Wurzel

[Andrew555]

I like your 'strategic spotting' here and there Wurzel.
Love the shot of the RA feeding.

[millerd]

Making the most of the opportunities, Wurzel - finding the SWF was a real bonus. I love the swallow shot - perfect reflection in the water...

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

I love the shot of the Swallow with it's reflection in the water. I spent some time watching Swallows skimming over water in Cornwall earlier this year and tried taking some shots but they were just too fast for me.

Cheers,

Neil

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie There did seem to be a lot of excessa around this year, I do count myself lucky with finding Hedge Brown abs - but I do check every one that I find
Cheers Andrew I was chuffed with that shot; with a 'youngish' family butterflying generally involves carrying our camera around everywhere and hoping for a few minutes peace
Cheers Dave It's the way I have to roll Dave I've no choice as I'm still stuck in the world of work
Cheers Neil That was one of two shots that I manged to salvage from a 100 or so, most were perfectly focused pictures of where the bird had been a fraction of a second earlier

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Devon Holiday cont'd

21-08-2017

I didn’t have to wait long for some more ‘butterflies’ as after the evening meal and while preparing another round of drinks my dad pointed out a small black and white moth on the wall. Best ID so far is Nemapogon clematella . Either way it was a species that I’d not encountered before so I was chuffed with one of my easiest lifers; “I was getting another G&T and there it was” I’ll be able to recount in future years...

22-08-217

The next morning the moths again took the limelight with my first Setaceaous Hebrew Character. I’d wanted to photograph on of these for ages as it’s a species that stands out when swiping through my UK Moth App, not for its appearance but its unusual name.

Today was the day that we were going to get booted up and head out onto the Moor. I’ve been out and about on Dartmoor many times but not since I’d gotten into butterflies and so I was intrigued as to what it would offer species wise, where the butterflies would be and whether it would be like the Heathlands of home in species range? However I’ll have to make another visit to answer these questions as the day was the worst of the holiday weather wise. It was terrible with cloud blocking out all the sun, a cool and damp feel to the air and as we headed up and up onto the moor the fog rolled in. For most of the drive all that could be seen were the hedges on either side of the road. Even when we stopped occasionally (Widdecoombe “where the hell are we going to visit?”, “pee stop” and Becka Falls “How much to park? Stuff that”) visibility was poor and it was so cold and clammy you were glad to get back in the car.

Eventually we made it to Badgers Holt and the magnificent cream tea more than raised my spirits. Outside the River Dart flowed eventually dropping off the moor and flowing more sedately past the cottage we were staying at. The Grey Wagtails ‘chiswick-ed’ away and added a splash of vibrancy as did an Emperor Dragonfly and a few of the Common Darters. On the stroll down towards the old bridge a Red Admiral flew by a few times – well it was either that or 6 different individuals – possibly the vanguard of the subsequent high numbers we’ve seen this autumn? The girls loved the place splashing about, climbing the rocks and dipping their toes into the icy cold water.

As is typical it started to brighten up as we headed homewards. We could see further and further on either sides of the hedges and walls and eventually right across the moor. After another brief pit stop for the Pixie Museum we got back home. By now the weather had turned for the better, we could see all of the surrounding hills and the sky was blue with only slight cloud mottling. I headed straight out into garden this time walking up to the top of hill/garden. The large bramble bush housed a Common Carpet and a Red Admiral basked in the sun in quite a precarious place – under the swing in the scuff marks. There was also another moth but this one was really worn so any ID was difficult to make (Common Rustic/Lesser Common Rustic).

The weather didn’t hold and so we headed in, lit the wood burner and started to get cosy.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Once again you've made the most of the inclement weather that can so often curse the enjoyment of a lovely part of the world in the summer. Of course it may have been the weather gods following the instruction on Essex Buzzard's t-shirt...

By the way, what does "setaceous" mean? I had confused it with "sebaceous", but the images that conjures up are not good ones.

Dave

[Padfield]

By the way, what does "setaceous" mean? I had confused it with "sebaceous", but the images that conjures up are not good ones.

It means hairy or bristly, from the Latin saeta (meaning hair or bristle). Presumably there is something particularly hairy or bristly about this moth ...

Guy

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, nice shots of the moths , I was surprised last year when I didn't see very many, i took lots of the Burnetts and one or two more but it was my worse year for seeing them. Goldie

[Andrew555]

Nice moths Wurzel, always good to see and identify a new one.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave I hadn't thought about the link between rubbish weather and Essex's T-Shirt
Cheers Guy It does look quite hairy round the top of the thorax, but no more than any other moth
Cheers Goldie Last year was a bit hit or miss for a whole range of species, hopefully things will be a bit more settled this coming season
Cheers Andrew I'm always a little unsure as to how welcome moths are on UKB, but then I reason that butterflies are moths so it's alright

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[essexbuzzard]

So now you know, Wurzel, where Cornwall throws all its rubbish weather as well!

[Wurzel]

Cheers Essex I hadn't twigged until Saturday I'm going to look into the Dorset equivalent, then they'll get it from both sides

23-08-2017 Steam Trains, Otters and a few butterflies…

So after a poor day on the Moor it was decided that today we would do more children orientated activities. So we set off back towards Buckfast Abbey but turned left instead of right to take the steam train to Totnes and back. The girls loved it and I enjoyed the gentle rocking which you don’t get on todays diesel locomotives. My first shots of the day were of an Otter, unfortunately not a real one but a golden statuette. Two years back Salisbury was decked out with ‘Barons’ to celebrate Magna Carta. If seems that this area was doing something similar but with Otters instead…

Activity 1 done we found a quiet spot for lunch so the girls, particularly my niece, could run about. As usual between munching I wandered here and there with my camera hoping that the more obvious foliage would offer up some butterflies. There were a few Whites about but the first butterfly that stopped long enough for a few shots was a Red Admiral. It landed on the flagstones to soak up some warmth. It must have wondered what was happening, here it was at the height of summer feeling the cold! After this a Peacock dropped in and between pointing out various of its features to my niece I snapped away as it fed away. I then tried for some of the more active Whites. It proved to be difficult but despite my dearth of opportunities for photography I was able to watch some interesting behaviours. Both Small and Large Whites flew strongly with the Large flying across the middle of the clear area before working its way along the margins quite high up dipping down to feed. The Small would work its way here and there in an apparent random fashion and the Green-veined fluttered weakly from flower to flower. Hence it was no surprise that the only I managed to get any shots of was the Green-veined. While I was photographing it my niece joined me and together we took it all in, a special memory shared. With lunch over we moved onto the next activity – the Otter Sanctuary and Butterfly Farm. I’m so far behind that I’ll have to leave the Exotics for another time…

Once back at home the girls called me away from the dinner prep as they’d found a caterpillar (Vapourer?) and while I was there a Specklie was feeding on some Blackberries so I got a few rushed shots that weren’t up to much before heading back in to continue chopping veggies.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

Some immaculate specimens there Wurzel, particularly like the Green veined White image.
Glad you enjoyed your steam train ride !. That line used to carry on to Ashburton,
but after it closed the present A38 road severed it just past Buckfastleigh station.

All the best,
Trevor.

[Andrew555]

Very nice Wurzel . Another great close up, of the Peacock.
And that is a cracking shot of the Green-veined White .

[Wurzel]

Cheers Trevor I was dead chuffed with that Green-veined White it was fresh out of the box. I waxed a bit more lyrical about it in the Favourites posting

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Love the Green Veined White Wurzel, I'm always amazed at the different brightness in their veins, some dark ,some light, they can vary quite a lot, roll on next year Goldie

[Paul Harfield]

Hi Wurzel
As others have said that Green Veined White is a beauty, they always seem to look good on White flowers.
What is the significance of the otters?
We had Zebras down here a couple of years ago and now we have Rhinos every where in hundreds of different designs, but I have to say I don't know the significance of any of them

[Neil Freeman]

... I'm always a little unsure as to how welcome moths are on UKB, but then I reason that butterflies are moths so it's alright ..
Wurzel

Speaking for myself, I am always interested in seeing the moths that are posted on here. I have been known to post one or two myself

Cheers,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Andrew I was really chuffed about that GVW, it was fresh out of the box
Cheers Goldie I know what you mean about the level of variation in GVWs but I'm struggling to keep a lid on my 'spots and Hedge Browns' obsession
Cheers Paul There were a hundred of them placed around the Tarka Trail and the aim was to note down a code on the base and then you'd win a prize - as if you'd need to be encouraged/bribed to enjoy getting out in nature
Cheers Neil 'Just one or two'

December 2017

Better late than never and now I better start getting the next one sorted...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[philm63]

Just to second (or third or whichever) what everyone has said, a lovely image
Phil