The Good, the Bad, and the totally devastating.

The Bad weather has largely stayed with us although, as I type this, there is glorious sunshine lighting up my back garden. Three days in Chester could have made things bad too other than for the fact that I managed to stop at a reserve at Prees Heath, near Whitchurch in Shropshire which is the last Midlands stronghold of the Silver Studded Blue butterfly. I also had a visit to Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB reserve about 10 miles from mums towards the Wirral, with my brother Alan.

I have had some cracking shots this week, I am really chuffed with my photography, starting with some Grasshopper shots which I think are possibly my best ever.

Both were caught at Prees, I had a great time there although the sun was only peeping its face through the clouds occasionally. I got my first ever picture of a Small Heath butterfly, I can't recall having seen one before either so that was a bonus.

The star of the two visits to Prees Heath was undoubtedly the Silver studded Blue. A stunningly pretty butterfly.

and a real bonus was catching a pair locked together mating,

It really shows the difference between the male and the female, I love this picture. I quite like this next one too.

In addition to the butterflies there were some really interesting Fungi on the heath, firstly is this Puffball. I cannot identify the species other than it could possibly be simply a common Puffball.

secondly there was a fungi that caught my eye in a small group, it has a green colour to it and again I cannot identify it other than possibly The Charcoal Burner, or Grass Green Russula. It was located near to Birch trees.

The trip to Burton Mere RSPB reserve with my brother was a chance for him to impress me with his photgraphy skills and for us to chase dragonflies. We did see Common Darter and Brown Hawker whizzing about the place but didn't get chance to photograph them. I did get a nice shot of a Blue tailed Damselfly

and my first shot this year of a Gatekeeper butterfly.

Alan hasn't had chance to go through his shots yet, he's a busy lad holding down 2 jobs, but when he lets me have a couple we'll see how he's coming along, he did have what looked like a corker of a female Common Blue damselfly on his camera so I'm looking forward to seeing that.

Back to Herefordshire and making the most of the sunshine these last two days I've been out chasing butterflies and dragonflies, with mixed results. The only dragonfly I got was 3 frames of a Common Darter.

I have however had some lovely butterflies, Gatekeeper,

Marbled White,

and an extremely lucky, the only one I saw in over an hour of looking, the beautiful, Wood White.

as you can see he was in very shadowy cover so a bugger to try and process. I have to be honest I wasn't confident of finding one but Haugh Woods (pronounced Hoff) are a stronghold to a good colony. I thought it might be a little late in the year too but lets be honest this is a strange year with things appearing to be all out of kilter. I was really pleased to catch sight and photo this little character.

Its Caterpillar time as well isn't it and this week I've photographed two differing types, firstly Peacock and secondly Cinnabar Moth.

All in all not a bad week. Until the Totally devastating.....I banged my Tamron lens and have completely knackered it, I thought about getting it fixed but I don't doubt that it will cost as much to fix as a new one would cost me to buy, so I'm going to save my pennies and buy another because I think for the money, around 120.00 new, its been a fabulous lens, with the exception of the marbled and wood butterflies all of the shots this week have been taken with it. I have loved the lens the 180-300 macro has enabled me to get good close shots without having to stand right over the subject, I don't doubt it doesn't compare to lenses like the Canon 180 macro but it has given me a lot of joy this last month or so.

Finally, isnt it funny that you go years without seeing, or at least noticing a species of bug, then you get a shot of one for the first time, and suddenly you start seeing them more and more. I posted a shot of a long horn beetle Strangalia maculata in one of the last posts and I've seen a few since, today I saw two mating and managed the following shot, then a little later I saw another all on its own in a different location.

Nice weather apparently for a few days now so hopefully another post soon. Make sure you come back and have a look, and don't forget click on images for larger versions.

Ok, Enough is Enough.

Still the weather continues to play havoc across the country, photographers everywhere have been leaving their kit under the stairs and sitting in their lounges looking longingly out of their patio windows, or is that just me?

I have managed two brief periods of photography this week which have resulted in trying to scrape some interesting stuff together. I have concentrated on butterflies and insects, I am still of the opinion that there are not as many butterflies this year, I have seen only a few, mostly Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Skippers.

I have managed a few nice shots to share with you, firstly Skippers.

Small Skippers.

and Large Skipper.

also a few others, this Comma for a start.

and a Green Veined White,

also a Burnet Moth or two, five spotted.

The insect that I saw that I want to show you is one that I have never knowingly seen before, its called Strangalia Maculata, initially I thought it must be the Wasp Beetle but the colouring was the wrong way round too much yellow and not enough black for the Wasp Beetle, Its a weird thing though isn't it?

The only birds I saw to photograph, when the sun was hiding behind the clouds were a few House Martins collecting mud.

So not a lot to show you but better than nothing, keeping my fingers crossed for a change in the weather soon.

Who turned the taps on?

I think that summer has passed already, strange that last year April was stunning and then the rest of the year a washout. this year it was March wasn't it? I remember stopping and talking to a fellow dog walker in early March and we were both in light clothing and feeling the heat. What is going on?

Well the weather has put a downer on my doing anything much since my last posting. I have had a couple of chances but there has been a definate lack of good opportunity. Just one or two pics to show you.

I have been visiting the Barn Owl site regularly without a single sighting, I have spoken to dog walkers who walk thereabouts and all of them have said that there hasn't been a sighting for nearly 3 weeks. I was there last night until 9.30pm and nothing. I am concerned that maybe the male has been killed in a Road accident. I will keep you appraised. However my being in the area has led me to find a Little Owls nest. I managed a pair of shots the other evening in poor light.

I stood nearby last night and could hear at least one juvenile in the nest calling for food, its a very noisy screeching sound, I am hoping that I may be able to get permission to enter the land and set up a bit of a feeding station as the evening light is just perfect for the spot, when there is some of course.

The only other bird I have taken a shot of recently has been a Pied Wagtail.

I have had a male Sparrowhawk in my garden recently, It's the first time the male has visited. I have had the female on at least three occasions. The Male missed the birds on the feeder and sat on the fence for a while, of course I didn't have the camera set up.


I have been going through my macro stuff and the only thing worth a look is this,

I haven't put a name to it as yet, but I think its a sawfly of some kind.

Hope for better weather so I have something more next time.

I can't stand the rain.

On my window pane...! The words of the song truly summing up my feelings this week. I said in the last post how it was a case of grabbing what few chances I had. That continued this last week.

On Tuesday I got soaked to the skin because according to the weather forecast it was supposed to be grey and dry for Herefordshire, so I went to Haugh woods to see if the Pearl Bordered Frittillery were still out and about and having walked from my car the half mile or so to the spot I was stranded when the skys suddenly changed from blue and grey to completely grey and the skies opened. It poured down, I tried to shelter under a tree to keep dry and for about 30 minutes or so I was quite successful, but then the sheer weight of the rain meant that the branches and leaves gave up the fight and I was getting constantly dripped on.
 Having covered my lens and flash with dog poop bags and put the whole ensemble under my tee shirt I set off back to the car, unfortunately I had to keep resting because of back pain so I was drenched by the time I got back and in absolute agony. I had a change of tee shirt and socks in the car so I was partly dry during the drive home. Bugger me though by the time I had gotten home, showered and changed the sun was out. Typical.

I only managed a shot or two of this Orchid. A common spotted I believe.

When the weather has been kind I've done quite a few bits and bobs, concentrating mainly on small stuff. I find it is more productive. I have done some bird stuff though but nothing sexy. I did catch a sparrow feeding a chick.

House Sparrows of course.

Small stuff wise I have had some great results,

A Dark bush Cricket I believe.

Some cracking Damselfly shots. I believe the first is a Blue Tailed Damselfly and the second a Large Red Damselfly.

This is a White Legged Damselfly I believe.

I also got a real surprise on the hoof as it were, I was driving along a back road making my way to a pond on the outskirts of Ross on Wye when as I passed a roadside disused pond, I saw a dragonfly flying over it so I pulled in and watched and then went to a nearby house to try and get permission to go on the land off the road. I did get such permission. Can you tell me what it is from this first picture? sorry its a bit backlit but I could only get to one side of the pond.

I'll come back to it in a second.

I got some butterflies this week too.
Small Tortoiseshell.

Large Skipper,

and a bit of a scabby Speckled Wood.

I also saw my first Meadow Brown of the year this week whilst out with the dog but no camera.
Back to the Dragonfly, did you get it from the first pic? I'd be amazed if you did, but there is a clue in that picture.

Yes it's an Emperor Dragonfly and the clue was the yellow at the front edge of the wings.

My brother, Alan, has been at it again with his camera in his garden and he has sent me the two following shots. The first is of a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker at his water bowl, although it looks more interested in what's behind the glass.

The second is a Jay also possibly a juvenile picking up peanuts below the feeder.

I am impressed with his efforts and have encouraged him to make his garden more bird friendly and it is paying dividends for him with two species that he wouldn't normally get.

Finally I would like some help with identifying the following. I have absolutely no idea what it is.

Hope the weather improves as I am loving photography at the moment. Click on images for larger versions.