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Image of the Day Archive & Upcoming List

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Date: 21 Jan 2009
View: D3A_20090101_1157_011 fb2 Jay.jpg
Description: On dingy new-years day we left the cameras on all day and were rewarded with an assortment of jays of which this is one.

Date: 20 Jan 2009
View: D3A_20090101_1620_072 fb2 Blackbird female.jpg
Description: Still mainly the male blackbirds at the photo sites though we see a reasonable mix when out and about, so this shot of one of the 'girls' gets her outing.

Date: 19 Jan 2009
View: D3A_20090102_1434_102 fb2 Squirrel.jpg
Description: A Squirrel still about practicing it's innocent 'what me?' look as it chews everything it can reach.

Date: 18 Jan 2009
View: D3B_20090101_2324_145 fb1 2 Fieldmice.jpg
Description: Not sure how to interpret this one, so write your own caption!

Date: 17 Jan 2009
View: DC1_20090102_1007_022 Muntjac deer female bounding along bridleway fence.jpg
Description: Some unexpected morning sunshine tempted us out, and this female muntjac took one look at us from 100m or so away and off she went. Unusual to see all 4 tiny hooves at once.

Date: 16 Jan 2009
View: DC1_20090102_1249_081 Fieldfare in Windfall apples.jpg
Description: Apart from flying overhead or in distant trees we typically see fieldfares in flocks of 30 to 100 tucking into the windfall apples that we now deliberately leave for the wildlife. A few apples moved to a more photographable spot tempted this bird.

Date: 15 Jan 2009
View: DC1_20081228_1034_041 Robin in Blackberry thicket.jpg
Description: On a freezing winter day this robin watched us hopefully in the sunshine sheltered from the wind by a blackberry thicket. More sense than us then, trudging around in the biting wind.

Date: 14 Jan 2009
View: D3A_20081226_1618_018 fb2 Rook lifting log.jpg
Description: Once again a rook is caught in the act of re-arranging the site.
This is the previous occasion from April 2008:-

Click for Image

Followed by the one taken on Boxing day 2008 and show an amazingly similar stance and technique.

Date: 13 Jan 2009
View: D3B_20081226_1718_030 fb1 2 Fieldmice eating side by side.jpg
Description: A really sweet pair of fieldmice.

Date: 12 Jan 2009
View: DC1_20081221_1053_029 Buzzard in flight (web crop).jpg
Description: For just a few minutes the sun broke through the clouds luring us outside. We were lucky that our 'noisy' buzzard chose this moment to make a lazy flyby against the clouds and a patch of blue. The lack a thermals provides a more active view than the usual hanging in the updraft.

Date: 11 Jan 2009
View: P34_20081217_1416_178 Sundog to East (web crop).jpg
Description: We have a bit of a 'thing' about 'sundogs' but this one was particularly intense and only lasted a minute or two as a streak in a largely grey sky.

Date: 10 Jan 2009
View: D3B_20081223_1542_117 fb1 Magpie.jpg
Description: A magpie nearly filling the width of the frame showing off it's iridescence.

Date: 09 Jan 2009
View: D3B_20081226_1743_038 fb1 2 fieldmice (crop 1).jpg
Description: A surprising frequent juxtaposition of two mice - one on the ground eating while another on the log looks down at it.

Date: 08 Jan 2009
View: D3A_20081219_0738_016 fb2 Blackbird male.jpg
Description: There are now a pair of blackbirds at both photo sites although it is the males that currently appear regularly.

Date: 07 Jan 2009
View: D3B_20081219_2111_129 fb1 Fox (crop 2).jpg
Description: After a long break a fox put in an appearance at one of the good quality cameras, but the head was partly out of frame at the left, hence this 'creative' interpretation of the nose-to-ground investigation of the world in a way humans can't even imagine.

Date: 06 Jan 2009
View: DC1_20081220_1108_012 Bullfinch in Blackberry & Elderberry hedge.jpg
Description: Bullfinch in the hedge along the Bridleway to the North of our patch. The shrivelled remains of the blackberries are still an attraction, and the leaves seem to have survived the recent frosts.

Todays image (view it Here)

Date: 05 Jan 2009
View: DC1_20081220_1311_242 Squirrel eating Hawthorn berry.jpg
Description: A squirrel paid a visit to the hawthorn trees (decades overgrown hedge) near the house and spent 10 minutes after we noticed gorging itself on berries. In shade & diagonally through a double glazed window limits the quality, but it was interesting to see. Notice the Lichen on these old twigs.

Image Archive arch 2009 jan.htm (view it Here)

Date: 04 Jan 2009
View: D3B_20081215_1721_154 fb1 2 fieldmice + ear of another.jpg
Description: A group of 3 fieldmice are often seen together at this site. This looks like a picture of a pair until you spot the ear just showing over the top of the log.

Date: 03 Jan 2009
View: D3A_20081213_1244_067 fb2 Squirrel (head crop).jpg
Description: Contrary to popular belief, squirrels don't hibernate but build a better insulated dray and limit their outings to short forays on warmer days. This one was picking over the offerings at about mid-day.

Date: 02 Jan 2009
View: D3B_20081218_2010_050 fb1 2 fieldmice leaping off log.jpg
Description: Fleeing, playing or whatever we have no idea, but they do it with huge energy.

Date: 01 Jan 2009
View: D3A_20081212_1039_004 fb2 Robin flying from site with corn grain.jpg
Description: Robins appear wherever we go. We like the Joie-de-vie with which this one is carrying off a single corn grain - something to emulate for the new year.

Image Archive arch 2008 dec.htm (view it Here)

Date: 31 Dec 2008
View: D3A_20081207_1910_092 fb2 Upright rabbit with fieldmouse in front of it (web crop).jpg
Description: On 17 Dec 2008 we showed you a rabbit and mouse with the comment
'Obviously rabbits are not frightened of mice, unlike the proverbial Elephant.'
However looking at this image maybe its not true for all rabbits.

Date: 30 Dec 2008
View: D3A_20081209_1403_051 fb2 Robin picking grain out of cleft in log.jpg
Description: Another mini-feast for the robin.

Date: 29 Dec 2008
View: D3A_20081210_1452_010 fb2 Great Tit.jpg
Description: We haven't shown you a Great Tit for 6 months, and this one put in a nice appearance.

Date: 28 Dec 2008
View: D3B_20081210_0326_187 fb1 2 fieldmice nuzzling on frosty log.jpg
Description: The chilly weather doesn't seem to reduce the fieldmouse ardour. Its 3:26 a.m. as well!

Date: 27 Dec 2008
View: P34_20081204_1034_138 Lichen on young Oak tree at Round Pond (web crop).jpg
Description: As we walked down to the corner of the plot this bright green display in the sunshine caught our eye, so we have tried to capture the un-seasonal green.

Date: 26 Dec 2008
View: P34_20081211_1511_169 Full moon (largest for 13yrs) over trees to East (web crop).jpg
Description: The moons elliptical orbit brings changes in it's distance, and we hear that this cycle brought the closest (therefore largest) full moon for 13yrs. Not that we knew this when we photographed it at 3:11 p.m. - it just looked appealing hanging in the sky.

Date: 25 Dec 2008
View: Bird Montage from top left - Osprey+Skylark+Red Kite+Sparrowhawk+Little Owl+Short-eared Owl+Tawny Owls.jpg
Description: A little Christmas day special.
This year has been exceptional for Dragonflies and Raptors, so here is a little montage of birds:-
OspreySkylarkRed Kite
 Tawny Owls 
Short-eared OwlLittle OwlSparrowhawk


Date: 24 Dec 2008
View: DC1_20081206_1050_011 Bluetit on vertical wall by upstairs hall window (tight crop).jpg
Description: Give a bird a bit of rough rendering and the more agile will happily walk straight up a vertical wall.

Date: 23 Dec 2008
View: DC1_20081206_1234_104 Buzzard circling over south sloping field to N.jpg
Description: A few minutes after yesterdays crow & buzzard montage the buzzard came back. Despite the air temperature of about 5C it was sunny and it was rising slowly in a thermal over the South sloping field to our North. We were quite surprised that this near the winter solstice even the midday sun had this much heating effect.

Date: 22 Dec 2008
View: DC1_20081206_1227_052+056+058 Buzzard looking back at harassing Carrion Crow mirrored montage.jpg
Description: This montage shows a buzzard being chased away from our patch by a one of a pair of carrion crows that have bred here for the last 2 years. Images are left to right over a second or two. Shortly afterwards (out of photographic range) the buzzard turned the tables and the crow took refuge in a distant tree.

Date: 21 Dec 2008
View: DC1_20081204_1523_127 Muntjac deer male struggling to eat windfall apple.jpg
Description: Awful quality in shade in the half dark through a window, this male muntjac deer spent a couple of minutes trying to down this windfall apple, but he did succeed.

Date: 20 Dec 2008
View: DC1_20081202_1402_061&062 Fieldfare in Flight Montage.jpg
Description: Flocks of fieldfares are about but very wary of humans, so we were lucky to get close enough to this one 'out in the open' to catch it departing.

Date: 19 Dec 2008
View: d3b_20081130_2152_103 fb1 fieldmouse leaping acrobatically.jpg
Description: Although a little blurred by movement and distance the acrobatics of this little fellow could not be resisted.

Date: 18 Dec 2008
View: D3A_20081126_1535_038 fb2 Robin after take-off with wing blown debris.jpg
Description: As the robin takes off some corn grains and a fallen leaf go flying as well.

Date: 17 Dec 2008
View: D3A_20081128_2100_055 fb2 Fieldmouse and rabbit.jpg
Description: Obviously rabbits are not frightened of mice, unlike the proverbial Elephant. (But see also the image for 31 Dec 2008.)

Date: 16 Dec 2008
View: DA1_20081126_1643_014 Tawny owl on Raptor perch (web crop).jpg
Description: A little owl stopped for a few minutes on this perch, which spurred us to set up a pre-focussed flash configuration at an openable window in the hope of catching the next image. In one of those 'it never happens' moments the same evening a pair of tawny owls showed up and the new kit worked! The 'red eye' effect is the same as in human pics the flash is close to the camera - we decided not to tamper with the images.

View: DA1_20081126_1642_012 2 Tawny owls on Raptor perch (web crop).jpg
Description: A pair! The Tawny owl box has been up for a year - all we can do is hope and wait.

Date: 15 Dec 2008
View: DC1_20081127_1103_103+102(right)+104(left) Kestrel on bends road sign viewed through hedge montage.jpg
Description: The same bird as yesterday spent a minute or two on a road sign right next to the road with lorries etc. going by only 3m or so away. These images were taken through a less dense patch in the track-side hedge. We lost sight of him the moment he flew.

Date: 14 Dec 2008
View: DC1_20081127_1051_049 Kestrel in flight overhead.jpg
Description: A Kestrel flew about overhead. No doubt any mice out of their holes bolted to cover.

Date: 13 Dec 2008
View: DC1_20081125_1321_157 Sparrowhawk male in flight low over fields in cold North wind (web crop).jpg
Description: A biting north wind limited the birds and us to short forays. The birds were all trying to keep near the ground - even the corvids. This sparrowhawk swooped by us skimming over the ground so close to it that it's shadow is only just offset.

Date: 12 Dec 2008
View: D3B_20081122_2322_082 fb1 Fieldmouse with whiskers contrasted with apple.jpg
Description: The apple and mouse make an interesting juxtaposition and show up the whiskers.

Date: 11 Dec 2008
View: D3A_20081116_2043_026 fb2 2 Rabbits head to head down in leaf litter.jpg
Description: Ear-Ear (sorry)
We never know what is going to go down well, and we only included this in our weekly assortment email on a whim. But we got enough feedback that we thought we would include it here as well.

Date: 10 Dec 2008
View: D3B_20081121_2106_154 fb1 2 Fieldmice.jpg
Description: A little domestic contentment in the Fieldmouse family.

Date: 09 Dec 2008
View: D3B_20081118_1559_015 fb1 Fieldfare (web crop).jpg
Description: A few weeks ago Redwings and Fieldfare arrived together but we mostly saw Redwings. The balance of Fieldfares to Redwings has been restored to its usual 10:1 in favour of Fieldfares. Here a fieldfare visits at dusk.

Date: 08 Dec 2008
View: P34_20081119_1622_934 Orange clouds overhead at sunset.jpg
Description: At sunset the puffy white clouds over the whole sky turned to candy-floss pink. This is pretty much the sky and cloud colours we both remember.

Date: 07 Dec 2008
View: P34_20081120_0857_973 Red Admiral butterfly feeding on Viburnum flower.jpg
Description: A very late appearance of a Red Admiral butterfly enjoying the sunshine on a flowering Viburnum. It might be the one we raised indoors, but really don't know as we didn't mark it - see the archive for 3 Nov 2008.

Date: 06 Dec 2008
View: D3A_20081116_1347_006 fb2 Jay with corn grain in beak (web crop).jpg
Description: The Jays made another afternoon appearance. They are so photogenic we couldn't resist another, this time a portrait. Note the haze of feather over some of the blue.

Date: 05 Dec 2008
View: DC1_20081119_1213_244+246+248 Kestrel female taking food from talon in flight Montage 1+3+4 of 5.jpg
Description: This Kestrel went down in the grass and lost site of it. When it took off and we picked it up in the camera just as it was pulling a piece of the prey from it's talon. The pictures are sequenced top right to bottom left. In the last it still has some left in its talon, and it went on to eat that a few second later.

Date: 04 Dec 2008
View: D3A_20081112_1554_010 fb2 Rook portrait.jpg
Description: Not often you manage to appreciate the lovely sheen on a rook.

Date: 03 Dec 2008
View: D3B_20081113_2347_065 fb1 2 Fieldmice with back to camera.jpg
Description: Did we say something to upset you?

View: D3B_20081114_0336_073 fb1 Fieldmouse with peel of red apple.jpg
Description: Apparently not. The red fruit comes from an ancient apple tree in part of the original garden.

Date: 02 Dec 2008
View: D3A_20081109_1415_090 fb2 2 Jays.jpg
Description: Continuing our selection from the 'Day of the Jays', first both of the pair (the bird on the right's beak tip was just out of frame)

View: D3A_20081109_1455_111 fb2 Jay.jpg
Description: ... and here one about to launch into the air.

Date: 01 Dec 2008
View: P34_20081109_1229_863 Pineham Field from field to East (web crop).jpg
Description: During the walk that flushed the Short eared owl, we photographed almost the whole East boundary of our patch. The tall poplar at the back line the track down the West boundary.ÿ You can see the 'double hedge' - the taller one the one we planted and the shorter one the Blackthorn sprouts along the barbed wire and pig-net fence that grew without asking first. We fight to maintain walking & maintenance clearance between the two and a view over the top! The slope is real - not a wide angle lens artifact.

Image Archive arch 2008 nov.htm (view it Here)

Date: 30 Nov 2008
View: D3B_20081108_2201_065 fb1 Fieldmouse climbing on apple.jpg
Description: Entry for twee fieldmouse of the week.

Date: 29 Nov 2008
View: D3A_20081109_1406_088 fb2 Jay.jpg
Description: Until this day Jays had been fleeting views and the odd photo. This dingy and wet afternoon was cheered by a dozen photos of Jays. Here is one of this beautiful bird from the Magpie family - more in a few days.

Date: 28 Nov 2008
View: D3B_20081104_2231_035 fb1 fieldmouse.jpg
Description: Another corn grain becomes a feast.

Date: 27 Nov 2008
View: DC1_20081107_0950_003+004 Great Spotted Woodpecker in Bounding flight (montage).jpg
Description: Montage of Great Spotted Woodpecker in bounding flight (flap like mad for a second or two, then fold wings and coast).

Date: 26 Nov 2008
View: DC1_20081109_0829_006 Muntjac deer female trying to find way back under the fence.jpg
Description: This Muntjac deer obviously knew there was a way through the fence, but couldn't find it because it was at the wrong end of 300m of fence. It spent 10 minutes before finally wandering in the right direction They can jump the fence in a panic, but prefer not to.

Date: 25 Nov 2008
View: D3B_20081103_0035_085 fb1 Field Vole carrying off piece of peel.jpg
Description: Even in worst weather our night-time cameras capture something interesting. Here a field vole carries off a piece of peel.

Date: 24 Nov 2008
View: DC1_20081109_0839_036 Short-eared Owl in flight of grass (web crop).jpg
Description: A tramp across the adjacent field startled this Short-eared owl in the grass perhaps 50m ahead. A new sighting for us here. Apparently they are often seen in daylight. It flew about for a minute or two before departing.

View: DC1_20081109_0839_057 Short-eared Owl in flight.jpg

Date: 23 Nov 2008
View: DC1_20081109_0950_045 Sparrowhawk in Flight (web crop 2).jpg
Description: Its unusual to be able to photograph a flying sparrowhawk against anything but sky, so here is an different perspective against a poplar tree.

Date: 22 Nov 2008
View: DC1_20081109_0954_071 Red Kite in flight showing top of wing.jpg
Description: Surprise first sighting here of a Red Kite. The rooks took a dim view of this 'interloper' and soon chased it off.

View: DC1_20081109_0956_172 Red Kite in flight (web crop).jpg
Description: Light just right to pick up the colours even if the face is turned away.

Date: 21 Nov 2008
View: D3A_20081106_1814_014 fb2 Fieldmouse in mid-leap (vertical crop).jpg
Description: The ridiculous leaping fieldmice are back. There is no way this one could be jumping down from anything, so we think it must be mid-leap from the ground.

Date: 20 Nov 2008
View: D3B_20081103_2327_158 fb1 2 Fieldmice.jpg
Description: Two field mice come out after the rain.

Date: 19 Nov 2008
View: D3A_20081101_0926_046 fb2 Pheasant male head with autumn leaves.jpg
Description: The pheasants are back on a regular basis, at the moment the male mostly visits this site and the female only visits the other. Like the echoing of colours in the bird and the leaves.

Date: 18 Nov 2008
View: DC1_20081031_0830_017 Female Kestrel in Flight.jpg
Description: On Thursday at 06:50 with it barely light we saw from the car a Kestrel hunting over the local road. It flew off as we slowed down & don't know which sex. But on Friday a bright start tempted us out with the camera (until the rising wind at near freezing drove us in) and this female kestrel obliged with a flyby obviously giving us a number of suspicious glances.

Date: 17 Nov 2008
View: D3A_20081028_0649_029 fb1 Chaffinch pair disturbed by approaching magpie.jpg
Description: A little story helped along by a bit of brightening and sharpening of the magpie in the gloom away from the flashgun, but a genuine single frame.

Date: 16 Nov 2008
View: DC1_20081029_1259_025 Pied Wagtail on roof ridge.jpg
Description: The Autumn return of the pied wagtail, this first view on the roof ridge.

Date: 15 Nov 2008
View: D3B_20081026_2023_114 fb1 2 fieldmice one leaping from above (web crop).jpg
Description: Whee ... We really can't work out where he came from and assumed he is mid-leap.

Date: 14 Nov 2008
View: D10_20081029_0906_020 weekly field 29oct08.jpg
Description: The carpet of snow barely lasted a day but this is the earliest we remember snow laying at all and news broadcasts seem to confirm this impression. A corner of the main pond is at the bottom left of the pic, which is a slightly wider view of the 18 year sequence you can find at http://www.vutrax.co.uk/the_field/the_field.htm.

Date: 13 Nov 2008
View: DC1_20081028_0942_009 Osprey in flight with fish (web crop).jpg
Description: Almost a week to the hour since the previous sighting we arrived at the corner of our patch to see an/the Osprey again with another huge fish, this time a little closer to us than before. One of our email group suggests that the fish is a carp. There were a couple of rooks about but not close enough to be in frame.

Date: 12 Nov 2008
View: D3A_20081020_1803_036 fb2 Fieldmouse with drying autumn leaves.jpg
Description: After a rain, out comes a fieldmouse to frolic on the drying soil and leaves.

Date: 11 Nov 2008
View: DC1_20081024_1517_067 Pipistrelle bat in flight with insect in mouth in daytime (web crop).jpg
Description: Almost a month after the last occurrence we saw a Pipistrelle bat in the day time - this time about 3 p.m. The bat has what looks like some sort of fly in it's mouth. Shortly after this it disappeared back into the loft through an 'impossibly' small slit.

View: DC1_20081024_1517_068 Pipistrelle bat in flight (turned 90 left) with tail membrane pulled over mouth (web version).jpg
Description: In this following frame the bat has it's tail covering it's mouth probably adjusting the bite on the fly. It was 'banking' with wings vertical by then, but its so hard to interpret that we have turned the image to 'normal' to help you work it out.

Date: 10 Nov 2008
View: D3B_20081020_0610_149 fb1 2 Fieldmice.jpg
Description: Pairs of creatures tend to make more appealing images than singles, and this is a genuine single frame.

Date: 09 Nov 2008
View: DC1_20081018_1221_020 Black-headed gull winter plumage.jpg
Description: One of many black headed gulls we see fly over. What black head? In the winter they have just the slight black patch behind the eye.

Date: 08 Nov 2008
View: DC1_20081021_1036_038 Osprey carrying fish in talons (web crop).jpg
Description: We don't go on trips to see rare birds, and thought our only sight of an Osprey would be on the TV. This one, complete with classically streamlined fish in talon, flew by about 100m North of our patch. Apparently it had been around the Milton Keynes area for 3 weeks before we saw it on the 21 Oct 2008

View: DC1_20081021_1036_060 Osprey carrying fish in talons chased by rook (web version).jpg
Description: Like the buzzards, the Osprey got the go-away treatment from the rooks.

Date: 07 Nov 2008
View: DB1_20081006_1044_001 Moorhen in Dragon pond iris fronds.jpg
Description: The adult moorhen have largely regained the main pond for themselves, with the youngsters usually tolerated for a while and then chased off.

Date: 06 Nov 2008
View: DC1_20081016_1054_120 Kestrel female in flight.jpg
Description: Harvesting, ploughing and harrowing the in nearby field has attracted the corvids flocks, and the kestrels get a few minutes peace to hunt.

Date: 05 Nov 2008
View: DC1_20081016_1627_141 Collared Dove pair mutual preening on concrete post (web version).jpg
Description: A pair of collared doves canoodling on the top the mains cable post. We seem to have quite a few pairs now, with this pair usually to be found near this post. Who doesn't enjoy a scratch where you can't reach!

Date: 04 Nov 2008
View: P34_20081012_1652_415 Spindle tree fruit detail (web crop).jpg
Description: The spindle tree fruit and fruit case provides the only really strident natural colour clash we know of.

Date: 03 Nov 2008
View: P34_20081009_1616_310 Red Admiral Butterfly Chrysalis hanging from dogwood leaf (web crop).jpg
Description: We found and photographed this beautiful butterfly Chrysalis without knowing the species. Next day we brought it into our insect rearing tank to observe it ...

View: P34_20081015_0833_419 Red Admiral Butterfly emerged from chrysalis through glass tank side.jpg
Description: ... and here is the emerged insect - a Red Admiral butterfly. Released when the weather improved in the afternoon, we saw it around for several days feeding on our autumn flowers. Click to see a Red Admiral top view taken in 2006.

Date: 02 Nov 2008
View: D3B_20081013_1741_052 fb1 Bluetit.jpg
Description: We haven't shown you bluetit for months, but they are now back in prime plumage and regular visitors.

Date: 01 Nov 2008
View: D3B_20081014_0334_080 fb1 Fieldmouse.jpg
Description: The Fieldmice visit both sites every night. You realise these are what you may know of as Wood Mice?

Image Archive arch 2008 oct.htm (view it Here)

Date: 31 Oct 2008
View: DA1_20081011_1432_019 Frog on orchard path.Jpg
Description: We see very few frogs these days, so were rather pleased when this one leapt out of the way of Marie walking down to the greenhouse. All the frogs we see seem to be this light yellow-green colour.

Date: 30 Oct 2008
View: DA1_20081012_1841_049 Pipistrelle Bat in flight.JPG
Description: A Pipistrelle bat in flight at night (see 14 Oct 2008 for unexpected daytime visit). We have discovered yet another loft access hole (that looks too small even for a bat but we have watched them use it). Unfortunately the Long-eared bats didn't show this year.

Date: 29 Oct 2008
View: DC1_20081011_1605_159 Kestrel male juvenile (Q).jpg
Description: We think this must be a juvenile male kestrel but are not very sure. Anyway - why all this hovering nonsense when we can hunt from the phone wires!

Date: 28 Oct 2008
View: P34_20081012_0953_368 Spider in Dewy web in East fence blackthorn (web crop).jpg
Description: The morning was drenched with dew, with hundreds of webs down the 100m east fence now overgrown with Blackthorn. Most of the webs are disorganised tangles but about 10% take some classic form, as here, complete with builder and natural dew.

Date: 27 Oct 2008
View: D12_20081012_1442_060 Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae) (RGB) (web crop).jpg
Description: We put the moth trap out on a misty moonlit night (neither good for catching moths). Something gave the trap a thump in the night and partly knocked the top off, but there were still about 100 moths inside of which this rather attractive iridescent creature took our fancy.

Date: 26 Oct 2008
View: DC1_20081011_1340_066 Buzzard mobbed by over 20 corvids (web crop).jpg
Description: The buzzard (largest bird) was hounded for several minutes by this rabble of corvids until it got high enough on the thermal that they didn't follow. There were no attacks either way - sheer weight of numbers was enough to decide who won.

Date: 25 Oct 2008
View: DC1_20081009_0944_002 3 Jays in flight (Web version).jpg
Description: We are normally pleased to see just one jay fleeing from us, but here 3 flew by some 10's of metres away. The one on the left was not quite so well aligned, so we couldn't resist tweaking his position.

Date: 24 Oct 2008
View: D3B_20081008_0237_088 fb1 2 Fieldmice face to face (web crop).jpg
Description: A little sweetie that is a genuine single frame.

Date: 23 Oct 2008
View: D3B_20081009_0148_162 fb2 Polecat (web crop).jpg
Description: Return of the/a polecat. This is the second of 2 images of maybe/maybe not the same animal, and shows the whole creature.

Date: 22 Oct 2008
View: DA1_20081010_1104_020 Roesels Bush-Cricket (web crop).jpg
Description: In some long grass we came across this cricket, body about 2cm long. One of our e-mail recipients suggests that is a Roesel's Bush-Cricket (Metrioptera roeselii) which seems to be correct and is a new sighting this year for this area.

Date: 21 Oct 2008
View: D3A_20081004_1647_042 fb2 Pheasant male and falling leaf (orig).jpg
Description: The pheasants 'disappeared' when the adjacent meadow was cut. We saw the female a few days ago, and now the male has appeared perfectly judging camera frame and timing for the falling leaf.

Date: 20 Oct 2008
View: D3B_20080929_1853_022 fb1 2 Fieldmice with apples & berries.jpg
Description: Domestic bliss before its even properly dark (NOT a montage).

Date: 19 Oct 2008
View: DC1_20080929_1042_009 Buzzard surrounded by mobbing corvids.jpg
Description: We often mention corvids mobbing of Buzzards, and here is a single frame with the bird surrounded by rooks, and what looks like a Jackdaw persuing it.

Date: 18 Oct 2008
View: P34_20081001_1231_134 Comma Butterfly on Blackberries (web crop).jpg
Description: In a sheltered little bramble thicket a number of Comma butterflies were sunning themselves.

Date: 17 Oct 2008
View: DA1_20080928_1454_002 Southern Hawker Dragonfly male on Hawthorn (web crop).jpg
Description: On the last of the recent warm days this beauty was still on the wing. We last showed you some indoor shots on 5 September - these are a more natural (if technically more limited) views,

View: DA1_20080928_1456_064 Southern Hawker Dragonfly male on Hawthorn side view of upper body (web crop).jpg

Date: 16 Oct 2008
View: D3B_20080927_0253_099 fb1 Fieldmouse jumping on to end of log 1 of 6 (web crop).jpg
Description: Spoilt for choice ...

Date: 15 Oct 2008
View: DC1_20080927_1307_026 Muntjac deer male bounding over field 6 of 7 (web crop).jpg
Description: Several views of Muntjac deer in the past week, this one a male with lovely new antlers. Bounding past us rather than the usual 'away from us' for the female in the image for 1 Oct 2008.

Date: 14 Oct 2008
View: DC1_20080926_1804_140 Pipistrelle Bat in flight before sunset (web crop).jpg
Description: 45 minutes before sunset this single pipistrelle bat spent at least 15 minutes over the ponds and rough grass hunting insects. Good for us for some pictures of a species so small and fast that it is hard to get anything at night, but not so good for the bat who must be very hungry to come out so early. He seemed to get a good feed. Didn't see him/her the next evening.

Date: 13 Oct 2008
View: D3A_20080923_1457_011 fb2 2 Juvenile moorhen among autumn leaves.jpg
Description: On a dingy afternoon we left the photo-kits running and these 2 Juvenile moorhen have discovered the easy-pickings at this site, appearing in about a half-dozen photos.

Date: 12 Oct 2008
View: D3B_20080925_0335_081 fb1 Polecat (web crop 2).jpg
Description: Our last polecat 'sighting' was on 23 Feb 2005 at about 4 a.m and is on the main site in the as Part of the Mammals section
This new one-off image was at the corner of the site where a few days ago we did some work to improve access from the field side. This time it was at 03:35 - maybe their favourite time to be about.

Date: 11 Oct 2008
View: DC1_20080921_1250_405 Ruddy Darter dragonfly male head detail (web crop).jpg
Description: This is the only 'Ruddy Darter' dragonfly we have seen on our patch and was a rather old and darkened individual on possibly his last day with the weather cooling down. He sat quietly in the sunshine on a leaf as we took his portrait and later flew off

Date: 10 Oct 2008
View: DC1_20080921_1240_166+277+292 Sparrowhawk male & rook in aerial dogfight (montage).jpg
Description: The sparrowhawk seem to be getting the same treatment from the rooks as the buzzards and kestrels. Being bigger than the kestrel it puts up more resistance, but not as casually as the even larger buzzard. This is a montage of 3 images (dozens of frames apart - don't try to read anything into the action). The top helps with identification and the bottom two give an idea of the action.

Date: 09 Oct 2008
View: P34_20080920_1523_819 Great Willow herb seed head.jpg
Description: Rafts of Great Willow herb are in seed, looking like thousands of tiny parachutes. It seems that as it opens the seed 'hairs' get stretched out. to form almost panels of silky material before the wind carries them away.

Date: 08 Oct 2008
View: DC1_20080918_1214_235 2 Buzzards squabbling in flight 1 of 9 (web version).jpg
Description: Once high enough for the rooks not to bother harassing them, these disagreeable birds squabble amongst themselves! Love the aerodynamic stress bending the upper bird's primary feathers.

Date: 07 Oct 2008
View: DC1_20080918_1205_090 Rook harassing Buzzard.jpg
Description: At one point on Thursday (same day as this was taken) there were 6 buzzards riding a thermal over the area. But the rooks harassed any at 'low' altitude.

Date: 06 Oct 2008
View: P34_20080914_1022_639 Poppy in field N of Bridleway.jpg
Description: A trudge over our neighbours field found a few items we have not seen on our patch. Among them was just one tiny clump of poppies of which this is one flower.

Date: 05 Oct 2008
View: P34_20080918_1103_744 Speckled wood Butterfly with Hawthorn Berries (web crop).jpg
Description: Speckled wood butterflies are the dominant butterfly species here this year - here on hawthorn.

Date: 04 Oct 2008
View: D3B_20080916_1802_051 fb1 Fieldmouse leaping above field vole.jpg
Description: More rodents doing acrobatics - right at the right edge of the frame. Did the mouse land ON the vole? There is a blackthorn shoot just to the right at the back of the log we suspect the mouse is jumping down from.

Date: 03 Oct 2008
View: DC1_20080915_1308_023 Kestrel female in flight.jpg
Description: The Kestrels are having a bad time with a flock of a few hundred mixed Corvids in the area, and at the moment rarely manage more than a minute or two hunting before being mobbed.

Date: 02 Oct 2008
View: D3A_20080912_2352_079 fb2 Rabbit examining snails on log.jpg
Description: A rabbit is giving this snail a close inspection, but the only risk to the snail is if the rabbit accidentally treads on it.

Date: 01 Oct 2008
View: DC1_20080911_1602_065 Muntjac female (teats visible) bounding away.jpg
Description: The usual response of a Muntjac deer to the first scent or sight of a human is to flee. This one bounding along a well flattened trail in the grass along the hedge. The teats indicate that she is probably feeding a fawn somewhere.

Image Archive arch 2008 sep.htm (view it Here)

Date: 30 Sep 2008
View: DC1_20080914_0948_023 Speckled Wood Butterfly on Buttercup leaf.jpg
Description: We have had huge numbers of Speckled wood butterflies this year for what seems to have been the whole summer. First seen this year 4 June 2008 - about 14 weeks so far.

Date: 29 Sep 2008
View: DC1_20080914_1315_058 Sparrowhawk juvenile (Q) in Flight (web crop).jpg
Description: Think this is a juvenile sparrowhawk doing a one-off pass.

Date: 28 Sep 2008
View: D3B_20080909_2030_018 fb1 Field vole holding peanut in paw.jpg
Description: We 'see' far fewer Field voles than Fieldmice holding food in their paws to eat. Here is a nice example.

Date: 27 Sep 2008
View: P34_20080902_1619_532 Rainbow fragment with perpendicular streaks & lighter only beneath it.jpg
Description: Quite a lot of rainbows lately but this fragment seems interesting. In this intentionally rather dark image you can see streaking perpendicular to the bow, and that the traditional light inside/dark outside of a rainbow is 'lightening inside' rather than darkening outside from the way it cuts off.

Date: 26 Sep 2008
View: P34_20080906_1047_543 Harvestman Spider.jpg
Description: A Harvestman spider, first seen this year in the image for 19 Sep 2008, is this time seen mid-morning on buddleia leaves.

Date: 25 Sep 2008
View: D3A_20080908_1833_085 fb2 Aggressive Magpie.jpg
Description: A rather dynamically posed Magpie threatening we know not what.

Date: 24 Sep 2008
View: D3B_20080907_2223_061 fb1 Fieldmouse landing from leap.jpg
Description: The fieldmice population has exploded over the summer, and the energetic and incautious youngsters are doing their customary acrobatics.

Date: 23 Sep 2008
View: D3B_20080907_0141_109 fb1 Fieldmouse clambering over slug at flooded log.jpg
Description: Reminds us of the Olympic Steeplechase - with water splash and slug for a barrier.

Date: 22 Sep 2008
View: D3B_20080905_2226_042 fb1 2 Fieldmice on flooded log.jpg
Description: These fieldmice are not actually marooned Robinson Crusoe style as it looks - they can jump into their hole from the log.

Date: 21 Sep 2008
View: D3A_20080906_1908_051 fb2 2 Snails on log.jpg
Description: And down came the rain and out come the molluscs (slugs and snails). Here a couple of the latter.

Date: 20 Sep 2008
View: D3B_20080831_0704_061 fb1 Robin threatening (crop 2).jpg
Description: A robin at photo site 1 is constantly aggressive and seem to be willing to threaten anything - in this case a Dunnock out of crop to the right.

Date: 19 Sep 2008
View: D3B_20080829_0344_035 fb1 Harvestman spider on Apple and Fieldmouse on log.jpg
Description: An assortment of creatures including a Harvestman spider on the apple at the left, and a slug on the apple at the right. Oh - and a fieldmouse!

Date: 18 Sep 2008
View: D3A_20080823_1843_053 fb2 2 Jackdaws.jpg
Description: However hard we try, we can't avoid thinking that they are sharing a naughty joke.

Date: 17 Sep 2008
View: D3A_20080827_0754_033 fb2 Green Woodpecker juvenile (web crop 2).jpg
Description: Most years we are pleased to see at least one young Green Woodpecker, but not usually at a photo site. Note the muddy beak - they feed mainly by probing soft ground for invertebrates.

Date: 16 Sep 2008
View: D3B_20080827_2241_121 fb1 Fieldmouse jumping down over slug & ant.jpg
Description: Note the ant on the piece of apple. Sets the scale nicely.

Date: 15 Sep 2008
View: DC1_20080827_1557_017 Buzzard soaring overhead & calling.jpg
Description: We have at least 5 buzzards seen together a few times soaring in the thermals over and near our patch. You would think this was the middle of nowhere rather than a few miles outside Milton Keynes. One or two of them are particularly voluble as here flying directly overhead (guess 20m high).

Date: 14 Sep 2008
View: D3A_20080824_0750_093 fb2 Chaffinches with female or juvenile jumping off log and male with faded beak.jpg
Description: What is probably a pair of chaffinches were seen in a number of images at this site. Note how the blue sheen on the male's beak has now almost gone.

Date: 13 Sep 2008
View: DB1_20080823_0845_029 Adult moorhen & 2 juveniles.jpg
Description: We are now sure that the moorhen have raised 5 chicks to this stage. The juveniles can perfectly well feed themselves, but alternately get given titbits by the parents or half-heartedly chased off. We really don't know whether the parents are sitting on another brood, & don't want to disturb them to find out.

Date: 12 Sep 2008
View: DC1_20080825_1517_035 hobby in flight (web crop).jpg
Description: The 2nd of two new raptor identifications over our patch 3 days later. This Hobby came over a few times in a few minutes, presumably circling round out of sight to the North and East. Spotted momentarily on the top of a concrete post supporting our mains cables the next day.

Date: 11 Sep 2008
View: DC1_20080822_1654_009 Merlin (q) female in flight (web crop).jpg
Description: The 1st of two new raptor identifications over our patch. We wouldn't have known what they were without the photos. On the 22nd August this Merlin did a single brief flyby.

Date: 10 Sep 2008
View: DC1_20080825_1533_056+057 Swallow flying towards insect (montage).jpg
Description: A single Swallow flew over jinking about obviously hunting insects. We nearly missed that in two consecutive images it was flying straight towards an insect visible in both frames. The next frame the insect had gone. Here is an impression of the event.

Date: 09 Sep 2008
View: DA1_20080823_1111_023 Greenbottle Fly on Water Mint.jpg
Description: A visitor spotted that our watermint was covered in these iridescent flies - Greenbottles according to our book

Date: 08 Sep 2008
View: P34_20080823_1342_384 Peacock Butterfly on down of thistle seeds (web crop).jpg
Description: Apparently our plethora of peacock butterflies is not typical this year. This one was basking on a mat of thistle seed down on the ground.

Date: 07 Sep 2008
View: D3B_20080821_2233_119&120 fb1 Huge Slug & another being watched by rabbit (montage).jpg
Description: The slug is elegant in its own way - we don't skimp on the size of our slugs! This is actually a montage to get a better view of the slug from two successive frames a couple of minutes apart, but the juxtaposition is accurate.

Date: 06 Sep 2008
View: DC1_20080822_1115_062 Buzzard in flight.jpg
Description: As the grass re-grows in the field to North & East the Kestrels and Buzzards are taking an interest again. One that consistently calls in flight did a low flyby and a few circles.

Date: 05 Sep 2008
View: P34_20080820_1515_350 Southern Hawker Dragonfly male.jpg
Description: A new dragonfly this week - a male Southern Hawker. Quite a beauty and a strong flyer. Windy out, so no hope of photo in a natural setting, so took some indoors before letting him go.

View: DA1_20080820_1521_020 Southern Hawker Dragonfly male eye detail (web crop).jpg

Date: 04 Sep 2008
View: P34_20080815_0742_284 Great Willow Herb drenched in dew (web crop).jpg
Description: A ridiculously dew-drenched sunny morning about a week ago (images not processed until yesterday) provided this image of one of thousands of Great Willow Herb flowers.

Date: 03 Sep 2008
View: DC1_20080817_1151_001 Swallow about to swoop down from wire.jpg
Description: The swallows continue to delight, and this pair of consecutive images at the start of a session show you top and bottom of the bird.

View: DC1_20080817_1151_002 Swallow swooping down from wire showing top view (web crop).jpg
Description: You don't often see the dark top when in flight.

Date: 02 Sep 2008
View: D3B_20080814_1944_034 fb1 Young robin threatening bird off left (Head crop).jpg
Description: A chaffinch with head just in frame on the original was on the receiving end of this tirade.

Date: 01 Sep 2008
View: D3B_20080815_0701_074 fb1 Yellowhammer male.jpg
Description: An adult male yellowhammer back to looking his best.

Image Archive arch 2008 aug.htm (view it Here)

Date: 31 Aug 2008
View: DA1_20080816_1306_023 common darter dragonfly female.jpg
Description: We brought you another Female Common Darter Dragonfly 11 days ago, but this new set shows the female in a more normal pose.

View: DA1_20080816_1308_050 common darter dragonfly female head detail (web crop).jpg
Description: This is a head-on view of the 'face'.

Date: 30 Aug 2008
View: DA1_20080815_1459_035 Swallow failing to feed young on wires 2 of 4 (web crop).jpg
Description: To our relief the swallows have suddenly re-appeared complete with families to feed. The lighting wasn't too good but we had a go anyway.
In a montage from last year they are seen feeding on the wing:-

Click for Image

This year first effort is easier to see yourself - look for this wherever you see young swallows perched on wire, gutters, TV aerials etc. If you would like a large version as a September 2008 Calendar click on Woodland Trust Calendars

Date: 29 Aug 2008
View: D3A_20080812_1739_015 fb2 Moorhen.jpg
Description: The moorhen have raised 4 chick to nearly adult size, and have started on a new brood on a new nest close to the previous. Here an adult in fine breeding condition comes for late afternoon snack but will have had to have waited for our evening round.

Date: 28 Aug 2008
View: D3A_20080813_1840_065 fb2 Magpie with beak open to eat grain mixed with peanut butter.jpg
Description: Raw corn and peanut butter anybody? His beak isn't really suited to this mix, but he is determined to get it anyway.

Date: 27 Aug 2008
View: DC1_20080814_0857_020 Little owl on fence post near bridleway gate (1 eye obscured by leaf).jpg
Description: The little owl has abandoned his original spoil heap and is using other bare ground & standing on fence posts (where they are 'traditionally' seen). The first image is on a post with the stuck-open bridleway entrance in the background. One eye is obscured by a leaf.

View: DC1_20080814_0912_046 Little owl standing on bare earth in field to N (web crop).jpg
Description: Here he is on his new choice of ground, the owl watching us watching him.

Date: 26 Aug 2008
View: DC1_20080814_1001_033 Buzzard calling in flight (web crop).jpg
Description: A buzzard appeared from nowhere, made a few loud calls that got Roy stampeding out with the camera, and then did a couple of circles at about 15m high before disappearing out of sight.

Date: 25 Aug 2008
View: P34_20080814_0839_204 Knopper Gall (insect deformed Acorn) Seq (web crop).jpg
Description: Huge number of our acorns have become deformed by insect invasion. This type is called a 'Knopper Gall'.

Date: 24 Aug 2008
View: D01_20080810_1354_006 Heron Juvenile at Duck Pond.jpg
Description: A juvenile heron visited the 'Duck pond' and walked around for a few minutes. It was obvious it didn't enjoy the strong wind ruffling the feathers. We didn't see him catch anything.

View: D01_20080810_1357_022 Heron Juvenile taking off from Duck Pond.jpg
Description: He took off in no particular hurry - these two successive frames were taken probably 150 mSec apart.

View: D01_20080810_1357_023 Heron Juvenile taking off from Duck Pond.jpg

Date: 23 Aug 2008
View: D3A_20080810_0621_114 fb2 Robin making awkward landing on end of log.jpg
Description: Most landings are perfect elegance (we could show you dozens a night) but they don't all go as planned.

Date: 22 Aug 2008
View: D3A_20080809_1836_080 fb2 Young magpie cleaning beak on log.jpg
Description: All that sticky fruit pulp needs wiping off?
It's never occurred to us before that maybe birds can't 'wipe their beaks' with their tongues like we 'wipe our lips'.

Date: 21 Aug 2008
View: D3A_20080809_1945_084 fb2 Rabbit shaking out rainfall.jpg
Description: This rainy night (7.5mm in the rain gauge) was soaking the few creatures who decided to venture out. Examining the twisting of various parts and the flying raindrops suggests this rabbit was doing the classic twist and shake to shed some of the wet.

Date: 20 Aug 2008
View: DA1_20080807_1533_047 Common Darter female 2 positioning herself to warm in the sun.jpg
Description: A female Common Darter dragonfly warming herself on the back of a garden seat, positioned herself vertically to catch the sunshine. A newsletter recipient tells us this is called the obelisk position, normally used at midday to keep cool.

View: DA1_20080807_1532_023 Common Darter female 2 head & thorax detail.jpg
Description: A minute or so before the above it was on a stone where we took this close-up of the head and thorax.

View: DA1_20080807_1532_023 Common Darter female 2 eye detail.jpg
Description: ... and from the same frame extreme detail of the eye.

Date: 19 Aug 2008
View: d3B_20080804_0201_097_&_0218_099 fb1 Field Vole + Fieldmouse + slugs and snail (Montage).jpg
Description: The left and right halves of this pic are separated by 17 minutes at 2 a.m. but make an attractive pairing. We haven't seen the vole for some time - the log had been sinking into the ground so that it had not been breaking the beam.

Date: 18 Aug 2008
View: D3A_20080801_0504_047 fb2 Rabbit landing on front paws.jpg
Description: Hope you laugh at this is much as we did. Nothing else animate in the original frame, so no real idea what it's doing.
Practicing for the Rabbit Olympic High-jump, maybe?

Date: 17 Aug 2008
View: D3B_20080802_0525_143 fb1 Robin Chick begging from parent (crop with both birds).jpg
Description: Two views of a young robin begging for food from a parent. First the whole story with an off-focus parent to the right.

View: D3B_20080802_0525_143 fb1 Robin Chick begging from parent (crop on chick).jpg
Description: ... and now a closer look at the chick.

Date: 16 Aug 2008
View: D3A_20080730_0508_038 fb2 Young robin with wing feathers spread.jpg
Description: Nice show of the underwing of one of 'our' developing young robins.

Date: 15 Aug 2008
View: D3B_20080730_2203_147 fb1 Fieldmouse with tail across face.jpg
Description: What must it be like to have a tail you can do this with?
From the position of the left front leg we rather imagine the mouse was caught in the middle of giving it's tail a groom.

Date: 14 Aug 2008
View: D3A_20080729_0515_090 fb2 Pair of Rabbits possibly nuzzling over log like a kissing seat.jpg
Description: Rabbits have now replaced pheasants as the dominant species visiting the camera site 2. This is a genuine single frame of pair of rabbits possibly using the log like a 'kissing seat'. But then maybe we are just too romantic.

View: D3A_20080729_0517_092 fb2 Rabbit and Robin (montage within single frame to bring Robin closer).jpg
Description: This is a bit of a fiddle, but the robin was originally off the edge of the frame (with tail missing) so we moved him across to make a more compact offering. Recently seeing more birds and rabbits together than we are used to - any significance unknown.

Date: 13 Aug 2008
View: d3b_20080728_0005_031&_0014_034 fb1 Fieldmouse and (montaged) snail at fruit.jpg
Description: Fieldmouse and Snail at the Camera 1 fruit stall.
Their visit were actually 9 minutes apart but we could not resist bringing them together.

Date: 12 Aug 2008
View: DA1_20080727_1353_017 Southern Hawker dragonfly Female.jpg
Description: Dragonflies really are incredible creatures. Unlike the one shown a few days ago this is definitely a female. Sexing can be difficult - the colours change with maturity and even with temperature and other characteristics don't appear in photos

View: DA1_20080727_1359_073 Southern Hawker dragonfly Female eye detail.jpg
Description: Here is a head shot with an inset showing the compound eye.
Compound eyes are an array of uni-directional cells rather than lens and retina. Resolution is poor but they have huge angle of view, are lightweight, detect movement quickly, and some detect polarisation (used to navigate by skylight).
More info at Wiki Compound Eye
.
The streaks on the eye in the main image are Moire (artificial digital patterning) effects at the reduced resolution used in these archives.

Date: 11 Aug 2008
View: DC1_20080728_1112_084 Two Buzzards in aerial skirmish 2 of 8 (web crop@624 ).jpg
Description: 2 Buzzards in the same general area inevitably seems to lead to a skirmish. These had several 'goes' at one another over about 10 minutes before they parted ways.

Date: 10 Aug 2008
View: DC1_20080726_1101_004 Common Darter Dragonfly female perched on stick (web crop).jpg
Description: This is the female Common Darter Dragonfly perched on a stick at the pond edge - a favourite way of getting to see them close up.

View: DC1_20080728_1209_167 Pair of Common Darter Dragonflies laying in Dragon Pond.jpg
Description: We brought you a Male Common Darter Dragonfly last year on 21 Sep 2007 - here it is:-

Click for Image

To complete the cycle here are a pair coupled together (male above) coordinating their flight to repeatedly dip the females ovipositor (her tail tip) in the water to deposit eggs. In the original you can see that the water surface tension is still connecting her to the surface.

Date: 09 Aug 2008
View: DA1_20080726_1702_055 Banded Demoiselle Damselfly Male (web crop).jpg
Description: As promised in the image for 2 June 2008 we have tried to photograph the Male Banded Damoiselle. Well some effort brought the luck - here is the beauty.

Date: 08 Aug 2008
View: D3A_20080724_0541_035 fb2 Young robin in flight with body nearing inverted.jpg
Description: Continuing our unintentional 'birds twisting in flight' sequence, this young robin's body is almost inverted with head almost vertical.
'Look mum - upside down flying - ouch'.

Date: 07 Aug 2008
View: D60_20080725_1343_030 Little Owl Stretching.jpg
Description: The Little Owl is still spending hours on the dirt patch. Here he was having such a satisfying stretch we almost wanted to do the same.

Date: 06 Aug 2008
View: DA1_20080722_1626_029 Southern Hawker Dragonfly sex unsure (web crop).jpg
Description: This is a Hawker dragonfly - the largest type. In the words of an old TV documentary we saw a couple of weeks ago, it will kill and eat 'anything smaller than itself'! Our experts differ on whether this is a male or female.

View: DA1_20080722_1624_011 Southern Hawker Dragonfly sex unsure (web crop).jpg
Description: Here is the powerful mouth and segmented eyes.

Date: 05 Aug 2008
View: D3A_20080722_0643_088 fb2 Young Robin with beak touching top of log.jpg
Description: Not seen a robin in quite this pose before. He is probably trying to wheedle a bit of nut from in a crack in the bark.

Date: 04 Aug 2008
View: DA1_20080722_1631_062 Ruddy Darter Dragonfly Male (web crop).jpg
Description: Darter dragonflies are smaller than Hawker Dragonflies. They tend to perch on twig, dash out for a fly round, and then return.

View: DA1_20080722_1636_101 Ruddy Darter Dragonfly Male (web crop).jpg
Description: In this detailed shot you can see it is 'dusty' even over the eyes. When he has warmed up he will probably 'preen' himself clean.

Date: 03 Aug 2008
View: DC1_20080722_1823_010 Little Owl on spoil heap (web crop 2).jpg
Description: Took the opportunity to get a closer image of the Little Owl (see 26 July 2008). It only stressed for us that they are about starling size.

Date: 02 Aug 2008
View: DA1_20080723_1556_070 Banded Demoiselle Female (web crop).jpg
Description: Some more Odonata (Dragonfly like insect) today and at least a couple more alternate days. This female Banded Demoiselle (a larger than average damselfly) is quite different to the male which is blue and actually HAS got bands on his wings. Hope to bring you her 'husband' if we can catch him for some photos!

View: DA1_20080723_1554_035 Banded Demoiselle Female (web crop).jpg
Description: Detail of the head - love the iridescence.

Date: 01 Aug 2008
View: D3A_20080720_1926_096 fb2 Blackbird male with worms + nuts in beak (web crop).jpg
Description: This male blackbird seems to be really going for a 'mixed diet'. We make it 2 worms, a few chips of peanut all mixed up in sticky fruit pulp. Forget the worms and it sounds lovely.

Image Archive arch 2008 jul.htm (view it Here)

Date: 31 Jul 2008
View: D3B_20080716_2034_080 fb1 Yellowhammer Juvenile.jpg
Description: This sweet little feather duster is a young Yellowhammer seen where it's parents come and feed every day.

Date: 30 Jul 2008
View: D3B_20080718_0301_034 fb1 Fieldmouse.jpg
Description: Not seeing so many mice at the moment. This one seems to have found some small piece of peanut (?) and is nibbling away.

Date: 29 Jul 2008
View: P34_20080712_1220_681 Oak marble gall.jpg
Description: Plant galls fascinate us. They are formed by insect parasites, often eggs laid inside the plant which reacts to form a cavity to the insect lavas liking. Eventually the insect bores its way out. In the winter you find the woody galls with the exit holes visible.

Date: 28 Jul 2008
View: DC1_20080713_1634_094 Two Buzzards flying together with one light & other dark underwings.jpg
Description: The book describes Buzzard underwings as 'Variable', almost white to almost black. Have both in one go ...

View: DC1_20080713_0923_009 Buzzard carrying rabbit in talons.jpg
Description: Earlier in the day we were surprised to see a buzzard carrying a whole rabbit. The next surprise is that it didn't set off with it. Instead it flew a few 100m over to a known morning 'thermal' and despite the load circled without flapping and eventually disappeared as a speck in the haze. We imagine it was transporting it back a hungry brood some way away. A few days later without the thermal we saw a smaller load being carried off toward the M1 Motorway.

Date: 27 Jul 2008
View: DC1_20080714_0816_012 Kestrel Female in flight.jpg
Description: Kestrels (the birds often seen hovering over motorways) are wonderful to watch whether hovering or not.

Date: 26 Jul 2008
View: DC1_20080714_0825_066 Little Owl on Spoil heap in Field to North (web crop).jpg
Description: After years of 'absence' a Little Owl (actual common name of species) landed on a spoil heap of prospective stone quarrying going on in the just cut meadow. This little fellow is fully grown & is about the same size as a Starling. He is about 60m away and just sat there for hours with his head turning at least every half minute. Our presence seems to bother him/her not one jot.

Date: 25 Jul 2008
View: D01_20080711_1311_024 Heron walking along bank of Duck Pond with beak open.jpg
Description: The heron visited the 'duck' pond and ate at least 3 Great Crested Newts while we were watching. Considering that we only know he is there by chance we wonder just how many newts he finds - and its been going on for years. They must breed well here to survive this level of predation.

View: D01_20080711_1315_072 Heron clambering out of Duck pond with Great Crested Newt & pond weed in beak.jpg

Date: 24 Jul 2008
View: D3A_20080710_1944_066 fb2 Muntjac Fawn (web crop).jpg
Description: Ahhh. Its too small for a mature adult Muntjac deer so think it must be this years fawn growing up nicely. We see a lot of Muntjac droppings but haven't seen the nervous deer themselves for months.

Date: 23 Jul 2008
View: D3B_20080711_0726_134 fb1 2 young (q) chaffinches squabbling (q).jpg
Description: We think this is a pair of young Chaffinches involved in a typical sibbling squabble.

Date: 22 Jul 2008
View: SC1_20080710_0725_033 Rook in Flight (web crop).jpg
Description: After a day of rain an early bright period saw a lot of corvids out looking over waterlogged soil for breakfast. This rook silhouette with beak and eye rather appealed to us.

Date: 21 Jul 2008
View: D3A_20080708_1911_067 fb2 Jackdaw flying over site.jpg
Description: Jackdaws are powerful flyers and this moment seemed to capture some of it.

Date: 20 Jul 2008
View: DB1_20080629_1233_014 Moorhen & three hopeful looking chicks.jpg
Description: The 5 moorhen chicks are two with the female and 3 with this male. They just lined up nicely for a moment in the pic.

Date: 19 Jul 2008
View: DC1_20080707_1736_019 Lapwing in Flight.jpg
Description: The lapwing and heron flew over the middle of our patch 5 minutes apart, and these were taken from just outside the back of the house. Lapwings are not often seen here, Herons are.

View: DC1_20080707_1741_041 Heron in Flight.jpg

Date: 18 Jul 2008
View: DC1_20080628_1559_251 Swallow and Kestrel male in same frame ignoring each other.jpg
Description: Chance juxtaposition. They basically ignored each other. We weren't going to include this one on this site, but got a request from one of our e-mail group for the original to print and frame, so it obviously has appeal!

Date: 17 Jul 2008
View: D3B_20080703_0507_129 fb1 Chaffinch male in flight (web crop).jpg
Description: The other end of the original is a yellowhammer disappearing out of frame at the right edge of the frame. Don't know whether the chaffinch was seeing off the yellowhammer, or something disturbed them both.

Date: 16 Jul 2008
View: D3A_20080705_0451_036 fb2 Juvenile robin with first few red feathers flapping wings.jpg
Description: A sweet young robin just starting to get it's red feathers.

Date: 15 Jul 2008
View: D3B_20080628_0236_072 fb1 Magpie parent feeding youngster (web crop).jpg
Description: Magpie feeding its 'chick' if you can call that voracious creature a chick. This is nothing wrong with the eye - just a protective membrane probably like us closing our eyes when potential injury is near.

View: DB1_20080628_1358_010 Moorhen feeding 2 chicks (web crop).jpg
Description: All 5 of our moorhen chicks are doing fine with the parents finding plenty of food for them.

Date: 14 Jul 2008
View: DC1_20080628_0856_057 Rook harassing female Kestrel 4 of 7 (web crop).jpg
Description: The kestrels are not having it their own way. Rooks often seem to harass kestrels - here is an example of a kestrel being seen off.

View: DC1_20080628_1559_270 Kestrel male in flight (web crop).jpg
Description: Nice image of kestrel.

Date: 13 Jul 2008
View: DC1_20080628_1612_305 Kestrel carrying off Fieldmouse from cut meadow 3 of 4 (web crop).jpg
Description: All those mouse holes with nothing to disguise them makes easy-feeding for the kestrel.

View: D3A_20080628_0159_054 fb2 Fieldmouse & slug.jpg
Description: The hole near this photo kit is in long grass on our side of the fence so we expect most of them to survive.

Date: 12 Jul 2008
View: DC1_20080626_1014_030 Rooks & other Corvids over newly cut grass.jpg
Description: Also interested in the half-baled field were masses (we guess 200) of mostly rooks turning over the grass for morsels.

View: DC1_20080627_0732_008 Skylark ascending over partially baled meadow.jpg
Description: We assumed it was the end of seeing skylarks over the field but no - he was back to full enthusiasm. He is further away now but still a delight. They have had time for one brood & will hopefully now manage another.

Date: 11 Jul 2008
View: DC1_20080626_1808_049 Kestrel hunting over grass baling machine.jpg
Description: The fields to North and East have been cut and baled. This is of great interest to opportunists like the kestrel. First he followed the machines to catch anything that was forced from cover.

View: DC1_20080627_1016_017 Kestrel pouncing onto prey and eating it 02 of 18 (web crop).jpg
Description: Next morning the kestrel hunted from the tops of the bales - here he is pouncing on some unfortunate rodent (one of many in a sequence we hope to produce when time permits).

Date: 10 Jul 2008
View: P34_20080624_1618_274 All 6 peacocks who visited 24jun2008 (orig).jpg
Description: 2 Days of the Peacocks! 6 peacocks (birds not butterflies!) wandered in from track and stayed for a few hours, elegantly draped over oil tanks, shed tops etc. They came from the hotel 800m from us now under new management - they inherited 11 birds but consider them a nuisance. Next day just 2 males visited, and for the following days none.

View: P34_20080625_1549_359 Peacock male displaying tail not yet fully grown.jpg
Description: Just practicing ready for when his tail has more than 2 'eyes'

Date: 09 Jul 2008
View: D3A_20080623_1738_003 fb2 Pheasant pair mating (orig).jpg
Description: Here is a first - the pheasants mating at site 2 (their favourite haunt). Here he is 'treading' the 'blonde' female. 10 minutes before he was apparently making overtures to the 'brunet' female at the same site - naughty boy!

View: DB1_20080624_1613_008 moorhen feeding chick.jpg
Description: The moorhens have successfully produced 5 chicks from the nest feared would be predated again. Here is the first being fed.

Date: 08 Jul 2008
View: DC1_20080622_1023_115 Swallow over uncut meadow (web crop).jpg
Description: The shimmering back of a swallow flying over a meadow of uncut grasses & buttercups.

View: DB1_20080616_0619_004 Great Spotted woodpecker female.jpg
Description: A surprisingly pristine female Great spotted woodpecker on the peanut feeder crossbar. The youngster has learned how to use the feeders, saving her a lot of work.

Date: 07 Jul 2008
View: P34_20080623_1941_234 Emperor Dragonfly Female hanging on pond grass (web crop).jpg
Description: The Emperor Dragonfly is big with 10cm wingspan and absolutely beautiful intricate body and wings.

View: DC1_20080623_1919_041 Emperor Dragonfly Female Head detail.jpg
Description: Soak in the detail - on the original you can see the segments of the compound eye.

Date: 06 Jul 2008
View: DC1_20080623_1355_016 Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly Male perched on willow stick (web crop).jpg
Description: This is the first dragonfly we have seen here, with beautiful powder blue (and powdery texture) abdomen. It has a wingspan of about 7cm.

View: DC1_20080623_1551_049 Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly Male head detail (orig).jpg

Date: 05 Jul 2008
View: D3A_20080620_0539_023 fb2 Stock Dove.jpg
Description: Expect we have seen them before, but this is the first image of a Stock dove we have thought good enough to keep.

Date: 04 Jul 2008
View: DC1_20080620_1411_165-167 Skylark descending (montage at about 7 fps).jpg
Description: Skylarks descend much faster than they rise. Sometimes they come down in a chaotic flurry of legs and feather, at other times under more control as this montage shows. The birds spacings are fairly accurate (based on positions against the same clouds in different shots) taken at about 7 frames per Second.

Date: 03 Jul 2008
View: DC1_20080620_0656_048 Bullfinch on edge of bird bath with part of flower in beak.jpg
Description: First time we have a decent image of a bullfinch, even if taken through a window. This is a male - there were two males stripping the flowerheads.

Date: 02 Jul 2008
View: DC1_20080617_1607_325 House Martin in flight.jpg
Description: This is a House Martin in flight, the least frequent of our three flycatchers which includes Swallows and Swifts.

Date: 01 Jul 2008
View: DC1_20080617_1610_338 Kestrel hovering.jpg
Description: The male Kestrel had a leg injury and was struggling a bit, but now seems to be back to his old health.

Image Archive arch 2008 jun.htm (view it Here)

Date: 30 Jun 2008
View: DC1_20080617_1629_434 Skylark in Flight (web crop).jpg
Description: This joyous little creature flew for us 4 times at various distances and lighting. Here are a couple of the best images we got. This is the bird that normally hovers like a speck in the sky - we were lucky to get this one hovering low down.

View: DC1_20080617_1629_442 Skylark in Flight with wings almost closed.jpg
Description: Skylarks seem to spend some their time in flight with wings closed. Do wish we could include the liquid song, but even if we recorded it the noise from the camera would drown it out.

Date: 29 Jun 2008
View: DB1_20080613_1438_010 Great spotted woodpecker chick and mother on vertical log (web crop).jpg
Description: The Great spotted woodpecker chick likes our peanut feeders and unfortunately also the wooden post it hangs from! Here it is with Mother and then on its own. Have not seen 'Dad' lately - may be sad, or maybe feeding elsewhere with another chick.

View: DB1_20080613_1439_014 Great Spotted woodpecker Chick (web crop).jpg

Date: 28 Jun 2008
View: DB1_20080614_1134_037 Young Bluetit.jpg
Description: Baby Bluetits are so sweet. They have quickly learned 'peanut feeder technique'.

View: DB1_20080614_1135_047 Young Bluetit jumping down.jpg

Date: 27 Jun 2008
View: DC1_20080614_0806_087&93 Green woodpecker male in bounding flight (Montage).jpg
Description: Have been trying for ages to get a photo of a Green Woodpecker in flight and finally got lucky. Green woodpeckers go in for 'bounding flight' - flap like mad and then streamline and glide/ballistic to save wind resistance.

Date: 26 Jun 2008
View: DC1_20080614_0818_157 Field to N inc Elderberry + grasses + buttercups.jpg
Description: The surrounding fields have not been cut, and there is lovely show of purplish grass heads, buttercups, and in the overgrown hedges, elderberry flowers.

View: D3B_20080612_2242_115 fb1 Fieldmouse.jpg
Description: Not much by way of acrobatics from the fieldmice recently, but still sweet. We plan to move this camera 10-15m soon (the current site is badly eroded and in a water run-off) and do hope they follow).

Date: 25 Jun 2008
View: DC1_20080614_1258_192 Swift in flight (web crop).jpg
Description: Swifts and swallows are making intermittent appearances.

View: DC1_20080614_1302_215 Swallow in flight.jpg

Date: 24 Jun 2008
View: DB1_20080608_0956_018 Moorhen swimming from second attempt nest on Dragon Pond.jpg
Description: The moorhen are trying again after the fox scoffed the first lot of eggs. Not sure they have chosen a better place but hope so.
Late News: By chance 16 days after this image was taken it turns out to have been a good place - a chick being fed on the water.

Date: 23 Jun 2008
View: DC1_20080613_0740_018 Cuckoo in Flight (web crop).jpg
Description: Out at 07:40 watching for larks, kestrel or anything else heard a distant cuckoo call and saw a distant atypical bird flying in our general direction. Beats the usual cuckoo call right over your head as a sort of 'missed me'.

Date: 22 Jun 2008
View: DC1_20080607_1822_038 3 adult wood pigeons on high voltage cables.jpg
Description: Two very different birds on 2 very different wires. These pigeons on the high voltage cables just took our fancy - not the usual 'one-peck-apart'.

View: DC1_20080614_1632_446 Goldfinch on wire.jpg
Description: Goldfinches have not 'disappeared' for the summer this year and this one was sitting on the overhead phone wires looking beautiful.

Date: 21 Jun 2008
View: DC1_20080611_1416_017 Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding chick on peanut feeder.jpg
Description: Fledgelings everywhere are 'begging' food from their parents. On a gloomy afternoon through the kitchen window we watched the Great Spotted Woodpecker chick on the left is being fed by Mum. Next day he had fathomed out the feeder for him/her self.

View: D3A_20080609_1914_022 fb2 Magpie chick begging food from parent.jpg
Description: A couple of days earlier a magpie chick more 'demanded' to be fed in several images over about 30 minutes.

Date: 20 Jun 2008
View: DC1_20080610_1802_030 Pheasant Male in Buttercups.jpg
Description: The male pheasant strides through the buttercups in the adjacent field making a ridiculously colourful pairing.

Date: 19 Jun 2008
View: DC1_20080608_1345_002 Oxeye Daisies.jpg
Description: Anything not mown is beginning to be carpeted by buttercups or these oxeye daisies.

Date: 18 Jun 2008
View: DC1_20080609_1456_141 Jet plane making contrail flying by moon.jpg
Description: It's sad that planes litter the sky with trails and infuriating when low ones drown out the birds and conversation, but this seemed like too capricious a moment to miss.

View: D3B_20080609_0017_127 fb1 Fieldmouse gazing upwards.jpg
Description: We don't see Hares here anymore, so we have to 'make do' with a fieldmouse gazing at the moon (well it might have been if it hadn't set already!)

Date: 17 Jun 2008
View: DC1_20080608_1357_029 Large Red Damselfly Male.jpg
Description: Damselflies are sort of miniature dragonflies, & just as alien.

View: DC1_20080608_1358_039 2 Pairs of Azure Damselflies laying in Duck pond (web crop).jpg
Description: This is two pairs of Azure damselflies laying eggs in 'Duck' pond among the miniature water lilies and duckweed. The female on the right has her ovipositor under the water.

Date: 16 Jun 2008
View: DC1_20080609_1126_067 Elephant Hawk-Moth side view on oxeye daisy stem with buttercups backdrop (web crop).jpg
Description: The Moth trap (see yesterday) also caught a Elephant Hawk-moth with its incredible shocking pink colouration

View: D30_20010624_0943_696 Elephant Hawk-moth in Flight with Honeysuckle (web crop).jpg
Description: 7 years ago (24 June 2001) we photographed the same species in flight using a electronically triggered camera and flash. Its a genuine single image of a rather tatty individual, though the 'sky' was a painted backboard.

Date: 15 Jun 2008
View: DC1_20080609_1133_125 2 Poplar Hawk-moths on moss (web crop).jpg
Description: An overnight run of the moth trap (a bright mercury vapour lamp to attract moths who spend the night safely below in old egg cartons) caught about 200 moths of 30 species. These Poplar Hawk-moths have a body length of about 4cm. We happened to catch two and couldn't resist showing them together - they look different because their underwings are differently positioned.

View: DC1_20080609_1134_128 Poplar Hawk-moth head & antennae.jpg
Description: Detail of the head and antennae.

Date: 14 Jun 2008
View: DC1_20080605_1307_017 Bluetit adult with crest raised in Silver Birch with insect (web crop).jpg
Description: Bluetits are now being fed as fledgelings (left the nest) and others still in the box (possibly from different boxes - at least 4 have bluetits in them).

View: DC1_20080605_1307_020 Fledgling