nature spots

Deer stalk

/ Andy Finnegan / 3 Comments

Today we decided to go on a deer stalk but very soon decided it might not be such a good day for it as they were cutting the bracken where we were walking. Studies have shown that management of bracken stands should be reduced because the excessive build-up of bracken litter causes a decline in species diversity leading to a negative impact on the conservation interest of the bracken-dominated habitats.

However walking deeper across the heath and in to small pockets of mature woodland we soon spotted a number of Fallow Deer. (Bucks)

At first the herd moved away but settled down and watched us trying to blend in with our environment.

Further on after seeing this young bucks we spotted a small herd of hinds slipping away into deep woodland.

Clouded Yellow.

/ Andy Finnegan / 3 Comments

This Clouded Yellow is the first I have seen this year and in fact the first I have seen for several years. They are a medium-sized, butterfly. It is a migrant species that fly here from North Africa and southern Europe. They appear in small numbers most years, but occasionally turn up on mass.

Knot.

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The knot is a medium-sized, wader a bit larger that a Dunlin {see picture 5}. They migrate to the UK in very large numbers during winter from their Arctic breeding grounds. Knots eat invertebrates, molluscs and crustaceans which they find by probing their bills in the mud and sand; special sensory organs in their bill tips help them to detect buried prey in a similar fashion to the way echolocation works in bats. For me, although not the 1st time I have seen Knots yesterday was the first time I was able to get some pictures of this bird.

UK wintering population:320,000 birds.

Cobwebs & dew.

/ Andy Finnegan / 4 Comments

This morning’s walk (Sunday) showed a marked change in the season with dew on the grass and the numerous spider’s webs were highlighted with moisture. Given the changeability of the seasons at the moment I am not sure if such mornings will be the norm for a while or if it was just a one-off for the time being.

Marbled Orbweb Spider. This one is yellow I saw some previously that were white.

Four-spotted orb weaver spider building a new web.

Garden Spider. Encrusted in dew.

Great crested grebe.

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This elegant waterbird with ornate head plumes led to its being hunted for its feathers, almost leading to its extermination in the UK. The wintering population increases so I hope to get some closer sightings of this bird as we move into autumn and winter.

Population:

 UK breeding:4,600 pairs

UK wintering:19,000 individuals

Afternoon visitor.

/ Andy Finnegan / 3 Comments

This afternoon we had an uninvited visitor into our conservatory I was able to get a few photographs before I netted this big Dragonfly and released her into the garden.

This Dragonfly is a female Southern Hawker Dragonfly. Length: 70mm

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Spider season.

/ Andy Finnegan / 2 Comments

The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout.
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out.
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.

Juvenile – Araneus quadratus -Four-spotted Orbweb Spider.

Araneus quadratus – Four-spotted Orbweb Spider.
Metellina segmentata
Wasp spider .Argiope bruennichi