Nature Notings...

Today, during my walk with mutt I observed... Iridescent pollen beetles on thistle flowers.

Privet flowers, with their not-so-pleasant distinct aroma, which reminded me of the long summer days playing in my childhood neighbourhood.

Lords and ladies that had gone to seed.

Nice, new, neat future butterfly nurseries.

Butterfly nurseries where the kids had taken over.

And a vivid blue male small damselfly which finally sat still for just long enough to be photographed.


Who says nature isn't interesting?!

Victim of the Storms

For one reason or another I hadn't taken mutt for a walk in our local park since Thursday last week, and so I had quite a surprise when I set foot through the gate again yesterday. Between the two visits, we had had yet another of the 'confused' Gulf Stream storms, this one striking during the early hours of Saturday morning.
Where once a majestic beech tree had stood guard over the emerging Lords and Ladies around its base, there was instead a wind-cleared vista over scraped bare earth.
The Peyps Walk tree had become a victim of the storms.

The clear-up process was well under way by yesterday but it was obvious there was more to why this naturally shallow-rooted beech had succumbed.

It wouldn't take a genius to work out that the tree had been suffering with disease, and having chatted to the estate workers, it appears this towering 100 year-old had already been given the green spot of condemnation. Sad as it is, these things happen when specimens get to the end of their life. However, even during the lying in state, it was able to put on one last unusual display.

Each severed limb revealed a beautiful design, as if it had been tattooed, and with every one different.
Ink blot interpretation of these disease stains was about to come into play.

Could it be a pansy?... A butterfly?...

...wait a minute, is this possibly the face of a bulldog?

...and this, a border collie pup?

Whatever your interpretation, what I actually see is a changing landscape and the prospect of a new sapling filling the gap.

It isn't always bad.

Feeling Hot?

We mustn't complain about the heat as finally we are experiencing a touch of summer. However, my biggest issue right now is keeping mutt cool, and today, on a day when I heard that yet another dog owner had left their pet in the car for two hours (?!!!) and then dashed to the vet to ask if they could help their already dead dog (!!!), I was, as always, mindful of mutt + car.

However, I did venture out in the car on a 10 minute drive with the windows wide open, to get to one of my favourite walks, knowing that most of the walk is along tree-lined bridleways, and in the relative shade.

Along the walk, I pass the little meadow corner where back in May I observed the emerging leaves of the common spotted orchid and vowed to return to see it in full flower.

Fail!

By the time of this visit, it had already gone to seed, just like at the grass surrounding it. Then I realised how time had whizzed by since I was last at this little corner of nature heaven.
Still, the knapweed (above) was dazzling and playing host to the pollen beetles, butterflies flitted, sometimes even as conjoined couples, bees buzzed and crickets chirped. From the trees, the calls of the yellow hammer and the chiff-chaff punctuated the amazing hum coming from roasting grass around me. By now, Mutt had retreated and flopped under the shade of the surrounding trees, whilst I took in the view again. No longer all green as it was in May, but instead, a sandy tinged meadow, a sure sign of the summer progressing.

Simple pleasures.




Please do be aware during this spell of high temperatures, dogs can quickly die in hot cars.

Havergate Ahead...

Just time to get washed and brushed up, ready to...

hop over to...

Havergate Island, to tutor on the next weekend of photographic discovery...

where visitors can get up close to the laid-back Havergate hares and resident birds.

An overnight on the island will hopefully allow shots at golden hour, and some time the next day to

  explore the flora...

and fauna...

before heading off back home, having left only footprints...

and taken only pictures and memories.

An exhibition of photographs and paintings by visitors and tutors from the Havergate Season will be held at
Aldeburgh Music's Pond Gallery, Snape Maltings, Suffolk.
(Thursday 5th September to Wednesday 11th September)

Bonking Beetles

How wonderful it was to get back out into the countryside yesterday for a nice long walk with mutt. Despite the moisture-laden air and the extremely muddy conditions underfoot, we took off on one of our favourite walks. Slugs and snails were immersed in puddles, a few ringlet butterflies did their best to dance above the ox-eye daisies and wasp beetles crawled over the damp flower heads in search of pollen. However, I watched one critter which was completely oblivious to the conditions we have struggled to call Summer.

It was business as usual for Rhagonycha fulva or the soldier beetle. A common sight on the umbellifer flowers of cow parsley during June and July, their behaviour has earned them the nickname 'bonking beetles' - for obvious reasons. This is all part of the circle of life for these 11mm long, orange-red coloured beetles as they often come to a sticky end - as a food source for Enoplognatha ovata

The comb-footed spider, with a 6mm long body will prey on flies and small insects. This particular variant flashed its magenta-red body stripe, and displayed a well stocked larder of flies and an unfortunate soldier beetle. Here, the dehydrated carcass resembled a sun-dried tomato but this formidable arachnid would need to be alert.

Panorpa comunis or the scorpion fly was on the prowl. With a 35mm wingspan, this fly scavenges on dead insects and can often be found stealing from the webs of spiders. Earning its name from the shape of the males tail, which curls over in a scorpion-like fashion, it is in fact, completely harmless and doesn't sting.

So, whilst mutt and me toddled off home for a lovely cuppa, the soldier beetles who had appeared to have survived the hedgerow gang-warfare, for now, toddled off on their merry way for a spot more bonking.

Beautiful May

Why do I love this time of the year so much? Well, when the sun shines, the stunning array of colour, blossoms and insects is just a riot worth joining, and that is exactly what I did this morning.

Waking up to a blanket of mist, there was a feeling of anticipation as I ate breakfast that it would just burn off - and sure enough, it did. Rather than just the usual walk around the park, I took off to one of my favourite local walks in the woods. On the way I passed along the chestnut avenue, the road verges lined with cow parsley (hopefully the council won't come and cut it all back!) Admittedly both the candles and cow parsley were not as big or blousy as I have seen them on previous years, but a stunning sight none the less.

The field where I had watched the hares in the snow earlier in the year, now a blanket of yellow, edged by more cow parsley and punctuated with bushes covered in May blossom. Wheat fields were lush after the generous helping of recent rain, tram-lines still visible and graphically criss-crossing from side to side.

Arriving at the woods, I was able to sit quietly on a log under fresh green leaves, still yet just a light canopy and allowing the sun to gently dapple the last few bluebells left under the trees. Mutt, on her lead and now used to being a photographers assistant, sat quietly beside me as I used her as an extra pair of ears. She would hear any movement from the deer before me but today, not a glimpse. They no doubt were glimpsing me as they protected this years off-spring nestled somewhere in the undergrowth.

Butterflies flitted from flower to flower, the orange tips not sitting still long enough for me to catch a shot, small whites and speckled wood butterflies being more willing subjects.

Slugs, however were still in abundance!

As I sat, listening to the bird song, (the chiff chaff and the chaffinch seemingly shouting the loudest) I thought of what really makes May the best. From beginning to end, it has to be the flowers. Starting with the smaller ground-dwelling flowers such as bluebells, wild garlic, buttercups, cow parsley, and campion, up to the hedgerows and blossoms of chestnut candles, hawthorn, lilac, wisteria and laburnam- to name a few.

Add to that a drop of sunshine, as today - perfect!