Small Tortoiseshell

Lepidoptera

 

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

Small Tortoiseshell

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

Colours

Orange


Green and red and black


Orange again


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

Small Tortoiseshell

video taken with iPhone

Post-work

It wasn't much cooler than lunchtime, but we stopped off in Potton on the way home to look for Marbled Whites.


They were there, but elusive. Another visit required...


Small Skipper


Large Skipper


The world's tattiest Small Tortoiseshell?

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

The foggy coast

Back from a long weekend in Norfolk, in which we enjoyed different climatic conditions to the rest of the region. Winds blew mist in off the North Sea and kept the cloud cover to 100% for much of the time. The result was we didn't suffer the sweaty heat that everyone else did, though it was still fairly humid.

Stiffkey Fen

The beach at Titchwell

We camped at Reedham, right next to the Yar, and not far from Strumpshaw Fen, where we started Saturday.

There were orchids-a-plenty. This might be a Southern Marsh Orchid, or apparently it could be a hybrid. I have no idea. To me it's just a pretty pink flower.

Loads of butterflies about, with Small Tortoiseshells most common

Female Emerald Damselfly

Male Black-tailed Skimmer

Very Hairy Caterpillar, probably a Vapourer moth

Next, Upton Broad, a Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve. Here we skored Swallowtail butterfly - a mighty impressive beast, the first I've seen since a holiday to France when I was 11! - Norfolk Hawker dragonfly and...

What appears to be a Variable Damselfly

Lots of Large Skippers, too.

Another pink flower, which might be Herb Robert. Remember, I don't know anything about plants

After that, we went up to the north Norfolk coast, which was somewhat less productive, but still enjoyable: Ruff, Spotted Redshank, lots of cute, fluffy Avocet babies

and a Hobby being mobbed by a Black-headed Gull

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D, EF 300mm f/4L IS USM or with Canon Powershot A640

Norfolk/Suffolk

Today we spent the day around the Brecks.

Great to see plenty of butterflies on the wing (Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma, Brimstone, white sp.)

At Santon Downham we heard a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker drumming, but Did Not See It


At Mayday Farm, we Did Not See a Goshawk (or much else)


At Lakenheath Fen, we Did Not See a lot either. There are 70 pairs of Bearded Tits in there. We heard only two. Still, it was a pleasant walk, and we did see three Garganey, so mustn't grumble

Stunt Ladybird 'showing well' on a daisy

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D + EF 300mm f/4L IS USM or Canon Powershot A640

Beeston

Kestrel

Meadow Pipit

We went to Del and John's ringing session at Beeston this morning. There were a few nets around the garden and a 'pipit box' out in a stubble field - a triangle of nets with a tape lure in the middle. It succeeded in attracting Meadow Pipits but also a Kestrel which dived helpfully into the nets. It was a bit grumpy and stuck a talon into Del's finger.

Elsewhere around the farm it was great to see hedges bursting with fruit and buzzing with insects.

Small Tortoiseshell

Hedge full of berries

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

Butterflies and moth

With the hot weather this weekend, I haven't been in the mood for much more than lounging around in the garden. It's been great. Butterflies have gathered in numbers on our 10-feet high Buddleia bush:

Peacock

Brimstone

Large White

Small Tortoiseshell

Gatekeeper

Meadow Brown

Large Skipper

Peacock and Comma

And then this creature turned up:

Hummingbird Hawkmoth!
I've been growing Valerian in preparation for attracting 'Hummers' but this one found the Buddleia perfectly adequate. It did some funny things: feeding happily one second, then whizzing off at rooftop-height over the wheat field, before appearing back on the flowers again within a few seconds

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D + EF 300mm f/4L IS USM or Canon Powershot A640

Yorkshire

Had a pleasantly long weekend on the East Yorkshire coast with Mark and Jenny and the dogs...

Red-flanked Bluetail at Old Fall Plantation, Flamborough Head (Yorkshire's first twitchable one). Mark has in-the-hand photos here

Tree Sparrow, Buckton (I blogged about this area on Notes On Nature)

Whooper Swans flying in-off at South Landing

Small Tortoiseshell, South Landing

Autumnal leaves, South Landing

Common Darter

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D, EF 300mm f/4L IS USM and Nikon Coolpix 995