Wildlife early 2009

[Ragged Robin]

Here's one for the Butterfly fans, seeing this bought back my youth, much of which was spent running around the fields of Shropshire, catching butterflies and Dragonflies with a very large net,which was made out of net curtains crafted by a very tolerant and helpful Mum! ( p.s.. the crayfish, injured birds, snakes and lizards were an added bonus! )
Iphiclides podalirius - Scarce Swallowtail

I am thrilled to a see a fabulous photo of this butterfly from your garden Hristo - the day before I saw it fluttering by the river Rhone and was transfixed as it looked just like a miniature fan every time it fluttered its wings.  I rushed home and found what it was on the web and now I can see it spread out in all its beauty instead of as a tiny thing taken on the iphone!!!!

[Hristo]

Cheers RR, the little boy in me had to resisit the urge to try and catch it! I hasten to add as a child I caught them, looked at them and let them go, the one time my Dad and I tried to 'gas' a butterfly to pin it, we both felt like murderers, opened the jar and let the butterfly go. Maybe they are better for being glimpsed only, or caught on film ,or painted by an artist!

[Armin]

Chris,
what an excellent shot of a Scarce Swallowtail 
So rare here - only to find in mild climates north of the alps - .

[ruweiss]

The  rooms in the bee-hotels are now almost fully occupied. The insects like the holes
in the wooden logs, but prefer those of the bamboo canes. As the woodpeckers
also prefer the larvae of the bees I had to put on the mesh wire around the cans.

[cohan]

The  rooms in the bee-hotels are now almost fully occupied. The insects like the holes
in the wooden logs, but prefer those of the bamboo canes. As the woodpeckers
also prefer the larvae of the bees I had to put on the mesh wire around the cans.

thats neat! we have lots of bees here, and also lots of natural habitat/nesting sites, so i dont need to do these..just as well, i'd rather not get that close....lol

[Paul T]

Great pics everyone.  Love the bee hotels, the buterflies, and that glorious grouse!!  Thanks so much.

[Armin]

Rudi,
I'm pleased to see there is another solitary bee friend. Fortunate, I got no problems with woodpeckers sofar.

[Anthony Darby]

The  rooms in the bee-hotels are now almost fully occupied. The insects like the holes
in the wooden logs, but prefer those of the bamboo canes. As the woodpeckers
also prefer the larvae of the bees I had to put on the mesh wire around the cans.

thats neat! we have lots of bees here, and also lots of natural habitat/nesting sites, so i dont need to do these..just as well, i'd rather not get that close....lol

These bees are solitary and harmless. They don't bother people at all.

[David Nicholson]

Found a lily beetle this morning on a pot of seedling Nomocharis. It is no more!

[Gerdk]

Found a lily beetle this morning on a pot of seedling Nomocharis. It is no more!

Well done David - you are a real animal protection advocat! I love this little colorful  beetles too - did you destroy the whole pot of seedlings?   

Gerd

[David Nicholson]

Still got the seedlings Gerd. Should I dump them? They are in their second growth year.

[Anthony Darby]

Still got the seedlings Gerd. Should I dump them? They are in their second growth year.

I would sink the pot into a deep container of tepid water so that the surface is under water. Leave it a few days for any grubs to drown.

[David Nicholson]

Thanks Anthony, will do.

[cohan]

]These bees are solitary and harmless. They don't bother people at all.

i'll have to look them up--i was wondering about the hotel--thought they must not be hiving bees, but i dont know anything about the solitary sort..
of course, other than killer bees, most of the others are relatively harmless too, as long as you are not allergic, which i'm not, luckily--have been stung enough times over the years; most of the childhood panic is gone around them now..lol--i can get close enough to take photos when they are busy in flowers, but still prefer not to have them buzzing around and around as they sometimes do

[Anthony Darby]

Solitary bees don't sting unless you handle on them, and even then, they are generally reluctant.