Wildlife mid 2009

[Maggi Young]

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.

Seems so obvious now I've been told.... but I was fooledby the grey colour of feathers in forst pic, didn't think about scale of bird and thought it might be a grey heron! 

[Anthony Darby]

Gunilla, your caterpillar is that of the Grey Dagger moth (Acronicta psi), often found on hawthorn, but generally polyphagus.

Roma, I would suggest a couple of weeks from pupation to adult peacock butterflies. They are single brooded, so butterflies emerging in August won't lay until April/May 2010!

Armin, I have confined the nettle larva to satisfy my curiosity.

[Martin Baxendale]

Long-Tailed Tit chick?

I was, of course, joking.  I've looked pigeons in the eye often enough on my mum's allotment as they stroll casually off before taking flight after kindly shredding the greens for us. But I did enjoy watching a bunch of long-tailed tit chicks cavorting in the 5-metre tall, flower-filled Genista aetnensis outside my first floor window as I worked today. Fantastic colour, glorious scent through the open window and those little fluffy balls with their long tails bouncing around just a few feet away. Then it started p*ssing down again!   

[Gunilla]

Gunilla, your caterpillar is that of the Grey Dagger moth (Acronicta psi), often found on hawthorn, but generally polyphagus.

Thanks Anthony for the identification.  I found it crawling on a cotoneaster.

[Rogan]

"Tipsy fairy rings" ?

Do you harvest mushrooms from the periphery of these rings, as we do here in South Africa, Mark? Mmmm, delicious if you do... 

[Gunilla]

Not much left of the Grey Dagger moth caterpillar today.

[mark smyth]

I've never tried them Rogan. Could yours and ours be the same? In this case they were on a cricket and rugby grounds

[Ragged Robin]

Not much left of the Grey Dagger moth caterpillar today.

Oh dear....very sad after seeing it in all its glory from the first photo you posted Gunilla.  Were there others?

[Gunilla]

I only saw this one but probably there are many more.   You can see that it had time to taste the cotoneaster so at least it didn't die hungry  and spiders have to eat too.

[Anthony Darby]

"Tipsy fairy rings" ?

Do you harvest mushrooms from the periphery of these rings, as we do here in South Africa, Mark? Mmmm, delicious if you do... 

The commonest fairy ring fungus in the UK is Marasmius oreades. As they are only about an inch across they wouldn't but much use except for flavouring soups or omelettes?

Not much left of the Grey Dagger moth caterpillar today.

Oh dear....very sad after seeing it in all its glory from the first photo you posted Gunilla.  Were there others?

These caterpillars tend to be solitary. The spider looks like Enoplgnatha ovata?

[Ragged Robin]

After the rain, snow on the mountain tops.... now the sun is out and the blue butterflies are back, it's good to see them   

I think this one could be Eros Blue (Polyommatus eros)

[Gerdk]

A blackbird bathing in the sun!

Without a telephoto lens normally it is impossible for me to take a pic of bird which is smaller than an eagle. I catched this blackbird when it was nearly powerless while sunbathing.

Gerd

[Ragged Robin]

Wonderful humour and a wonderful shot Gerd!  I know the feeling of things being too far away just at the most interesting moment, professional wildlife photographers must have the patience of Job 

[Anthony Darby]

After the rain, snow on the mountain tops.... now the sun is out and the blue butterflies are back, it's good to see them   

I think this one could be Eros Blue (Polyommatus eros)

Not sure if the black border is wide enough for Polyommatus eros?

[Ragged Robin]

After the rain, snow on the mountain tops.... now the sun is out and the blue butterflies are back, it's good to see them  

I think this one could be Eros Blue (Polyommatus eros)

Not sure if the black border is wide enough for Polyommatus eros?

Any other clues as to which blue Anthony? - much brighter than the blues earlier this year which had a turquoise blue sheen

This BCU of photo 01 shows detail - it's the same butterfly in both photos -  the light changes the colour depending on the angle and I wonder if the veining lines in the forewing wing is unique to each butterfly?