nature spots

Sundew safari.

/ Andy Finnegan / 5 Comments

There are many carnivorous plants native to the UK. These are Sundews, Butterworts and Bladderworts. Sundews are not a common plant in southern England. However, in the New Forest, they are widespread in many of the boggy areas. In the New Forest, there are 3 types of Sundew. The Round-leaved Sundew seems to be the most abundant and as its name has a round end to the leaves, The Oblong-leaved Sundew is also fairly easy to find. It has longer, narrower leaves. The Great Sundew is twice as large as the oblong-leaved plant I have not found one yet.

You need to get down low to get a good view of these interesting little plants.

Round-leaved Sundew.

(to get a scale the pad on this plant is about the size of my little fingernail).

Sundews eat insects! They produce a sticky ‘glue’ all over the leaves; insects become trapped in the glue, the plant curls the leaf edges over and releases digestive enzymes that consume the insects, passing nutrients into the plant.

Oblong-leaved Sundew.

The picture below shows the Sundew with a flower bud.

And down came a spider.

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A spider’s nest on some bracken. The nursery web spider builds a nest and is very parental overseeing the eggs and carefully supporting the baby spiders when they hatch. In this nest, they have already hatched turning the leaf to look brought out the mother spider!

What gall!

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An interesting growth on a Dog Rose known as a rose bedeguar gall, Robin’s pincushion, mossy rose gall or moss gall. A gall wasp known as Diplopepis rosae causes these galls (Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to benign tumours) they mainly develop directly after the female insect lays the eggs. 

Is this the end of the world as we know it?

/ Andy Finnegan / 3 Comments

We have survived a heatwave last 3 days the weather has caused a total meltdown here in the UK. Being obsessed with the weather we Brits have been totally preoccupied with what the temperature is and our infrastructure failings however we have short memories and in a few weeks, we will have forgotten what the effects of extreme heat are and climate changes are and we will return to our selfish ways.

A major fire swept through Hook nature reserve on Southampton Water near Washash.

We have been spending a lot of time during the heatwave by the sea at our usual spot on Meon Shore. The sea breeze helped cool the air and allow some comfort.

Probably the coolest place in the UK was on the water sailing in a yacht out in the Solent. These were sailing off Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Pictures were taken through a heavy heat haze from Meon Beach

Some people found other ways of keeping cool! Please note a hat is essential.

Some bird watching from the water’s edge. Despite the number of people on the beach birds were plentiful.

Oystercatchers.

Turnstones.

Herring Gull. (With attitude.)

Common Terns.

A young tern thinks he has caught a big fish!

Work goes on for others whatever the weather.

Experimental Hovercraft.

Shipping leaving port.

Search and Rescue Helicopter on patrol.

Thunderstorms and cooler weather are now forecast.

Black & White but colour pictures.

/ Andy Finnegan / 8 Comments

Despite this Butterfly being named after its appearance the Marbled White is more closely related to the subfamily known as the “browns” rather than “whites”. It is unmistakable, its black and white markings distinguishing it from other species found in the UK. It favours unimproved grassland where the grass may grow up to 0.5m tall. It is often found in large colonies. There are large numbers in our local fields which have been uncultivated for many years.

June Butterflies.

/ Andy Finnegan / 3 Comments

Butterflies I spotted in the South of Hampshire during June. Suddenly we are in Butterfly season the sun has come out and so have the Butterflies.

Ringlet. A Butterfly that is often seen at the edge of fields and along woodland rides.

Marbled White. This is a handsome butterfly which we see in fairly large numbers in selective fields where it has been uncultivated for many years and the grasses have gone to flower and seed.

Below – A Marbled White pair mating (female on right.)

Comma. These dark orange-brown butterflies we spot only in small numbers but they are always worth a closer look.

Small Skipper. Often confused for a moth this is a common butterfly in our local fields.

Meadow Brown. Is a bit of a non-descriptive butterfly which can easily be overlooked.

Peacock. The large eye markings are unmistakable on this large Butterfly.

Speckled wood. Another butterfly that enjoys sunny spots in our local fields especially on brambles at the field edges.

Small Blue. (I believe). A small blue butterfly this one is on a Bramble flower.

Smile you are on camera!

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The Canada Geese goslings have grown up so much over the last few weeks. Three families despite the odds have raised all their little ones into “teenagers”.

I placed my small action camera {Olympus Tough} on a stool and let it capture the geese coming over for a feed. Video and stills from the film. Some of these portraits have got to make you smile.

Brighton

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Royal Pavilion.

By 1780, the development of the Georgian development of Brighton was underway with the development of grand Georgian terraces – the fashionable resort was regularly frequented by the Prince Regent later King George IV. Spending much of his leisure time here he constructed the Royal Pavilion. with the coming of the Railways and only 47miles from London Brighton continued to develop and became a popular Victorian holiday resort.

Palace Pier.

Brighton had 2 piers the West Pier was constructed during a boom in pleasure pier building in the 1860s, it was designed to attract tourists to the town. The West Pier was developed further in 1893, and a concert hall was added in 1916. It complimented the first pier the Royal Suspension Chain Pier which was built in 1823. It was replaced by the Palace Pier in 1889.

Today only the Palace Pier remains the West Pier was closed to the public in 1975 and fell into disrepair and gradually collapsed. After a number of fires, the pier is now just a frame.

 

The seafront has all the trimmings of a British seaside destination.

Just a tree!

English Elm trees dominated the British landscape, especially in Southern England, but were ravaged by Dutch elm disease in the1960s. Today it is only found occasionally in hedgerows or woodland. This rare tree has a small number of mature trees in Brighton. They are carefully managed by the council. I can not recall seeing an Elm Tree so one off the bucket list on our visit to Brighton.