...hath all too short a date... it's the solstice tonight... the longest day...that means that a number of people will be converging on Stonehenge for the sunset/sunrise - crystals will be rubbed and songs will be sung... it also means that after a few days... the nights will be drawing in...! Indeed, some autumn migration has already started with failed breeders or non-breeding birds already flying back for the less-harsh winter here or even further south...21st June... Autumn is only around the corner...! Indeed to back that up... the weather has been decidedly autumnal in the fens this week... very frustrating when all I want to do is get out after invertebrates and wildflowers... cold northerly wind and showers; indeed we had a day of persistent rain...Then to add to all that; when the weather did show signs of being summer... Quinn was sick so I was stuck inside washing bedclothes... so rock and roll - this life of a photographer...!
Some of my favourite shots from the week... when I managed to get out and about...
7-spot ladybird... I like the shallow depth of field... emphasising the business end of this voracious predator...aphids beware...
bramble sawfly nectaring on hogweed... I like the way he is framed by the lace-like flowers of the hogweed... and of course the bokeh...
brown-tail moth caterpillar... the long hairs are irritants - handle one and you will soon work that out...this works on potential predators as well... interestingly the hairs are used in the chrysalis and then again around the egg... clever eh?!
common lizard... basking and feeding. I saw this and another lizard feeding on a wooded staging and, after setting the camera up, moved slowly towards them on my stomach. A dog walker passed by and spooked them both. But patience paid off and this one returned to the sunny spot they favoured. I was using a 100mm macro lens and managed to get quite close... but he wouldn't move from behind that annoying piece of grass... I waited around for about 15 mins before he disappeared into the vegetation. A revisit is in order...
a hoverfly (Chrysotoxum caurum) - not scarce... but maybe under recorded...
So, not a bad start to the week but the wait in for the delivery of a new phone cost me a day and a dry day at that...
I have found a public footpath not far from Quinn's school so before picking him up I have a wander along there for half an hour or so on most days... nearly all these pictures are taken along there, although to look at it you may nor realise the richness of wildlife that abounds less than a mile from Ely town centre. Thus far I have recorded ten species of butterfly, five species of dragonfly, at least a dozen hoverflies, many bees and a decent numb er of bird species including hobby, sedge warbler, green woodpecker and sparrowhawk... all within a mile long green corridor between arable fields on the edge of town...
And what else have I found?
Well this is a large skipper butterfly, resting in the cool on a thistle head... One of my favourite pictures of the week...
I had a lovely two hours down on the fen today in lovely warm sunshine, although the breeze was just strong enough to make invertebrate and plant photography tricky...
I did however, get the chance tp photograph royalty... above is a male Emperor dragonfly - they don't rest that often, especially when the weather is warm... so I was lucky to get this shot...and am real happy how it came out...
On the way back home I came across this - figwort sawfly (Tenthredo scrophulariae) - above is his face and below the whole beast... known as wasp mimics and you can see why...
and this photogenic vision also appeared...
blue-tailed damselflies in tandem... such an elegant shape...
Some of my favourite shots from the week... when I managed to get out and about...
7-spot ladybird... I like the shallow depth of field... emphasising the business end of this voracious predator...aphids beware...
bramble sawfly nectaring on hogweed... I like the way he is framed by the lace-like flowers of the hogweed... and of course the bokeh...
brown-tail moth caterpillar... the long hairs are irritants - handle one and you will soon work that out...this works on potential predators as well... interestingly the hairs are used in the chrysalis and then again around the egg... clever eh?!
common lizard... basking and feeding. I saw this and another lizard feeding on a wooded staging and, after setting the camera up, moved slowly towards them on my stomach. A dog walker passed by and spooked them both. But patience paid off and this one returned to the sunny spot they favoured. I was using a 100mm macro lens and managed to get quite close... but he wouldn't move from behind that annoying piece of grass... I waited around for about 15 mins before he disappeared into the vegetation. A revisit is in order...
a hoverfly (Chrysotoxum caurum) - not scarce... but maybe under recorded...
So, not a bad start to the week but the wait in for the delivery of a new phone cost me a day and a dry day at that...
I have found a public footpath not far from Quinn's school so before picking him up I have a wander along there for half an hour or so on most days... nearly all these pictures are taken along there, although to look at it you may nor realise the richness of wildlife that abounds less than a mile from Ely town centre. Thus far I have recorded ten species of butterfly, five species of dragonfly, at least a dozen hoverflies, many bees and a decent numb er of bird species including hobby, sedge warbler, green woodpecker and sparrowhawk... all within a mile long green corridor between arable fields on the edge of town...
And what else have I found?
Well this is a large skipper butterfly, resting in the cool on a thistle head... One of my favourite pictures of the week...
I had a lovely two hours down on the fen today in lovely warm sunshine, although the breeze was just strong enough to make invertebrate and plant photography tricky...
I did however, get the chance tp photograph royalty... above is a male Emperor dragonfly - they don't rest that often, especially when the weather is warm... so I was lucky to get this shot...and am real happy how it came out...
On the way back home I came across this - figwort sawfly (Tenthredo scrophulariae) - above is his face and below the whole beast... known as wasp mimics and you can see why...
and this photogenic vision also appeared...
blue-tailed damselflies in tandem... such an elegant shape...
...and a female common darter... almost as if she is smiling...
And as the week winds up the sun is out and I may get out... who knows... Insurance shoot booked for tomorrow morning... as usual, keep up with my comings and goings here... or here... and hopefully I shall see you all next week...
TTFN
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