Gallery

Birds and Bees



Sitting Goosander duck
First recorded Goosander nest in Hampshire.
Juvenile Buzzards
Buzzard chicks.
Parasol mushrooms
Parasols in the Park.
Bewick swans
Bewick swans and a Shelduck.
Swan brood
Swan brood on the Troutstream.
On the forest
My two out on the forest.

Most of the photographs in the gallery are included within the main text of the diary. In a similar fashion to the diary all the photos will enlarge if left clicked. All photographs have been taken by myself unless otherwise stated.

Dragonfly
Scarce Chaser dragonfly.
Grey heron
Grey heron


Damselfly
Female Banded Demoiselle.
Great crested grebe
Great crested grebe.
Elephant Hawkmoth
Elephant Hawkmoth.
Goosander brood
Goosander brood making a quick get-away.
Brimstone butterfly on a primrose
Brimstone butterfly, blending in.


Stag beetle
Stag beetle.


Grannom hatch underway
Grannom.
Grannom in full swing
Grannom hatch underway.
Grannom hatch
Grannom hatch.


Snails hibernating above the floods
Snails hibernating above the floods.
Woodcock chicks
Two very well camouflaged woodcock chicks.
Mayfly
Mayfly.


Brimstone
Brimstone.


Brimstone
Brimstone collecting nectar from Burdock.
Painted Lady
Painted Lady feeding from teasel.
Clouded Yellow
Clouded yellow.


Peacock butterfiles
Sun-bathing Peacocks.
Clouded Yellow
Clouded yellow on teasel.
Brown Argus
Brown Argus.


Sharing Hemp agrimony
Gatekeeper and Small Tortoiseshell sharing Hemp Agrimony.
Brimstone close-up
Brimstone.
Silver-washed Fritillary
Silver-washed Fritillary f. valesina.


Ringlet
Ringlet.
Gatekeeper
Gatekeeper.
Small white
Small White.


Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars
Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars.
Green-veined white
Green-veined White.
Red Admiral
Red Admiral on Buddleia.


Butterfly habitat
Good butterfly habitat where we removed willow car.
Good butterfly habitat
Good habitatwhere as in the previous photo we recently disturbed the soil.

The common factor in the areas proving to have the greatest attraction to the butterflies at present is that in recent years we have disturbed the soil and encouraged the growth of high yeilding nectar bearing plants. It may be that the reason for the concentration of butterflies in the areas in question is that many of the plants are deep rooted and able to withstand the recent dry spell continueing to produce nectar. The Clover crop so attractive to the insects earlier in the Summer is now long gone and plants such as; Hemp agrimony, Purple loosestrife, Thistle, Teasel and Ragwort are now the plants of preference. Even Burdock, a plant I have long disliked due to its habit of velcroing itself to anything that comes into contact with it, is proving extremely popular with the butterflies. I may have to change my views of the spiky thing and allow it to remain in greater stands. We have several Buddleia that attract butterflies but as in the case of other invasives we are no longer encouraging its growth. Ragwort is also contentious as we have a legal obligation to ensure seed does not leave our boundaries and where it is likely to do so we remove it. Where it is further from the boundary and unlikely to carry in the wind areas for the insects are left. Its a difficult balance to ensure we do not encourage this invasive but we find disturbed soil is the key. In established grassland Ragwort has difficulty getting root holds, rabbit scrapes and our activities with the machines encourages the growth but eventually the native flora establishes preventing or at least reducing the Ragwort load.




Marbled white Meadow grasshopper

Marbled white and the meadows are full of grasshoppers.

Rich habitat for butterflies Nectar rich flowers Hemp agrimony

Nectar rich habitat perfect for the large number of butterflies with us this summer.

Speckled Wood
Speckled Wood sunbathing.
Small White
Small White.
Speckled Wood
Backlit Speckled wood.

Clouded Yellow
Clouded Yellow on Purple Loosestrife.
Clouded Yellow
Clouded Yellow.
Butterflies on Loosestrife
Clouded Yellow and Small Whites on Loosestrife.

Banded demoiselle
Male Banded Demoiselle.

Small Tortoiseshell
Small Tortoiseshell.
Speckled Wood
Speckled Wood.
Speckled Wood
Speckled Wood.