Damsel in the garden!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A very rare occurence for me - a damsel in my garden pond - an azure who appears to be ovipositing no less. Wow- hope for the future?

Gold and yellow and more

Been really busy but got the moth trap out last night so when I looked out first thing and it was raining thought there may be little to see. But I was wrong! Trap rescued into the garage and there were at least 4 species new to me. The first was this Scalloped Oak. It was resting with its wings flat and is to be seen June- September an a few habitats but including gardens.

A very pretty small moth and I think its is a Gold Triangle. It is found in southern England with its wings spread and in gardens so ticks the boxes.

This one puzzled me for a bit and I am still not certain but having looked at a number of photos I am plumping for it being the Dot Moth. It was almost black with a glossy sheen and is described as "ubiquitous".

And this very attractive moth seems to be a Yellow Tail as when it flew I spotted the yellow and it has the characteristic black spots near the corner of its forewing. The flight time is right and its another that can be seen just about anywhere. There were several others but I am poring over them and the book so will see what I can work out. Moths are definitely challenging but great fun and a different surprise everyday!

A holiday in County Durham meant lots of time outside, walking and watching, and lots of time to sit outside the door of our lovely 400 year old cottage on the banks of the River Tees and enjoy the river and birds. It teemed with life from garden birds such as our resident blue tit and great tit families, visits from the nuthatch and greater spotted woodepecker, the turquiose flash of the kingfisher and the wren all outside our back door. The swallows nested in our eaves and the swifts screamed with joy as they swopped and soared. On our travels we saw over 45 different birds, from the red kite, to the meadow pipit , oystercatchers, skylarks, and a new one for me the ring ouzel. We saw the tiny bank vole, the hardy sheep of the Pennine slopes, squirrel, two humped camels, pigs, and so much more. It was a joy. I have to sort my photos of the butterflies and huge number of wildflowers and see if I can identify them. Dragons were in short supply but I did manage to find some damsels along the way. The beauty of the countryside was overwhelming - Teesdale, Swaledale, the Pennines and Wensleydale. Such beauty and all just a few hours up the road. A real breathe of fresh air - and the fantastic eggs from our resident hens. Does it get any better?

Elephant and footman

The night before was a bumper night for the moth trap and I am still trying to identify all the different moths that paid me a visit. Two nights running I have had a peppered moth, and yesterday a darker version of this moth as well- which is what my book shows. A very different moth to look at.
Wondered what these small guys were but have discovered they are common footman - had a half dozen of these, some of them settling on the outside wall of the trap.

And another hawkmoth- this time this lovely elephant hawkmoth which was very happy to sit on my finger for a while and spend all day in a shady spot of the garden. There was also the big privet hawkmoth - having overcome my slight reticence I let it climb onto my finger to carry it to a spot to release it- and cling it did - it did not want to fly away, but eventually convinced it the lillies were a better place to spend its day than my hand. What attractive creatures these are and what a treat to be able to handle them and see them depart. My journey of discovery continues............

Had a really bad headache so took a stroll at DENR and what a wonderful hour. The reserve was full of fluttering butterflies and I think saw 8 different species - a female orange tip, several ringlets, a large white, large skipper, this meadow brown and this very striking marbled white.

And then this vivid comma- the orange was really stunning against the greens behind it and I have not see one for a while so was well pleased.

I had hoped to get some good photos of the prettiest stars and put some effort into this - there were 15 I found today and for once I feel I came home with 4 really nice shots that show the delicate beauty of the emerald damselfly. Also disturbed a brown hawker- my first for this year but no photo as it headed off up into the trees, But maybe next visit. And the stroll was much better than a paracetemol......................

Butterflies on a showery morning

It was a morning of sharp showers but I was keen to get acquainted with Marston Thrift and to learn some more about butterflies, so I got out the raincoat and joined a very intersting BNHS walk. It was well worth it- the aim was to see a black hairstreak and some of the amblers thought they did, but I didn't- but I did see a few butterflies and get to know a little more about them. Many things seem obvious once you know but it only sunk in with me today that the type of tree r bush is helpful in identying what you see! So the ringlet likes blackberries and that is where I saw a handful of them today. It does not often sit with its wings open so I was lucky to see this one and get a photo. It was an added bonus to see a red kite fly overhead and to disturb a buzzard in the woods.

Have struggled with the difference between large and small skippers but had help with this and am confident now that I have been seeing large skippers-they are a little larger, more orange and with more mottling and no black edging! Good job I had had the bins with me.

And having seen one black tailed skimmer it was good to see several common blue damselflies - all away from the ponds and some of them tenerals. But the big bonus was getting to know another site for ambling and spending a very pleasant morning chatting about nothing more than ambling, butterflies, dragonflies and rain! and the weather augers well for some dragon hunting on Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The prettiest star

It has not been good dragonfly weather this last week - too much rain or wind and not all that warm. So a warmer afternoon ahead of forecaste rain this evening called for a visit to Duck End. It was well worth the trip and in short visit I saw over a 100 azure damselflies. There were a good number of tenerals and females were much in evidence which was good to see.

DENR was the place I first met the 4 spotted chaser and the last two years saw a good few of them there. This year numbers seem less and the only one I saw today was this lovely creature perching for a while over one of the ponds.

But the real treat -the emerald damselfly- probably the most beautiful damsel of all - the prettiest star. It was so good to find 11 adults and 2 emergents today and on all but one pond. It was a good visit- several butterflies and a cinnabar moth and I think.......a young buzzard?