Daisy, daisy

photo taken with Canon Powershot A640

Spring, sprung

Marsh Marigolds in the pond


Cheeky Robin at The Lodge


A bright green plant


Which reminds me... I need to mow the lawn...

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D, EF 300mm f/4L IS USM

Is it a bird?

There have been up to four Hummingbird Hawk-moths hanging around the flowerbeds at The Lodge recently. Mostly, they seem to like nectaring on Red Valerian, but today I found one buzzing about the Verbena bonariensis in a different part of the gardens.

There was good light so I had a go at taking some photos, which I'm quite pleased with. The only other shots I have of the species were taken in Spain last May.

I'll definitely be trying again to get some better images, as I just can't resist watching the Hummers darting around.

They're quite fascinating - it's easy to see why people in the UK think they've seen a real hummingbird!



This bright green, yellow and red spider was pretty interesting, too. I don't know what species it is, but I know a man who will. Watch this space.

photos taken with Nikon Coolpix 995

Hoverfly

photos taken with Nikon Coolpix 995

Gardens

This is the old swimming pool I keep going on about...

photos taken with Nikon Coolpix 995

Flower-power

To use a cliche, the gardens at The Lodge are a riot of colour at the moment. Because they're all organic (and peat-free), there are loads of insects everywhere you look, which in turn is great for birds, of course.

Silhouette of Azure Damselfly

Garden Chafer, Phyllopertha horticola

Ants and aphids

These shots were all taken before 9am. I was hoping for some slightly less frisky dragon- and damselflies, but most weren't out at that time. I know that lunchtime is too late, so the optimum time must be around 10am...

photos taken with Nikon Coolpix 995