Hitching a Ride

 So today I have decided to hold off with Bluebells and share something different.

These shots were taken using my 100mm macro lens.

The first shot is a pair of Alder Leaf Beetles, full of the joys of spring I guess. I had some less "raunchy" pics but they were a bit fuzzy because there was quite a strong breeze that was constantly moving the tree so it was hard to get a decent shot so rather than posting a fuzzy pic I went for this indecent one instead.

The beetle in the next two images is another leaf beetle, I am not sure whether it is a dead nettle leaf beetle or a brassy leaf beetle, I am thinking it is the brassy variety but I wouldn't swear to that so I will leave that to the better informed to decide. Of course it may be neither of these two varieties as there are several different leaf beetles that are found in the UK. They were busily munching on the leaves and going about their beetle business. In the second image if you look closely you can see the detail of its compound eye. I really like the iridescent green.  

A Burst Of Colour

 There have been many times when I have spotted small flocks of Goldfinches darting from  treetop to treetop, chattering away and felt tormented because they have always proved to be incredibly difficult to photograph.

I was excited when I heard this chap singing away and hoped to get a decent shot but for a while I couldn't spot him. After a few minutes however I caught a glimpse and slowly, I crept towards him hoping that he would stay still long enough.

Perched high up he caught the early morning sun perfectly, showing off his brilliant plumage. I say "he" because although the females have similar plumage they are slightly duller and have less red on the face so I am fairly confident this one is a male.

These are fairly common birds across the UK and although intensive agriculture has led to reduced numbers garden feeders have helped to maintain the population. Although they are quite common I still count it as a privilege to have got such lovely pictures.

The oldest recorded age for a Goldfinch is 14 years which seems pretty  good for such a small and delicate creature. 

In the 19th century they were popular cagebirds with 132,000 birds a year being caught in Sussex alone for this purpose. I think I would much rather see them in the wild, on the wing or up a tree than in a cage. 

Great Tit

 I was trying to photography a young Roe Deer buck that was sneaking around in the woodland when this beautiful great tit flew onto a post right in front of me, pausing just long enough for me to get one shot before deciding I was not interesting enough (I didn't offer him any snacks) and flying off.

Although it was quite shady along this stretch of the path there was enough morning sunlight to illuminate his brilliant colours.

Gold Crest

 A few weeks ago I saw a pair of Goldcrests while I was out for a walk, I managed to get a few photos on my phone's camera because they had flown onto a bush right next to me and stayed around for a little while. I wanted to go back and capture some more images using my DSLR so I went back to the same spot and waited.

Although it was a sunny day the light in the woodland was not that great and also the large number of dog walkers on my chosen day meant there was a lot more traffic than on my previous visit. The birds did appear after a short while but they were more skittish and wary than the last time so I was pushing my equipment to get these shots. They were all taken at 560mm F8.0 1/1000 sec and 10,000 ISO. Due to the high ISO there is a lot of noise in the RAW images so I have removed some of that in lightroom resulting in some loss of detail. Nevertheless, I was thrilled to see these beautiful birds again and I am fairly pleased with the above images. I am sure to go back again in the hope of getting some more, and better, shots of these stunning little beauties.

Siskin

 This little bird was so hard to photograph, it was impossible to get close and it was constantly on the move. However I did manage to get a few shots and of them one was useable.

At first I wasn't sure what this was but having looked closer I am fairly confident this is a Siskin. It is really lovely and I am glad I persevered.

You Know When You've Been Tangoed

 This is Tango, a truly beautiful Leopard Gecko and another member of my daughter in law's menagerie. This was my first attempt at photographing her and it was harder than I expected. I couldn't use a flash because that would startle her and as she was so flighty I would have preferred a much faster shutter speed to get the clearest image. However I think she is stunning and always appears to be smiling. Those eyes too are really cool.

Although I didn't manage to get many shots I did get the chance to sit in her playpen and I felt like we had bonded as she climbed up my arms and looked deep into my eyes. Hopefully next time I visit with my camera she will sit still a little longer so I can get some more pictures.

And now for a final treat...

This is an Armadillium klugi or clown isopod. It is rather like a woodlouse but much more regal with its shiny back and bright spots. As babies they are white and the colours develop as they grow.

Pebbles

 Today's little gem is exactly that; little. This is Pebbles; Phiddipus regius, or Regal Jumping Spider.

After the more spooky specimens over the past few days I wanted to end this spell of spider posts with something cute. I know that for many people even this little beauty will send shivers down your spine but I think it is amazing.

It has eight eyes, eight legs and scores eight out of 10 on the cuteness scale.

Having said that I am glad it is safely in its container.

Tika

 Did you see my post yesterday? If not take a minute to check it out because it will make you see spiders in a different light.

The little jumping spiders yesterday were super cute and barely the size of an average finger nail. Unlike today's specimen which was one of the larger spiders I photographed.

This is Tika, a Brachypelma hamorii or Mexican red knee. I forget its actual dimensions but it was definitely large and spectacular. I will readily admit that as the lid was taken off its habitat I  was more than a little nervous. As you can see it was high on the glass side and I was certain it would start to creep out and then I am not sure what I would have done. I was reassured that compared to some of the other species in my daughter-in-laws' collection Tika is quite slow so I would have time to escape if necessary. As it was with a little gentle encouragement Tika climbed down and posed quietly as I snapped away. 

I did get pretty close and I am blown away by the detail and by the vivid colours. 

They still creep me out but I am captivated by the exotic beauty.

Boys and Girls

More correctly I should say Boy and girls...

 These shots are of one brightly coloured male and some less colourful female Stonechats. 

They were spotted along the south west coastal path near Valley of Rocks at Lynton, Devon. It was a fantastic spot, even though I had a touch of vertigo at one point along the cliff top path. I wish I was as sure footed as the goats that wander freely on the hills and cliffs overlooking the Bristol Channel. 

There was all manner of wildlife to see from the sea birds down below including Razorbills, cormorants and various gulls, the odd dolphin and then the birds in the shrubs and grass along the path.

The stonechats were busily flying around and making a good deal of noise. It was particularly difficult to capture a shot of the male as he would not settle in any spot for long and I just couldn't get close enough. I know this is not a particularly good picture of the male but I have included it simply to show the contrast between the sexes. The females as you can see are not as brightly coloured however I think they are still lovely looking birds and I think I have managed to get a few decent shots. 

It was amazing how quickly I overcame my fear of heights as I got absorbed in taking these photographs. As I look at them now I can still hear the faint echo of "Michael, Get away from the edge!"

Buzz Buzz Buzz

With all the wonderful spring flowers coming into bloom there is a feast of colour but also a feast of pollen for all the pollinating bugs and bees which are so important for the protection and propagation of our native flowers and fruits.

This coming May there is a wildlife trust project #NoMowMay during which people are being encouraged not to mow lawns and verges to give wildflowers and pollinators a chance to develop which seems like a really good idea. If I had a lawn I would definitely take part. 

Solution

 Yesterday I posted a couple of close up images and asked you to try to guess what it was. No one actually tried to guess but never mind. Here is the solution to the puzzle I set.

It is a rather handsome cock pheasant that was strolling along a woodland path as I was walking back to my car. I was used to seeing hundreds of these as a teenager in the fields around my home in Lincolnshire. I don't see so many where I live now but I am always impressed by their stunning plumage.

Little Grebe

 

A couple of years ago I sat in a hide at Mere Sands Woods watching a pair of little grebes gathering material to build their nest and feeding right in front of the hide. They are such cute and wonderful little birds.

It was nice yesterday to watch this little fella fishing at Burton Mere. Everybody else around me was trying so hard to spot the Bittern (see yesterday's post) that they hardly paid any attention to the little grebe right under their noses. As tiny as they are these birds are so graceful and they are excellent at catching fish, they dive gracefully and you can follow a trail of bubbles in anticipation of where they will rise to the surface once again. They are constantly on the go though so even when they bob back to the surface they are not there for long.

Little Beauty

 So I only have one photo for today.

I recently went to a spot where I had previously seen a couple of pairs of Goldcrests and I was hoping that I would get a chance to photograph one as they are beautiful tiny birds and I have only seen them a handful of times. 

I had waited for a little while and although I could hear one rustling around I almost gave up because it was almost impossible to see. I was at the point of moving on when this bird flew past me and gave me a brief chance to snap a few shots. Sadly I couldn't get a clear shot of its wonderful gold crest from which it gets its name but even so I was quite pleased with this one image. 

It is Britain's smallest bird at about 9 cm (3.5 inches) so you can understand why they are hard to spot. They prefer coniferous woodland and they feed on insects and spiders. This species is increasing in population so the chance of spotting them is possibly increasing but you have to look hard because they are so small. I hope this wont be the last shot I get of one...

Loxia curvirostra

 The Common Crossbill.  I had gone out hoping to capture something different but although I could hear lots of birdsong I was finding it very difficult to spot anything. After a short while however a small flock of noisy birds settled briefly and I realised they were crossbills. I don't think I have seen them before and I know I have definitely never photographed them so I was thrilled to get this chance. 

They are not the prettiest of birds and this little chap is all fluffed up against the wind. It is easy to see why they get their name and that curiously shaped bill is exceptionally useful even though it looks like it might be a little clumsy. Tomorrow I will share some pictures of it putting that bill to use...

Fur Bee

 This is such a fluffy bee with a a great big walrus moustache.

It was a little bit damp and bedraggled but I am sure that after feasting on nectar from this thistle it would soon be ready to fly. 

Migrants

Just like yesterdays shots of the dragonfly these images of a Painted Lady butterfly  were taken using my 150 - 600mm lens (handheld). In some ways these were harder than the dragonfly because it was even more restless and almost constantly on the move.

I learned just the other day that Painted Lady butterflies are a migratory species that start in North Africa and finish their journey as far north as Iceland and even Greenland however their life span is relatively short and the Painted Ladies we see in the UK are actually the grandchildren of those that start in Africa.

Wonderful Whitethroat

A couple of days before this I had unsuccessfully tried to get a good shot of a whitethroat.

Like the blackcap I showed you the other day these birds have a beautiful song and they fly about the trees and hedgerows and they are very difficult to spot. I got a couple of shots taken at distance but nothing that I was really thrilled with. Then, as I was heading back to the car park I spotted this little fella perched at the top of a tree singing his heart out. I was able to get several shots and I have to say I am really pleased with them. I love the pose in this picture as he is looking around. I think you will agree he is a handsome little bird.

Blackcap

This is such a little beauty, a female Blackcap.

It was a real treat to capture this shot because these birds rarely sit still. Also as spring advances and the leaves and blossom fill out the branches the birds are increasingly difficult to spot. Early morning the air was filled with birdsong and the Blackcap has a beautiful rich clear song. As I walked through the woods I could hear them singing and as I approached their song changed to a warning "tac tac", it was really hard to see them, and just as I caught a glimpse they flew off to find a different perch. Spotting this one high up on a  hawthorn tree I couldn't believe my luck as she sat long enough for me to get a clear shot.

Fantastic!

I can't begin to say how excited I was to get up close to this beautiful fox. It was sat on the side of the road and when I got out of the car to try and take a few pictures it trotted across the road and sat no more than two metres away.

The light was poor as it was the end of the day and it had started to rain so these are a little grainy but I could have sat for ages admiring the beauty before me. It was as if it was posing for me and I have several wonderful shots. I was itching to share these pictures with you but I have only picked a few for today and will save some more for another day.

It appears to be smiling and I love the regal profile in the third image. 

Monarch of the skies

So this afternoon I have been to Mission Marsh just outside of Thunder Bay in Ontario. Yes I am in Canada for a holiday and I am going to be taking my camera with me everywhere I go. The shots however were captured using the camera on my phone and are exactly as shot.

This beautiful monarch butterfly is really one of nature's marvels. Every year they migrate from Mexico and as the summer comes to and end here in the north they navigate their way back to Mexico. Can you imagine that, something so delicate as this can fly all that way. Amazing!

Here it is feeding on Golden Rod, no doubt storing up energy for the journey ahead. It really looks great set against the golden backdrop.