ChrisC

[Susie]

Happy birthday, old chap. Wishing you many happy returns of the day.

[ChrisC]

chap would have done, no need for the old thanks Sue

[Susie]

Just rubbing it in

[Piers]

Happy birthday Mr.C...

Just rubbing it in

Now that sounds like a worthy birthday treat.

[Lee Hurrell]

Many happy returns Chris!

Cheers

Lee

[ChrisC]

thank you lee and piers
had a quick scout around the garden this evening to see what was about and one of the half a dozen labrynth spiders was sunning herself and looking in pretty good shape

there were a few other spiders around too but i'll spare any readers those. but keeping with the arachnid theme this tiny harvestman didn't have much of a life, the john hurt scene in Alien maybe not so far fetched for this chap.

and i'm afraid this 2mm arachnid didn't last long after this photo was taken. everyones favourite.

and to leave you on a happy note, still at least 3 red Admiral in the garden

[Susie]

Happy birthday Mr.C...

Just rubbing it in

Now that sounds like a worthy birthday treat.

ChrisC is older than I am (even if he looks younger in his avatar) and I wont let him forget it.

Back to the butterflies, I have a couple of red admirals in the garden when the sun shines, which is rarely, but they seem to prefer the buddleia 'honeycomb' over any other one in the garden at the moment. Looks like yours have similar tastes.

[ChrisC]

popped in to portland this morning to put more faces to names. a few butterflies about. just nice to be there really.

I nearly missed this one

and last but not least a nice steatoda nobilis in the garden last night

[Wurzel]

That spider is fantastic - does it have a common name? It's abdomen reminds me of those psychiatrist ink blots - I'm sure I saw a face in them, nope looking again it's somone sitting cross legged and meditating
Are there many Lulworth Skippers at Portland? I got my Grayling today and they're last on this years list.

Cheers

Wurzel

[ChrisC]

thanks Wurzel. the spider is known as a false widow. but this term applies to a few of the steatoda family. And no Lulworths had been seen by the time i left about one-ish. so i'll await the reports. Well done on your Grayling.

Chris

[Gibster]

And no Lulworth Skippers by the time Team UKB left either...just a few Smalls.

Good to meet you, Chris. Shame I didn't really get to chat with you properly, but Sam says you're a really nice fella (but then she's in love with me, so is clearly derranged!!)
We found a fleece which Susie reckons is yours. So if you're wondering where you left it...

Cheers mate,

Gibster and Sami.

[ChrisC]

Thanks Gibster. I have no doubt we'll bump into each other somewhere. these UKB excursions are good fun.

[ChrisC]

well what can i say apart from i'm jealous of all these wonderful pictures being posted. i'm afraid my excursions have been limited to the garden and quick walk out the back but even that has turned up a couple of garden ticks with regards to spiders.
the first Neriene Peltata

and a rather photographic Evarcha Falcata

and out the back i found my first ever tiger beetle larvae weird looking creatures these are.

so no prizes for pretty in this diary

[Neil Freeman]

Nice photos Chris,

The second shot of the Evarcha Falcata looks quite cute

Cheers,

Neil.

[ChrisC]

Thanks Neil, she was most obliging
only a short clip but looks like she was biting her toenails
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4w5jtHHpKY[/video]

[Susie]

Or sucking her "thumb" ?

I agree, that second pic with the big eyes is great.

[Neil Freeman]

Ahhh!!! ....a spider with a little Teddy Bear face sucking its thumb

Brilliant

Neil.

[Wurzel]

The cute spider almost has the look of a little puupy that has just peed on the carpet...or Puss from Shrek 2, he too then leapt into action!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ChrisC]

spent an hour or so over the wood, no purple hairstreak still, but silver washed including my first but very very tatty valesina and a single white admiral still clinging on. a few piccies. the fleabane was very popular, and a clump of hemp agrimony had at least 20 butterflies mainly peacocks.

was playing around with angles and found i liked this Brimstone for some reason.

[ChrisC]

just a quick note on my diary to thank wikipedia, i've been looking at hundreds of pictures of butterflies today to try and work out why the meadow browns and gatekeepers only showed 4 legs in photos upon looking i noticed quite a few other species too and the others blues and whites showed 6. i even had started a new thread about it when i thought hang on before i post, let me just check what Nymphalidae means "In adult butterflies the first pair of legs are small or reduced" "Throughout the family the front pair of legs in the male, and with three exceptions (Libythea, Pseudergolis and Calinaga) in the female also, is reduced in size and functionally impotent; in some the atrophy of the forelegs is considerable, e.g. Danainae and Satyrinae. In many of the forms of these subfamilies the fore legs are kept pressed against the underside of the thorax, and are in the male often very inconspicuous." so now i know. it's been bugging me a while that one.