 |
| Aberdeen Angus eating, and wearing, hay |
 |
| Greenbottle |
 |
| Bee |
 |
| Hoverfly |
 |
| Hoverfly |
 |
| Weevil |
 |
| Hoverfly |
 |
| Wolf Spider and egg sac |
 |
| Hoverfly hovering |
 |
| Wasp |
 |
| Spotted Wood butterfly |
Saturday, 20 July 2013
Delamere Forest
With the sun still blasting this week we decided to stay under cover of trees at Delamere Forest. No danger of sun stroke this time, but the horse flies and mosquitoes were still out in force. Not a great deal of bird life around, apart from the Black-headed Gull nursery on Black Moss but a reasonable number of insects were buzzing around the hogweed as usual.
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Dunham Massey
A walk around and through Dunham Massey.
The Fallow Deer were sheltering from the sun in the shade of Dunham Massey or eating in the shade of the trees. The park is peaceful and practically deserted first thing in the morning (nothing like the circus it becomes in the afternoon).
Dunham Town has a variety of odd and humerous scarecrows and garden ornaments. The Red Ba(c)on being the best!
From here there was no respite. Under the beating sun there were no benches or places to stop (apart from one bench by the Canal being taken up by canal boat users who had their own chairs anyway). The Trans Pennine Trail is just a barren motorway for bikes where we became the prey for more Cleg Flies than we have ever experienced before. We simply could not stop without being constantly attacked. Even on the move we were being bitten, right through clothing. Eventually we made it to the Dunham Farm Ice Cream shop, where we finally got some rest (and an ice cream) and a chance to eat our sarnies. No pictures of the flies, we would have been eaten alive!
Back at Dunham Massey, after gulping lots of water, we made the most of a cooperative Emerald Damselfly by one of the ponds. They just can't be bothered flying away, and if they do they come straight back. A few Common Blues were still just long enough to get the odd shot as well. No sign of the Little Owls someone had assured us were in the park (maybe we looked in the wrong place).
Then back home to rehydrate and lick our wounds. Do not do this walk in the summer!
 |
| Route around Dunham Massey |
The Fallow Deer were sheltering from the sun in the shade of Dunham Massey or eating in the shade of the trees. The park is peaceful and practically deserted first thing in the morning (nothing like the circus it becomes in the afternoon).
 |
| Fallow Deer |
 |
| Fallow Deer eating Nettles (ow!) |
 |
| Spotted Wood |
Dunham Town has a variety of odd and humerous scarecrows and garden ornaments. The Red Ba(c)on being the best!
 |
| The Red Ba(c)on and three little piggies |
Back at Dunham Massey, after gulping lots of water, we made the most of a cooperative Emerald Damselfly by one of the ponds. They just can't be bothered flying away, and if they do they come straight back. A few Common Blues were still just long enough to get the odd shot as well. No sign of the Little Owls someone had assured us were in the park (maybe we looked in the wrong place).
 |
| Common Blue Damselfly |
 |
| Emerald Damselfly |
 |
| Emerald Damselfly |
 |
| Emerald Damselfly |
 |
| Common Blue Damselfly |
 |
| Common Blue Damselfly |
 |
| Emerald Damselfly |
 |
| Emerald Damsefly |
Then back home to rehydrate and lick our wounds. Do not do this walk in the summer!
Saturday, 6 July 2013
Rufford
A repeat of a walk we did last September, taking in Martin Mere, Rufford and Mere Sands Wood. Last time it had been very wet and we were struggling through muddy fields, but with loads of insects everywhere. This time the fields were dry but with the insects mostly replaced by fledglings.
 |
| Route around Rufford |
 |
| Black-tailed Skimmer |
 |
| Corn Bunting |
 |
| Feral Pigeon on iron girders |
 |
| Cropped hayfield |
 |
| Barn Swallows being fed |
 |
| Moorhen Mayhem |
 |
| Black-lined Skimmer |
 |
| Black-lined Skimmer |
 |
| Small Tortoiseshell Caterpillar |
 |
| Peacock Caterpillars |
 |
| Black Bean Aphids (?) |
 |
| Common Blue Damselflies mating |
 |
| Common Blue Damselflies mating |
 |
| Common Blue Damselflies mating |
 |
| Common Blue Damselflies mating |
 |
| Peacock Caterpillars |
 |
| Black Bean Aphids (?) |
 |
| Angle Shades Moth |
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
Even More Garden
Still snatching the odd shot, or couple of hours in the hide, when it isn't raining or just too dull to bother with anything else. Things are getting very busy now, with many more fledglings and busy parents. The seeds are going down at a fantastic rate, and the fatballs can't withstand the hordes of Starlings.
 |
| Fluffed female House Sparrow |
 |
| Starling |
 |
| Collared Dove and wildflowers (some might say weeds) |
 |
| Female Blackbird sunbathing in the bushes |
 |
| Starling |
 |
| Goldfinch |
 |
| Female Blackbird drying off in the bushes |
 |
| Female House Sparrow |
 |
| Hungry Blackbird fledgling and parent |
 |
| Goldfinch |
 |
| Goldfinch |
 |
| Goldfinch fledgling |
 |
| Blackbird fledgling |
 |
| Blackbird fledgling |
 |
| Blackbird fledgling |
 |
| Robin fledgling |
 |
| Robin fledgling |
 |
| Robin fledgling |
 |
| Starling |
 |
| Starling fledgling |
 |
| Starling fledgling |
 |
| Starling fledgling demanding food |
 |
| Starling fledgling |
 |
| Male Blackbird |
 |
| Male Blackbird |
 |
| Female Blackbird |
 |
| Starling fledgling |
 |
| Starling fledgling |
 |
| Starling fledgling just starting to show adult plumage |
 |
| Starling |
 |
| Greenfinch |
 |
| Great Tit fledgling |
 |
| Blackbird fledgling in Buttercups |
 |
| FEED ME, SEYMOUR! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)