wildlife

[cohan]

This cute creature- seems to be a Plume Moth / Pterophoridae though apparently pinning to a genus and species is tricky, and I haven't found any good reference to attempt that! As you can see, it wasn't shy at all, I was able to get close enough (plus cropping) for some decent shots with just an 18-55mm lens. In a Crocus flower, only one in that bed, maybe why it wasn't keen to leave!

[Hoy]

Interesting wings on that one, Cohan!

Here are something bigger! We saw 4 cranes (Grus grus grus) today when we went skiing at the mountain cabin. I'm not equipped for bird photography though!

[cohan]

Cranes are always fun to see-- here we have Sandhill Cranes-- I hear them much more often than see them, as the calls carry quite far
and there are wetlands in all direction..

It was interesting to learn what the Plume Moths are, I've seen them, but not looked up, before..

[Maggi Young]

Question on Twitter from Anthony McCluskey

"Can anyone help with ID of these beetles found in Glen Lyon, Perthshire? Was thinking possible Cantharis pellucida but I know several species look similar."



 Can anyone help?

[Yann]

A few photos from behind the house, i've the luck to be surrounded by nice meadows full of orchids.

[Yann]

and while talking about orchids, here're few ones from Vercors took yesterday.
This year blooming is delayed of 10 days as everywhere.





and several hours before i was on the coast, it's also a festival, the winter and early spring rains were benefit to bulbs.

[Yann]

Silene conica is quite common among costal meadows

[ian mcdonald]

A good selection of orchids, Yann.

[Gail]

I went to Hoveton Hall gardens with a friend on Sunday and was so impressed with the amount of butterflies and other insects attracted to a Sorbaria sorbifolia bush that I've ordered one. Does anyone know what the rather handsome beetle on the right is?

Meadow brown on Sorbaria

[Gail]

We also went to Buxton Heath to see the silver-studded blue butterflies, which seem to be doing very well there. It is an absolutely magical place with the heather in flower, cows contentedly grazing and lots of tiny blue butterflies flying around your feet...

[cohan]

handsome beetles, Maggi, no idea of names-- scarcely have a beginning on my own!
Yann-- lovely meadows!
Gail- always fun to see blues-- I find them hard to photograph- if they do sit still a moment, they are unlikely to open their wings for me!

[ian mcdonald]

Gail, the beetle looks like a Long Horn, similar to a Four-Banded Longhorn.

[Tristan_He]

Gail, the beetle looks like a Long Horn, similar to a Four-Banded Longhorn.

I agree Ian, do you think it could be Strangalia attenuata?

[Tristan_He]

We also went to Buxton Heath to see the silver-studded blue butterflies, which seem to be doing very well there. It is an absolutely magical place with the heather in flower, cows contentedly grazing and lots of tiny blue butterflies flying around your feet...

I love silver-studded blues because they always seem to occur in large colonies. On the Great Orme at Llandudno there is an endemic subspecies caernensis, where the females are quite blue - I think it's a bit bigger than the typical form too. Well worth a visit if you are in the area about now, and you can see thousands of them in good weather.

[ian mcdonald]

I thought Strangalia when I saw it but the name has been changed? That,s why I used the English name. Confusion rules.