try to photograph one and you'll see!
If only the sun was out along with the insects

18.05.09

butterflies are go

Sunday 30.03.08
the newly planted butterfly meadow area next to the hide,
has proved itself a success, so early in the year too.



comma perched on "honesty"

comma perched on a perenniel wallflower

peacock sunbathing on a stone

fritillaries appear again.
how long will they last this year??

Fish and Other Critters

I went back and got some pictures of the fish, though it's not easy to do so when they're small and underwater. These were in the mere itself, right on the edge, next to the far end of the bridge. There was a shoal of about 50 or more.



Also spotted were both male and female bullfinches feeding at the same time. The male is the more colourful of the two, at the bottom.



I had my macro lens so I went hunting for smaller beasties. Here are some that I found. Note the three aphids line astern on the stem above the moth.