No Show Socks!?

 So if you have taken the time to click on the link and scroll down past the pictures you might be wondering why on earth I have titled this post "No Show Socks!?"

You may be thinking these are not socks (if you are not thinking that I would be more than a little surprised) they are seed pods! indeed they are seed pods but in an attempt to identify the exact species of seed pod I used Google Lens which has usually proved to be fairly reliable in identifying plants and animals (with a few exceptions) and the majority of results suggested these were pictures of no show socks, other suggestions were safety socks, wonder grip work gloves, heat resistant gloves, a balaclava, peppers or chillies, sea slug and even maggot larva. Of the 60 suggestions only 4 were of seed pods. Then when i tried the same thing with the black and white image not one suggestion was of a seed pod. So if you want a little fun try it for yourself snap the image with google lens and see what it comes up with.

So although I would love to accurately identify this seed pod I cannot. It might be a variety of maple, or an acer, or sycamore but exactly what I cannot say. I believe that the seeds themselves are edible (not the pods) and I think they make for quite a good image. If you stare at the pictures you might see different things, I can see a heart in the space between the seeds, or perhaps a pair of wings, maybe an ancient warrior's helmet or as my son suggested a pair of lungs. Whatever you see they are quite cool. 

If you can identify what they are please let me know in the comments, also if you do the google lens experiment let me know what your favourite alternative suggestion is it could be fun to compare...

Slowly Does It...

I am not really sure what to say about these snails. In the garden they are a pest because they can be so destructive but in "the wild" they are something else. They are an important part of the eco-system and they are really cool when you look closely at them.

My favourite image is the last one, I like the lighting and the overall composition. What I also like is the fact that it is a tiny snail, no bigger than my little fingernail, but despite its diminutive size it was making short work as it munched its way through the leaf.

Drip Drip Drop!

I tried so hard to capture a shot as one of the droplets on the end of these fern fronds let go and completed its journey to the ground but getting the timing right was impossible, at least in the time I had available. I would have been helped by having a flash but that was safely at home.

Nevertheless I am very happy with these shots. I find it fascinating how the surface tension of the raindrops means they hold their shape for so long as they slowly make their way along the leaves and dangle clinging to the tip as if by a thread. I also like the way they shine.

Siberian Bugloss

Very often the common names for plants are much more interesting than the formal names and this is certainly a case in point... The scientific name is Brunnera macrophyla, it is a type of forget-me-not or heartleaf and I believe this variety is the Siberian bugloss which is as I say a more interesting name than its scientific name would suggest.

The flowers are quite delicate and you can see from the first image one tiny flower that has been knocked of its stem by the rain. The flower itself is intact but is held in place by the drops of rain.

Death Come Quickly

 

I haven't really been able to indulge my passion for photography for a long time and on the odd occasions when I have been able to get out with my camera I have had limited time and only managed to get a few shots and so I have not regularly posted anything to my blog, it has been in fits and starts. So this past week has been a much needed treat for me. I was able to spend a few days down in Somerset and Devon and along the way I managed to capture a few decent images that I am looking forward to sharing and perhaps sharing the story behind some of them.

On Monday I went to Hestercombe Gardens just outside of Taunton. There are some lovely formal gardens designed by Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens in 1908, but there are also some wonderful landscaped gardens which date back to the 1750's with lots of little surprises and hidden gems, such as gothic temples, cascades and alcoves where you can sit and enjoy spectacular views across the garden. 

It was wet and grey when I visited but that didn't spoil the visit in any way. In fact the rain added some extra interest as you can see from the images above. 

I have a few more pictures with a watery theme to come but for today I have a shot of this Geranium robertianum; a species of cranesbill. It is commonly known as herb-Robert, fox geranium, red robin, stinking Bob, crow's foot, squinter-pip and as in the title of this post death come quickly. Apparently it can be used in folk medicine with a variety of benefits; one that particularly interests me is that the smell from the leaves if rubbed on the body will repel mosquitoes. As someone who seems to attract mosquitoes and all manner of bitey bugs that sounds quite tempting although perhaps the smell which is said to be similar to burning tyres may actually drive away more than just mosquitoes.

This is a very unassuming little plant and could have been overlooked very easily but I think it was worth the time and attention to get this shot (and the cropped image too) with the raindrops for added interest. The pink flower stands out nicely against the green backdrop of bracken, I think it is really beautiful.

Reed Warbler

 Last Saturday I went to Mere Sands Woods reserve, it was the first time in a long while that the hides were open and I sat for ages waiting to see something. At one point a scruffy little robin flew into the hide looking for scraps to feed its young. One of the other people in the hide had some seed and put some out and the brave little robin kept coming back. At one point it flew into the hide almost flying into my lens and gave me a shock.

Apart from a few geese and ducks out on the mere there was not much else to see except a few Reed Warblers that were feeding in the shrubs and long grass in front of the hide. They were constantly on the move so catching a shot was incredibly difficult. I loved to just sit and watch as they were busy about their work obviously foraging to feed their young hidden away in the reeds but I was also glad to get just a few images that I can share.

In the Leaf Litter

 Meet Trypocopris vernalis.

I love getting down into the undergrowth and leaf litter to find what lurks there. It is so easy to miss what is beneath our feet but there is so much interesting stuff to see. Often it is very small so hard to see, or it moves really quickly so it is very difficult to have a good look let a lone get a decent image.

This little critter scurried across the forest path so I followed it for a little while to see where it would go. At first glance it looks pure black but as the light catches it you can see flashes of brilliant blue. on its belly there is even more blue and it is a really beautiful colour.

The "copris" part of its name gives a hint to one of the characteristics of this beetle, namely its diet, or at least the diet of its larvae since they feed on the dung of animals such as sheep and foxes, YUK! (the poo diet, not the fox). They are a species of dung beetle and their common name is the Common dor beetle or Spring dor beetle. The chances are if you have been out walking in the woods or anywhere in the countryside you will have seen one of these or perhaps one of its cousins as they are widespread across Europe and Asia minor. Despite its dodgy diet they are really cool. Go on take a closer look.

Grub

 I know that a lot of people won't want to look at creepie crawlies up close like this but I have to say that this is quite fascinating. You can see how small this little grub is if you compare it to the tip of the thumb and the blade of grass that it is clinging to. I am not sure what this larva will develop into whether it is a fly or a moth but whatever it is I have to say it is a little marvel.

I know that these are not the sharpest of images, they looked a little sharper on the small screen on my camera but at full size you can see how the slightest movement has been exaggerated especially in the low light of the forest shade

Willow Warbler

 I wasn't sure what this was at first, it was a toss up between a Chiffchaff or a Willow Warbler, the two species are so alike they are often mistaken for each other. from a physical examination they can be identified by the number of flight feathers or the colour of their legs and few other subtle differences, but the easiest way to distinguish them, especially from a distance is their song. Willow warblers have a much more melodious song whereas the Chiffchaff has a much simpler call.

I am fairly sure this is a Willow warbler and this one with a beak full of tasty grubs was hopping around this lone hawthorn bush waiting to feed its young. 

Homemakers

 

These Black legged Kittiwakes were so busy flying back and forth from the creek where they were collecting nest building materials. What was amazing was the way they landed with precision on the narrow ledges and how they then constructed and secured their nests on the smallest of rocky shelves where very soon they will be raising their families of little Kittiwake chicks.

In Flight

 I have recently been reading some articles about photographing birds in flight so while i was at Staithes I thought I would try a few shots of the gulls around the harbour. 

Sometimes gulls are relatively easy to capture because they can glide by slowly, or in strong winds they almost hover in the air allowing time to focus and plan the shot but on this particular day these birds were on a mission and they swooped past at high speed. I think is did quite well with these shots of Herring Gulls but think I could have done better with a faster shutter speed.

On the other side of the harbour there were even more gulls building nests on the cliffs but they were even harder to photograph, I may have one or two useable images to share but I will save those for another day.

From the Harbour Wall

This view of Staithes was taken from a jetty just inside the harbour walls the other side of which the cold North Sea was battering with huge waves. Safe within the walls there was only a gentle swell so it was clear that the wall was performing a really important function.

I have tried something different with this image reducing the saturation of the foreground and background to highlight the colours of the houses in the village. I have slightly raised the saturation in the sky to add a little bit of colour.  I think it works quite well but if you have any comments please leave them below.
 

Lobster Pots at Staithes

 I had a lovely post lockdown day out recently with my mum, we visited Staithes on the North Yorkshire coast. it is a quaint little village famous as the place that James Cook started his career working for a local merchant before becoming a famous explorer.

I really like the lobster pots piled up along the jetty, i think they are very photogenic.