The mapgpie and the sexton

 With Ikea building still going on it was good to escape for a short while yesterday and go blackberrying in the woods behind our home - and in the course of picking these juicy shining berries I was lucky enought to see a ruddy darter and a southern hawker, but the ponds are very dry there. There were good numbers of butterflies and indeed we have had several peacock and red admirals on our garden buddleia. But the last two evenings having been warm I put my moth trap out and have been rewarded by good numbers of creatures and some lovely colours- which of course makes them easier to identify.

 The greeny yellow of this first moth helps a lot! It is the brimstone moth and is said to be very common and in this part of the world there can be three broods a year. Its not as delicate looking as its butterfly counterpart, but still eyecatching - and there have been several of these in the trap. Alongside several pepper moths was this common white wave moth - a more butterfly like creature than some of its kind.

And then the lime-specked pug- a group I have not looked at much, but the wide open wings held away from the body are the characteristics of this particular creature. 

And another moth that in the past I would have thought to be some kind of butterfly but this is a moth- the Magpie Moth. The books says it "unmistakable" - good for me against the various mottles and brown moths I have yet to identify and it is very pretty. Again a common creature- but not one I had seen until this week. It tends to act dead when trapped - it was good to read this and watch the little insect recover and fly off with no problems.

And last but not least- other insects also go into the trap - often beetles. wasps and daddy long legs. Today there was this large Rove bettle  named Nicrophorus Investogator- some books also refer to it as being one of the Sexton beetles- the link being just as sextons dig graves these bury food  - the dead bodies of young birds or mamamls and lay their eggs on- the rotting remains then being for their larvae to dine on. They are said to be able to smell a dead body at 2 miles. It made a very strange creaking noise when disturbed and I cannot say I was much endeared to t- although to everything there is a place. Back to dragonflies I think- and another treat last evening as sitting on our terrace with a nice glass of chilled white wine a large southern hawker hunted around us for a good 15 minutes - much prefer this to the Sexton!

Glimpses of joy

 We have been working this week on a great adult jigsaw puzzle more normally called putting up Ikea furniture as we renovate a guest bedroom. It has been fun working together but meant no time for ambling. But this evening looking through some photos I realised that over these last months of illness and dark times there have been a number of glimpses of joy- and all related to little moment in time in the natural world. So here are a few - the first this parent bluetit that with its partner built a nest in our garden nestbox and reared a fine brood of chicks. The dedication of the adults is breathtaking- returning up to three times a minute with tastey morsels for the young.

And the second - having rebuilt our pond this year the first dragonfly to visit it- this stunning large red damselfly- made me fly inside for the camera to just be in time to get a shot of it. Watching dragonflies has been such a therapy for me on days when I needed an escape and they never failed and stir up a passion in me that I feared had fled with so much else - and driving along yesterday a fantastic view of a red kite did the same.

 I love plants and flowers and one of my favourites is the garden pansy. They create nostalga for me as I recall bunches of them in small vases in my grandmother's home and they are so Victorian. The pallette of colours they come in is so wide but I love the lemon and indigo hues of this shy nodding flower in one of my planters. I love too the funny and smiling faces they often have and in particular the more unusual but fragranced violas such as Irish Molly. 

 A day learning about beetles was another good day earlier this year- not being so well I did not take as much in as I might have but it was wonderful to look at and learn about this group of insects- there are so many different groups and I can imagine it will take many seasons to learn about a good number of them. They come in amazing colours and shapes and are so often overlooked as we gaze at seemingly more attractive creatures. 

And last but not least - this wildflower- the Bindweed being visited by a hoverfly. In the agrden the bindweed is not welcome but in the wildflower meadows and borders it is a beauty- with its delicate shades of pink and creamy white. Just shows that being in the right place makes such a difference to how we look at things and how they appear to us. A rose by any other name, a bind weed in a different setting.........

And over all these wonderful creatures and flowers speak of the wonderful God who created all. 

A sunny day in ole Bedfordshire..............

 Been a busy week so yesterday was a day of ambling at the Wetlands at Marston Vale and then at Duck End. the day started with a real treat- a couple of guys looking through scopes let em take a peek and I was lucky enough to see a young cuckoo and tehn to see the poor little reed warbler feed the huge baby. Amazing how this happens and that very soon thsi young bird will fly to sub saharan Africa- no sat nav, no guide just inborn instinct- how brilliant is that. It was a good day too for dragonflies. I saw severla Southern Hawkers and this one perched for me to get a shot.

 A good day too for the Ruddy Darter - brilliant tomato reds- and my first for 2012. Saw these at both sites and also females.

 

The Emerald Damselfly is a big favourite of mine and I love the colours of both sexes. It was good to see 17 at Duck End including this pair in the wheel. 

 

At Marston there were good numbers of common blue damselflies- some in tandem, but this was an interesting shot of a common damsel perching at a very converluted angle. I watched it a while and it just seemed to be stretching and enjoying the sunshine - just like me.

During my ambles I saw many wildflowers, butterflies and otehr creatures. There were a lot of insects including this hoverfly - a very pretty specimen which I snapped at Duck End. A really nice day, lots to see and a good walk.

Sunshine at last

 After being laid low for a few days with a virus it was good to get out for some walks. One of the first creatures I saw at Felmersham Gravel Pits were eyecatching in flight - glimpses of a vivid red. There were a good number perched like this one- I believe it to be the 6 spot burnet moth-a day flyer with club antennae - so why isnt it called a butterfly?

 It was a great day for dragonflies- coulds of azure and common blue damsels, many blue-tailed damsels- often in tandem or in the wheel and my first emerald damsels for this year. They are such pretty creatures. But it was also a day for true dragons and I saw my first sightings this year of the southern-hawker - this one kindly perching and the brown hawker. The brown hawker can look dull but when it flies and catches the sun it is such a deep golden brown as to take the breath away. It was also great to see my first common darter this year- a female ovipositing into the ponds.

 The sunshine brought out the butterflies and it was lovely to see this one on Flitton Moor. There were good numbers of meadow browns, skippers and large whites as well.

And the moth trap came out last night now the rain has cleared and I was rewarded with a good number of moths- two very attractive ones- this large  emerald and also a bright yellow brimstone. What a difference to the sunshine makes............

Wonderful wildlife in Norfolk

 Just back from a glorious week away in one of my favourite palces- Norfolk - love it for the sea and the countryside and also the wonderful access to a wide range of wildlife. Mum and I had a very relaxed week which is what our break was about but it turned out to be surprisingly good for seeing creatures. Mum has a growing love for the damselfly and they seem to love her too. This common blue damsel landed on her hand and she was also visited by others on her blouse. It is thrilling to be so close to these dazzling creatures.

 The verges were alive with colourful wildflowers- dazzling red poppies, many different umbellifers, campions, silverweeds, oxeye daisy, purple loosestrife, meadowsweet, brambles and dog roses to name a few. In the wooded shade we saw a number of wild orchids - I am not sure about the name of this one but it was beautiful to look at.

The presence of so many flowers was not only lovely to the eye but had attracted a good number of bees of all kinds plus hoverflies and more butterflies than I have seen this year at home.

And there were two special treats this week- the first being several days when we saw the Swallowtail butterfly - Papilio machaon britannicus. Norfolk is the only place these can now be seen -they declined greatly last century due to drainage of the fens and marshes but more careful management has led to remaining populations at least holding their own. They are powerful flyers and it was especially stunning to see the spectacular male and female courtship display over one of the broads. A walk at Hickling was also fruitful and we saw 17 in a couple of hours. The other really special thing- at last I have seen the green eyed Norfolk Hawker - 2 good sightings made my week- no photos as they are busy now flying over the dykes - a large brown hawker- one at Horsey Mere and one at Hickling. And this was not even a wildlife trip!

4 spot conundrums............

 In my wanderings this year I have a feeling that I have seen less of these guys- the 4 spotted chaser than four years ago when I first started dragonflying. That in my perception was a good year for 4 spots but this year and last I seem to be seeing less of them. They are about but just not so many. They remain as larvae for 1-3 years so it may not be what has happened this year as much as what happened the last 1-3 years. An interesting question and has made me think I need to look back through my notes and see if I can find any clues?

 There also seem to be less butterflies this year- perhaps due to the heavy and prolongued rainfall- but I have seen a lot of bees - so what is good for one species may not be good for another. Bees are creatures I would like to learn some more about and are on my list of areas to read up on.

Had a great Sunday with the Wildlife Trust learning about longhorn and soldier beetles- and it was a great basis to help me understand more about the types of beetles and how to identify them. So looking at flowers and umbellifers this time of year is a good place to find them - now the hard task of identifying them. So lots to look out for - next week the Norfolk Hawker if I am lucky- but its time now for the Hawkers to be on the wing and who knows just what I may find!

Dragons get the munchies

Fabulous walk along the River Ouse at Roxton today. Had some good views of the red-eyed damselfly - they are easy to spot as they just love sitting on lilly pads. This is the Red-eyed- but I have not yet seen this year the small red-eyed- one to plan a visit to find on another sunny day.

 It was a day when the the dragons had got the munchies and here is a photo of the beautiful male banded demoiselle devouring a mayfly. Did not see any mayfly on the wing so this was a lucky catch for this creature - you may be able to make out the long tails of the mayfly which was still alive - David tried to release it but the demoiselle just flew off with it's catch.

 My first viewing this year of a Hairy Dragonfly female - and this one too was dining. She flew by me with a demoiselle in her basket claws and then perched to have her lunch. She was a very attractive dragon and quite different to the male counterpart. The hairs on her abdomen which give her the name are visible.

And a nice surprise- peeping over a leaf as I walked along was this scarce chase- probably towards the end of the season for them now so a nice last take for this year. There have been good numbers at Roxton so lets hope they have come to stay and will migrate down the river.  Altogether a good afternoon - with black tailed skimmers aplenty, 4 spotted chasers, common blue, azure and blue tailed damsels plus a few butterflies and lots of bumblebees.

Who is looking at who?

 A lovely sunny afternoon on Sunday was good for a visit to a couple of dragonfly sites, including Duck End. The marshy pond appears to be a real nursery this year for large red and azure damselflies and they arise in small clouds from the plants alongside the pond when diturbed by my footfall. The meadow behind this is abalze with wildflowers in particula the semi-parasitic yellow rattle, a member of the figwort family. The inflated capsules do indeed rattle when the seed is ripe inside them. But this was a nice chance to photograph a female large red damselfly- one of the red form typica.

 And it was encouraging to see several damsels in the wheel- a hopeful sign for azures again next year. There were also couples flying together and a few ovipositing the fertilised eggs onto vegetation at or just below the surface. And thus the circle of life starts again - after a few weeks green coloured larvae will hatch from the eggs and live in the pond r. They will feed greedily on small invertebrates until they emerge next spring as the beautiful azure- which seems to hold itself so ably as it flies.

 And I couldn't resist this shot - question- who is looking at who?

A day for the girls

 Could not resist a smile as I watched this proud Canada goose with its brood. There were two families on the bank of the pond, one couple had three quite mature goslings, but this couple had 13 - they must have been very careful and attentive parents to keep so many of the babes and they are now a good size.

 But the purpose of my stroll at Wetlands was dragonflies on a breezy and dull morning and I was incredibly lucky with what I found. There were hundreds of common damselflies including tenerals and some in tandem. I had always pondered the issue of the bluetailed damsel- books say it often the most common damsel to be found and I have previously only seen them in small numbers but today they were everywhere. The Small meadow was full of them and there amongst the grasses and wildflowers was this beautiful female black tailed skimmer. She was happy to pose for a photo and I am pleased with the outcome.

But it was a day for the girls today and my best find was this hairy dragonfly laying her eggs amongst the reedmace in one of the small ponds in The Wetlands. Hairy dragonflies are another species I have seen few of so this was thrilling, and I was rewarded with a good view of a male a little later on the pond outside the visitor centre as I headed to meet a friend for lunch.

The scarce chaser - a golden dragon

 On such a lovely morning I headed for a walk along the River Ouse at Roxton. As I left the car and walked along the lane I was thrilled to see so many banded demoiselles. I normally count drgaons carefully but as more and more danced in the air I quickly hit 50 and on the river bank itself the air was just full of these jewelled creatures. The sun really made them shimmer and the deep blue was brilliant and the green irridescent. After 200 I decided it was not a day for actually counting. I was pleased to see a pair in the wheel and so next years generation is 

 about to be as well.  

After a few minutes in the lane I had seen three golden scarce chasers, and the day was just better and better. Along the way I saw azure, common blue and my first large red eyed damsels for this year. And the real highpoint was just as I was on my way back from the lock and a glimpse of gold in the grass and nettlebeds. A closer look revealed a beautiful scarce chaser - had clearly emerged this morning and it was drying its wings and waiting for its maiden flight. A second look and I found the exuvaie close by and was able to retrieve it after a photo showing the chaser and the case. How fantastic- no doubt that this lovely dragonfly had emerged on this spot and so they are indeed breeding on this stretch of the river. And I was privileged to watch it fly into the air and its new life.There were more to see on my way back. And all the way along the path I listened to the call of the cuckoo. That always makes me so happy and today was no exception. So I headed home happily to get on with my day.

The Mother of the Moon

 Look carefully at the first photo - is it just a tree? But a closer look will reveal a very strange bird - the Great Potoo. It's related to the Nightjar family and during the day time sits upright on a branch- and I wonder how many people pass by without knowing its there. we were lucky to have a very keen eyed guide who was looking out for this bird and finally found it to show us- assuring us it is the great rather than common form. These birds are native to central and some parts of the Amazon. It would have been fantastic to hear it- apparently at night they make the most amazing throaty sound as they hunt for insects and bats. 

Its such a strange bird that in  the Amazon region its sometimes called the Phantom Bird or Mother of the Moon as it is ost often seen flying on moonlit nights. An early French writer said of this mystical bird:

 “Of all the birds of the earth, there is one that the savages would not kill or even injure for nothing in the world. They say […] that song of the bird reminds loved ones who are gone. This bird was a messenger from the dead, bringing good luck to the friends who were still living and gambling to their enemies “. (Andrew Thevet 16th Century)


It's described as uncommon in the bird books so I guess we were lucky to see it - it was a good day as on the same stretch of the Rio Negro we saw the sun grebe and the gray necked rail.  And yesterday closer to home at Cardington Lock I saw my first azure damselflies and a lone banded demoiselle, plus some pretty moths in the trap last evening. Wildlife at home and over there - fab.

Costa Rica - the whole palette of colours

 How to describe Costa Rica? Well nothing better than the colours of this Scarlet Macaw- a riot of colour and the most wonderful cacophony of sounds. They are the things I will never forget. Its a place that is so different to home and everywhere there was something new to wonder at. Our drive stopped the minibus for us to stare at a tree full of these macaws, just a riot of colour and the raark-raark calls. Only found in some areas of the country now we saw many of these living paint palets in the Tarcoles region.

 And dragonflies were not to be forgotten. Have not found a book on them yet- but have a collection of photos including this beautiful golden dragon seen in a garden area of a small cafe not far from the border with Nicaragua.

 At the Hotel Tilajari near Muelle every meal was a treat and a time to have the camera with you - in particular breakfast with so many birds enjoying the fruit put out for them. One of my favourites was this red legged honeycreeper - such bold blues and with its long beak for feeding. Its part of a large family - one that I saw many of- the Tanagers.

 And it was not only the birds that were so vibrant but the plants and flowers. So many different forms and the crimson red of this passionflower was just so vivid. There were ferns, mangroves, fruits, crops, trees so tall they towered over the rainforest, plants with strnage leaves and fruits and so many different shades of bright reds, oranges, yellows and pinks.

 Some of the animals just made me fall in love with them, such as this baby two toed sloth with its mother resting high in the canopy above the jungle floor. We were lucky enough to see three kinds of monkeys and two kinds of sloth, including a female that wlaked by as we had dinner one night- quite a rare treat as they are often sloth by character as well as by name, but are very good mums to their young.

But it was birds we saw so many of - birds from so many different familes from the unusual Great Potoo, ducks, herons, kingfishers, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, tanagers, fly catchers, hawks, vultures and this fairly unusual sun grebe on an early morning sail along the Rio Negro. 

So a fabulous holiday, lots of photos to sort out and I am sure more to appear in this blog. But heres hoping to wildlife close to home too- especially dragons.............

D Day at least

What a wonderful but busy weekend- celebrating 25 years of marriage- and its still wonderful and I look forward to continuing my life journey by David's side. So what with the celebrations and the rain there has been little time for getting out but Monday was a nice sunny day and I grabbed an hour to be outside. Went to Duck End and saw my first dragonflies of the year- the large red damselfly- saw 6 by the Marsh Pond, 3 of them very newly emerged and lacking colour but three already showing the wonderful markings of this earliest species. And then I foudn another perching on an apple tree- and a very pretty picture it made. The reserve was really showing signs of life and there were a good number of native bluebells. Butterflies too were on the wing- speckled wood, organge tip and small whites all enjoying the sunny spell. Off them to Flitton Moor- the pond was much enlarged and the cuckoo flowers and marsh marigolds had sunk beneath the rising water, but on the hedge I found one solitary large red damselfly- good to see, and the meadow behind the pond was very marshy but still full of a show of golden cowslips. A lovely interlude between rainy days.