Plume Moth

This is a variety of Plume Moth, or Platyptilia. There are lots of different varieties so I won't pretend I know exactly which it is. All I know is that it was the one that was taking a break on the dining room wall.

Looking at those wings you might wonder how it is able to generate enough lift to actually fly but what you cannot see is that the full wings are folded underneath and when they are extended in flight they have the sort of profile that you would expect to see.

Tulips

 I love tulips but I was somewhat surprised to find these little beauties growing in a kitchen garden at Sizergh Castle. It seemed an unusual setting but to be honest they looked really good.

I think the flower in the first image is absolutely stunning in its elegance with its soft cream and pink petals. I am sure you will agree it is a real delight.

The other images are of two different red varieties. I have been told that photographing red flowers is really difficult because it is hard to capture a true reproduction of the colour. I am not sure why this is but it is true and so I had to try several times to get what I hope are the true colours of these lovely blooms. 

Three Narcissi

 So I had had a lovely time in the grounds of Sizergh castle watching the wildlife and having a lovely picnic lunch and then I went to walk around the castle gardens. Early in the season I wasn't sure what to expect and I was amazed to see so many different varieties of narcissus. I didn't photograph them all but here are three of my favourites.

Primrose

 

These Common or English Primroses are absolutely beautiful. The yellow flowers are so delicate with the golden centre fading out to a pale almost creamy yellow.

These were hidden close to some moss covered rocks in a woodland garden I was lucky because the sun was shining through a gap in the tree canopy so these flowers were perfectly illuminated.

I think they are gorgeous 

Azalea

 I am not really a fan of Azalea or Rhododendrons but they do bring colour to early spring gardens and I like this shot of a single flower.

The petals have a tissue like texture and the delicate tendrils that draw in the bees and other pollinators are really quite beautiful. 

Golden

With all the cold grey weather recently I thought I would go back to some summer colour to brighten things up.

Today high definition images of the surface of the sun have been released and they were quite amazing but I think the golden centre of a flower is just the thing to bring some warmth
and sunshine when the real thing is hidden behind layers of cloud.

A Little Blue

I almost walked past these little white flowers but then I noticed the delicately scalloped edges with a slight bluish hue and the beautiful central cluster.

These are so elegant and beautiful.

These are white Hydrangea and the blue bud will eventually open out into a star shape revealing the delicate stamen

Hydrangea

These Hydrangea were growing in a shaded dell above a stream. I had never looked so closely at Hydrangeas before and I noticed how delicate and beautiful they are.

Damsel

I have mixed feelings about these images. 

First of all I was really chuffed to actually capture them since these beautiful Damselflies (the first I think is a male demoiselle, the second is a Brown Damselfly) hardly stopped to rest in their near constant search for food, so getting any image at all was quite a scoop.

The second one is especially fortuitous because as brightly coloured as it is I would normally miss it, lost in the greenery.

I am slightly disappointed because the heads in each are not in sharp focus; the reason for this is shortly before taking these pictures I had been experimenting with different focus settings on my camera and as I was not fully prepared for these shots and having to be extremely quick them main area of focus is the wings. However, this does show on closer inspection the stunning patterns in the lacy wings and in the red one the ovipositor  is in sharp focus.

Delicate

I think this is beautiful.

Light As A...

Feather

Now that the Christmas festivities are over I am back to posting here.

I spotted this feather floating on the gently rippling surface of Marie Louise lake in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. I love the way it rests on the surface held up by the surface tension and it could blow away so easily without leaving a trace.

Raindrops On Roses

Well ok, not roses...

But a couple of macro shots of raindrops nonetheless.

I like the magnifying effect of the raindrops on the oak leaf in the first image and in the second shot the droplets seem to emphasise the fragility of the flower. 

Blue Salvia

This beautiful and delicate looking flower is a variety of Salvia (Salvia macrophylla I think).


It has lovely  soft tissue like petals with a covering of tiny hairs. I really like the colour too. Each stem has an abundance of flowers and the contrast against the green background is quite stunning. I have chosen a nice macro shot though to really show off the best of this wonderful flower.

Small and Delicate

Last week I spent a couple of hours at the zoo and I began by taking some pictures of some of the flowers around a few of the animal enclosures. I got a few strange looks from some of the zoo'z visitors, perhaps they thought I was missing the point when there were monkeys and all manner of other creatures to see. However I am always on the lookout for a good shot and that means not always going for the obvious.

I don't know what these particular flowers are but I hope you will agree they are very pretty. Each individual flower is really tiny but they are perfectly formed and combine to make a lovely plant.

Shimmering

At first glance the first of today's images could easily be mistaken for a butterfly's wing but actually it is the shimmering petal of a Perennial Geranium.

It was because of the strong colour that I took these shots but it was only when I looked closer when I was processing the pictures that I realised how the surface of the petals reflected the sunlight so beautifully.

Getting in close to see the central components of the flower you can see how delicate it is and the fine hairs on the inner petals and on the stamen which I presume are use for capturing pollen.

 I love these pictures and I hope you do too.

Californication

More of my favourite colour for today's selection but instead of Laburnum today's flowers are California Poppies.

The first picture isn't a crop it is the full image. I wanted to get right in to capture the detail of its fertile centre.

I like the meadow feeling from the second image with the trees, azaleas and ferns as a backdrop and then I love the strong yet delicate sentinel in the final image.

I know I can get a bit carried away when I am talking about flowers but they are so beautiful and they give me such a lift. I don't have the patience to do gardening but I have a lovely selection of photos that I have taken over the years that I can go to at any time.

I think some of you will be on the same page with me and I am sure that some of you will also share my love of the colour yellow.

Return of the Native

Native English Bluebells that is (in case you were thinking I was referring to Thomas Hardy's classic novel).

You may remember that I recently went to Boilton Woods in Lancashire to find some bluebells and I posted a few pictures here on my blog. Well last week at Bodnant Gardens I found a few more late blossoms hidden away among the shrubs. While there were lots of brightly coloured azaleas and other plants I was really pleased to find these gorgeous bluebells and knew that they would find their way into my blog. 

I hope you think they are worth sharing...

Kestrel

This is an adult male Kestrel, it was perched on top of a tree surveying the area for prey. 

I love birds of prey and since I was small Kestrels have always been a special bird for me. I loved the story/movie Kes and for a long time I would imagine having my own Kestrel, perhaps one that I raised from a chick. I have always loved to see them hovering along the side of the road or above the hedgerows with such grace.

They are fairly small and delicate looking and in this shot you can see what looks like a mayfly just above its head, that and the buds at the ends of the branches give a sense of scale.

Not long after this shot was taken the bird was disturbed by some kids running by and it flew off but I had really enjoyed watching him at fairly close quarters.

Look Don't Touch

I am always amazed by these stunning creatures, such beautiful and striking colours, so tiny and delicate and yet so very deadly.

The Postman...

This beautiful butterfly is called a postman butterfly, I wonder why, I'm sure its not going to be delivering my mail anytime soon.  It is quite stunning though. 

Just like yesterday's specimen this little beauty has really fancy eyes.