Rhino

Rhino Beetle, Sinodendron cylindricum, Serpentine Brick Pit, Peterborough. I don't remember seeing anything like this since I was a kid.
Canon PowerShot A640

Hornet Moth

This female emerged this morning at Serpentine Brick Pit, south of Peterborough. I am literally in love with this superb species of clearwing moth. I am ashamed to say these photos were taken using flash [at its lowest setting]) as it was very dark, misty and grim this morning.
Canon PowerShot A640

Sky Lark

One day I will take a decent digiscoped image of a Sky Lark. Meantime you are left with these less than satisfactory efforts...

Ooh, it chafes!

Summer Chafer (I think), Thurlby Fen, Lincs

More dragonflies

White-legged Damselfly (female)

Banded Demoiselle (male)

Banded Demoiselle (female)

Scarce Chaser(immature male)


Scarce Chaser (female)


Scarce Chaser (mature male)
I popped over to Glapthorn Cow Pastures this morning. There were about 30 car-loads of butterfly-watchers come for the Black Hairstreaks. I lasted all of five minutes, before the crowd had me fleeing (not their fault, just not my cup of tea...). I was told of a Silver-washed Fritellary there, but it wasn't enugh to hold me, so I fled to Cotterstock to catch up on the dragonflies on the River Nene.
There were a lot of Scarce Chasers (mostly mated males, but also one or two females, pairs flying in tandem (a weird site, as they are looped up) and at least immature male.
Also there were loads of Banded Demoiselles, a few hairy Dragonflies, White-legged Damselfly (I only saw one female in the short time I was there), Red-eyed Damselfies and the first Brown Hawker I have seen this year.

Antpitta revisited

I've written the third (and final) part of a digiscoping mini-series for August's Bird Watching magazine. This month we are concentrating on 'tricks' of the experts. Included in this are Kevin Du Rose's patent rubberband technique. Using a bog-standard rubberband and a key ring, you can make a digiscoping adapter in seconds for next to nixpence.

That was how I digiscoped this shot of a Chestnut-crowned Antpitta in Colombia earlier this year (in very dark, forest conditions). I know you may have seen this shot before, but I just thought I'd present a close up, full size (if you click it), to see exactly what a rubberband can achieve. A quick check of the Exif data shows the photo was taken with a shutter speed of 1.0sec.

This is a song of hope

Emperors emerging from our pond (late May), ascending the stairway provided by Water Soldiers (all DSLR).

Three interesting insects

Black Hairstreak, Glapthorn Cow Pastures. This is a key site for this localised species, which draws insect fans and photographers from all over the country, each June. Jas, Ed and I met a few today, some down from Yorkshire, others from Watford, and still more from Lincolnshire. The full emergence hasn't happened yet, and most of the Brambles (which the adults drop down from Blackthorns to feed on), weren't yet in bloom.

Scarce Chaser (mature, mated male), the River Nene at Cotterstock. Compare this powder-blue insect with black, worn saddle in the pruinescence on its abdomen (from the female's grasping legs, during mating), with the rather orange immatures seen earlier in the year at Woodwalton Fen: see here and here

White-legged Damselfly (male), the River Nene at Cotterstock. This was an insect tick for me, gripping back from Bogbumper's recent post...

Pipit with grubbeth

Meadow Pipit asking me to please vacate Dogbite Bench, Maxey pits, so it can feed its young on what appear to be mayflies (digiscoped)...

In our garden

Frog
One of swarms of frogs and toads in the garden at the moment. And there are still at least hundreds of tadpoles metamorphosing to froglets in the big pond. It is interesting how the tiny froglets are much smaller than the tadpoles they develop from. This one, though, is a largish fella, and he has taken up residence in our smallest pond, no more than a rubber carrying basket/bucket we have sunk into the lawn (he shares it with several froglets and one or two mini-toads). Small toads (a few cm long) are in good numbers in the long grass round the drinking pond.


Small Tortoiseshell
Despite the pretty good weather of the last few days, butterflies have been in short supply inthe garden. All I have seen is one Large White, one Large Skipper and this Small Tort which was fond of the Red Valerian.

Buff-tailed Bumblebee
Part of my attempt to identify the bees of the garden is an attempt at bumblebees (by looking and photography). I believe this is a Buff-tailed, but if anyone knows different...

Pretty Hairy

Hairy Dragonfly (male).
This was the best look I've had of this normally very active species (which seems to rarely sit still). Up close, it is remarkably attractive, particularly with those dramatic, marbled blue eyes.
Photographed with Canon PowerShot A640

Our pond

In case anyone is wondering, this is what our garden pond looks like (sort of). There is a view from the north, looking over the birch logpile (beloved of Lesser Stag Beetles). Note the abundance of Water Soldier (which I love, as it seems to be the dragonflies' favourite plant), with a mix of other aquatic and semi-aquatic plants and the odd logpile around the edge.

Then a view to the north, toward the birch logpile (with bananas added for colour...)...

And finally, to Mt Weedon, the flower-rich mound built of debris from the digging of the pond (note edge of pond):

Emperors' Old Clothes

Kazakhstan Part 4: Mountains near Almaty

Sunrise hits the mountains looming above our Almaty hotel
Big Almaty Lake, purportedly home to Ibisbills, but we dipped (perhaps better later in the year, when the ice has melted somewhat)

Black-throated Accentor

These mountains echo to the lonesome wails of Himalayan Snowcocks


Himalayan Rubythroat

Lesser Grey Shrike

By Big Almaty Lake

This marmot looks pretty similar to the steppe version to me, but I was assured it was a different, mountain species...

Q: Why is Dale Forbes looking so pleased with himself?
A: After meditating over a dead beetle, he has just found a pair of Eversmann's Redstarts. Lovely.

Male and female Eversmann's Redstarts

Male Eversmann's Redstart

Cute...

...yet somehow, ugly, but then again, cute wins.
This teeny baby Dunnock had clearly only left the nest very recently. It was extremely vulnerable on the cycleway/footpath through Longthorpe, Peterborough, and didn't bat an eyelid as I whizzed by on my bike. So, I slammed the brakes on and went back to shoo it gently to the grass under the cover of a hedge (after taking a shot or two, of course). It's parent was nearby, and I reckon it was pleased that its youngster was under better cover.
Remember, folks, baby birds are best left alone, but when they are going to be splatted or eaten any minute, a bit of cover is surely a good idea.
Give the photo a click (to enlarge it) and check out the fine feathering on its head and bristly feathers around the face.