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.

Scratchings

Is it really June? Infact is June nearly over? I can't recall many opportunities for photography so far this month so I've been scratching about when I have had the chance.

One positive from the last few days is Cuckoo. I can't seem to go anywhere without hearing them and yesterday I saw three, two of which were sitting in the same tree and what lens did I have? Yes you guessed my macro lens, The one on its own was sitting in a tree which I walked below on a footpath and got directly underneath it, it was about 30 feet above me before it saw me and flew off. Cracking sights.

I have managed some bird photography including a few nice shots of Common Whitethroat and Reed Warblers.

Whitethroat.

Reed Warbler.

The two bottom shots of the Warblers are obviously a fledgling and it being fed. The light was poor and difficult so I am not overly pleased with the results but it shows good behaviour.

I managed a Pied Wagtail too.

and a pair of GCG's from a little distance,

However my highlight of this post are the following shots of Banded Demoiselle which I got on Wednesday. I spent an age photographing them  and got soaked once again in wet grass but they are much much better than my recent posting and I am really chuffed with some of them.

The green ones are the females which I'm sure you all knew. These are all taken with my Tamron lens again, It has amazed me.

I also got another Dragon fly for the year but it was with my 600 and from a distance with the sun behind it so excuse the quality.

Four Spotted Chaser.

Its forecast rain for the next few days which is just as well as I've had a minor op on my leg and been told not to walk too much so if I had to lose days I'm glad they are wet ones. Oh yeah another un-photographed highlight of the week was watching a rather large Grass snake sunning itself on a pile of old grass cuttings at Bodenham lake. I couldn't get a shot of it though as it saw me when I moved towards it and was off. It brought back memories of a great day spent with Chris G at a spot in Derby when we watched and photographed one swimming, I believe Chris has a few shots of it on his website if you want to look, http://www.wildlife-imaging.co.uk/

Thanks for looking, click for larger images.

More Bugs

The beauty of bugs is that the weather doesn't have to be brilliant. There have been occasions over the last few weeks that if I had only been interested in birds I'd have been sat at home with my camera and lens still in their bags.

I have got soaked to the skin over the last week or so walking through wet grass etc but I have still been able to take the odd shot. Don't get me wrong sunshine is and always will be the best ingredient for excellent photography, but as I'm not out to win plaudits or awards I manage without.

So regular trips out with a small lens have been very enjoyable. I am going to surprise some of you now, as I have surprised myself, the majority of these shots have been taken with a lens that cost me very little, infact it was part of a package I got when I bought my 300D back in 2007. Its a Tamron 70-300mm macro. It is an excellent lens. I appreciate its not got the lens quality of a Canon but it allows me to get stuff from a little further away. I like it.

Black Tailed Skimmer (fem).

I'd never photographed the female before, this is a beautiful specimen isn't it? Yet a couple of days later I got this rather less impressive pic of one, I presume its the same species at a slightly different stage.

I also got this Cinnibar moth/

and some lovely bugs, this is a Cassida Rubiginosa.


I managed to see and photograph a fantastic occurrence, I watched three Damselflies caught in a spider web, I watched the spider paralyse them all then wrap one up and drag it to its lair.

A fantastic spectacle to observe.

I got this picture which I really like.

Its another Chrysopa Perla lacewing, truly delicate little bug.

Lots of Hoverflies around, this is a particularly nice specimen, Volucella pellucens.

The star of the show this time though was this Spotted Crane Fly.

I've got a relative that looks like that.

Just Bugs

No real story this posting, I went to a spot just outside of Hereford got soaked to the skin crawling around on my hands and knees but got some nice shots in challenging conditions.

Start with Banded Demoiselle.

Then a couple of flies.

This one is called Chrysops caecutiens





















This one is Greenbottle.

as is this,

This was the star of the show for me, a Scorpion Fly

I can't recall ever having seen one before so I shot lots and lots of frames.

There was another one that I couldn't recall having seen, Snipe Fly.

The first one is clearly on my tripod, a large fly I think you would agree.

The sweetest thing I saw though was a Mayfly

I think it's an Ephemera Danica.

I got a shot of a Yellow Dung fly, I have looked at it lots of times, I can't decide if it's great or not, I am erring on the side of it being great.

All in all, I had a great day, I saw lots of species that I hadn't seen before, at least up close, and managed a few shots I really like.