Wordless Wednesday
Rusting Peace!
New Forest Heather.
House Martin.
Spotting a few House Martins in the New Forest today was nice. They spend a lot of their time on the wing collecting insects. These little birds build mud nests usually below the eaves of buildings like these I spotted today. They are summer migrants and spend their winters in Africa. Although numerous and widespread, recent declines in numbers earn them a place on the Red List.
Sunday Dragonflies.
Common v Marsh.
Yesterday I spotted a common frog I thought I would post a picture of a marsh frog I photographed last week to give a comparison of these two frogs, {common top picture}
Dipping!
This morning, a walk along a New Forest Stream with a good population of Golden Ringed Dragonflies. Many were “dipping” {depositing eggs into the stream}.
Ducklings.
A late brood. Mallard Ducklings.
Black Swans.
Black Swans were first brought to the UK in 1791 from Australia they became popular in zoos and private collections. Some birds escaped into the wild and have bred successfully, though the population remains small. For years there have been small numbers on the River Itchen at St Deny’s Southampton. They are an easy spot between Cobdon Bridge and Wood Mill from Riverside Park.
Catching lunch.
Watching Dragonflies today reminded me of the 1969 film The Battle of Britain with those airmen engaged in aerial combat in the blue sky over Southern England. There were no Spitfire flights over the Solent today. In flight, combat was taking place, an “Emperor Dragonfly” was on the hunt on the wing chasing and then catching a smaller dragonfly a “Common Darter”. Taking it to a nearby perching stick first killing it by removing its head then eating the contents of the darter’s insides Nature is both cruel and fascinating at the same time. I have witnessed this hunting and killing before of wasps and bees but this was the first dragonfly catching another dragonfly observation for me.
Starlings.
Continued Reflections from my World. 