Wildlife mid 2009

[mark smyth]

Some children brought this to me today. Do you recognise it?

[Martin Baxendale]

Some children brought this to me today. Do you recognise it?

Long-Tailed Tit chick?

[Anthony Darby]

Pidgin!

[FrazerHenderson]

Colouration is ideal for adult cuckoo (non-hepatic) however ibecause children brought it to you I think that it is Woodpigeon because it lacks the red rim to the eye that is often found on Stock Dove. I suppose here is outside posssibility of Water Rail because of plumage but doubt it some how. I'll plump for Woodpigeon.

[Armin]

Thanks Robin for the comments and sharing same opinion...
Mark, I would say Dove...

More samples...

Malanargia galathea: Marbled White / Schachbrett
- a frequent visitor on my Buddeleia shrubs. Prefers unfertilized meadows and saugers on Knautia and Thistles.
- a quite dark form (maybe a ssp. immigrated from the south?)
Aphantopus hyperantus: Ringlet (?) / Weißrandiger Mohrenfalter (Brauner Waldvogel)
- a quite frequent butterfly prefering high gras of unmown meadows. Always closing wings when sitting. Not easy to get a good picture with open wings. Remarkable, the number of ringlets on the wings can vary in number and arrangement on the wings.
Aglais urticae: Tortoise shell / Kleiner Fuchs
- this is becoming a very rare species here! The first one this year I saw   (not a good shot because of being shy and continiously being attacked by the Peacocks). In my youth I remember it as one of the most frequent butterflies in our gardens. I suspect early mowing of meadows and use of weedkillers (larve eats on nettles!) are the reasons.
Vanessa atalanta: Red Admiral / Admiral
- last couple of year quite frequent. This year rare. Maybe last winters strong frosts killed the pupaes and too less immigrantion from the south this year. Is strongly attacked by the Peacocks.  
Some other insects:
-Centonia aurata (Rosenkäfer)
-Eristalis tenax (Mistbiene)

[mark smyth]

This was going to be clue 2. Anthony and Frazer you're good

[mark smyth]

And then this

[mark smyth]

and finally

[Armin]

Lovely butterflies Armin. Is your Peacock on the ground upside down?

Mark, you are a pretty good observer.  
Yes, I turned the picture by 180° degree for a better view.

[Ragged Robin]

a quite frequent butterfly prefering high gras of unmown meadows. Always closing wings when sitting. Not easy to get a good picture with open wings. Remarkable, the number of ringlets on the wings can vary in number and arrangement on the wings.

These butterflies flit over the meadow flowers and grasses and hardly ever seem to rest but I think their dusky brown colouring with the rings on their wings is wonderful especially against a light colour - I have never managed a shot like yours Armin with the wings open - now there's a challenge 

Benefiting from your detailed ID's thanks!

[mark smyth]

Thanks Armin.

[mark smyth]

Tipsy fairy rings

[Armin]

a quite frequent butterfly prefering high gras of unmown meadows. Always closing wings when sitting. Not easy to get a good picture with open wings. Remarkable, the number of ringlets on the wings can vary in number and arrangement on the wings.

These butterflies flit over the meadow flowers and grasses and hardly ever seem to rest but I think their dusky brown colouring with the rings on their wings is wonderful especially against a light colour - I have never managed a shot like yours Armin with the wings open - now there's a challenge 

Benefiting from your detailed ID's thanks!

Robin,
indeed a bit challenging - it took me some couple of minutes of motionless and quiet to get good shots with open wings of them.
In the Alps there are several very similar looking specimen... another challenge for proper identification! Good luck!

[Paul T]

Thanks all.  Glad you enjoyed the pics.  mark, I have never seen other colour forms of either of our Rosellas before.  They look really weird!!    I just don't think of them being bred in captivity, but of COURSE they are when I think about it.  Thanks for the links.... totally unexpected colours from them I must say, particularly the silver form of the crimson.

Thanks to everyone else for their pics.  The butterflies are amazing.  

Interestingly Mark, even I would have guessed a pigeon for that eye.  I don't know what else you have there similar in eye, but here that eye could only really belong to a pigeon.  The little feathered rats infest people-inhabited places here as well, although not in the numbers that you see in travelogue shows overseas.   I just love the various colours in them, particularly the shimmers of electric greens and purples.

[Armin]

Tipsy fairy rings

Mark,
concede now!   You've spread fertilizer and gave extra water