Wildlife mid 2009

[illingworth]

Two photos tonight. The first is for Cohan, as he mentioned the "Night Danger" signs. These signs can disappear as tourists take them home as a souvenir.
The second is a mother grouse who was defending her young as I walked into their group.

Rob

[johnw]

Rob - The signs in Newfoundland are bilingual.

johnw

[illingworth]

Thats my kind of bilingual  John !!  You're right, it is a much better sign.
I have a photo just like yours taken on the highway through Gros Morne.
-Rob

[johnw]

Thats my kind of bilingual  John !!  You're right, it is a much better sign.
I have a photo just like yours taken on the highway through Gros Morne.
-Rob

Rob

As I recall that sign was on the last major mountain heading south out of Gros Morne.

We saw many moose on that highway including one dead on the roadside near St Anthony and guarded by an elderly lady. She was waiting for her son and a truck, destination - her freezer. 

Moose are a real peril in Newfoundland. They've only been there since the early 1900's and are devastating forest regeneration.

johnw

[cohan]

huh! i didnt know--or forgot, if i'd heard--that moose were new to newfoundland..certainly both they and deer can do a lot of pruning! between the two, hard pressed to find an unpruned dogwood here, among other things (and that includes the many many wild bushes), and a bit farther west, one spot i visited had all the saskatoons and chokecherries and even many willows trimmed low...

funny that tourists would take the signs, but must be costly for highways dept! the newfoundland version is cute, but may give a false impression that the moose comes out of it fine, as your hungry granny by the road could attest to....

[Ragged Robin]

The second is a mother grouse who was defending her young as I walked into their group.

Rob

Rob your photo of the Grouse on the defensive is a thrilling action shot - lots of noise too I imagine!  Thanks for showing it and I wonder if you got any of the young?

[Paul T]

Rob,

Fantastic shot of the grouse.

Everyone else.... I'm definitely feeling less stressed about the constant danger of Kangaroos on the roads around here at night (they are a big hazard at night, the larger ones can come through your windscreen if they clear the car bonnet).  I'd rather the Kangaroos than hitting a moose! 

[Ragged Robin]

A second hatching of caterpillars on the nettles.  From Antony's description these are definitely Peacock butterfly.  There is a third lot on a different patch of nettles.  I think they are also Peacock but will wait till they are a bit bigger to be sure.
I am seeing an occasional Painted Lady, the Ringlets and Meadow Browns are appearing and I have seen two or three Red Admirals in the past few days.

Lots of butterflies here on meadow flowers too, Roma, but very flighty so difficult to capture..... however I have worked out one place where they feed without noticing me!  Love the black hairy conglomeration of caterpillars you show on nettles it's good to see a decent patch  

[Ragged Robin]

Feeding at lunch time in one spot on the rockery as the sun went in I think this is a

Purple-shot copper - Lycaena alciphron

[Ragged Robin]

..on the blue Scabiosa it's body looks even more velvety

[Paddy Tobin]

Excellent photographs, Robin,

Paddy

[Paul T]

Lovely, Robin.  I love the details coming out in first and the last one in your first post.  So delightfully fuzzy.  It had obviously just been to the hairdresser for a tint.  

[Ragged Robin]

Glad you liked the photos Paddy and Paul, i have been trying to capture shots of these fuzzy butterflies for quite a few days without success - then I read on a butterfly website tips about about stalking!!!!! 

[Paul T]

Robin,

Would you mind sending me a summary of what you found out (if you have time to do so and don't mind taking the time).  Stuffed if I can get the darn things to sit still for long enough to photograph them.  Short of a can of fly spray I doubt I can photograph most of the things I would like to.  

[Ragged Robin]

Robin,

Would you mind sending me a summary of what you found out (if you have time to do so and don't mind taking the time).  Stuffed if I can get the darn things to sit still for long enough to photograph them.  Short of a can of fly spray I doubt I can photograph most of the things I would like to.  

Pleasure Paul, I've found it very frustrating capturing butterflies too but love the challenge    this site is good for all sorts of general and specific info just look under Photography tab for Stalking! Let me know what you think - I am afraid the site deals mostly with ID of European butterflies....

http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/index.htm

Newly emerged butterflies often settle for a reasonable period and make a good subject. Early in the morning doesn't seem to work for me, I've been out an hour after dawn only to see things racing across the downs as if it were midday! Quite a good tactic, that requires some patience, is finding a favoured nectaring spot, get positioned so you can get to a number of possible landing sites and wait. This can produce excellent results if you have the time. Dull weather can also sometimes yield results, butterflies move less often, and once you find them they'll be an easy target, even better if the sun then comes out from behind a cloud with your subject positioned perfectly in the viewfinder