Wildlife mid 2009

[Rodger Whitlock]

I appologise for the piffle, I shan't bother again.

I take it that means you have reformed and in the future won't be so concerned with "offending" people? Good.

As one hobbit said to another hobbit, factses is factses.

[Roma]

Spotted these yesterday at the edge of a large patch of nettles next to where my ponies are grazing.  The ponies eat nettles though not usually till late summer or autumn so I hope the caterpillars are safe.  I've looked at two butterfly books but am still not sure if they are Peacock or Small Tortoiseshell

[Maggi Young]

I've looked at two butterfly books but am still not sure if they are Peacock or Small Tortoiseshell

Maybe both, Roma? Or is there variation in caterpillar colours as there is in flowers?  Looks like two types to me 

[Roma]

Yes Maggi, I did mean to add 'or both' but was in such a rush to add the pictures before I forgot how to do it, that I didn't finish the sentence.  They should be easier to identify when they get bigger if Ebony doesn't get too ravenous and eat them.  She has a neck like a giraffe when it comes to leaning over fences.

[Maggi Young]

It may  be time to feed her a protein supplement to keep her mind off nettle patches full of caterpillar protein, then    A salt and mince lick, perhaps? 

[Roma]

Haven't seen any around but maybe I should suggest it to Norvite who already do licks to compensate for local mineral deficiencies.
Still plenty caterpillars around 2.30 today but not so many to be seen at 4.30 after heavy rain and hailstones.  Ebony is not to blame as she's got a bit more grass to eat and was shut away from the nettles for the rest of the day.

[illingworth]

We saw this cow moose and her calf in a boggy spot by the side of the highway the other evening as we were driving into town. Luckily I had my camera with me.
Sharon

[Paul T]

Very Cool! 

[ranunculus]

Exceptional image, Rob!

[cohan]

dragonfly....this year being MUCH  drier than the last couple, we arent seeing nearly the numbers of dragonflies, still lots of them, just not so insanely many...lol..so how come the mosquitoes are still in such high numbers???
this shot from a few weeks ago..

[Lesley Cox]

I don't recall if he escaped intact or was eaten in a state of post-coital hunger by his mate.

Perhaps male spiders should learn to offer a (very quick) post-coital ciggie?

[cohan]

We saw this cow moose and her calf in a boggy spot by the side of the highway the other evening as we were driving into town. Luckily I had my camera with me.
Sharon

 nice shots, sharon..
when driving through northern ontario while crossing canada, my sister and her boyfriend explained that they called moose 'night danger', owing to the roadsigns warning of 'Night Danger!' with a picture of a moose silhouette (presumably intending to cross in front of a car)..so we still tend to think--'oh look, there goes a night danger!'..
here the danger is more commonly deer, but there are not as many signs..

[Anthony Darby]

Spotted these yesterday at the edge of a large patch of nettles next to where my ponies are grazing.  The ponies eat nettles though not usually till late summer or autumn so I hope the caterpillars are safe.  I've looked at two butterfly books but am still not sure if they are Peacock or Small Tortoiseshell

Tortoiseshell Roma. Peacock larvae are jet black with tiny white spots.

[Anthony Darby]

Here are the Robin moths as promised.

[Anthony Darby]

Here's some pics of a hummingbird hawk moth taking a pit stop at some verbena on 20-6-09.