View From The Conservatory
Category: Wildlife
View From The Conservatory
Was sitting in the garden last evening watching a host of moths working our Buddleia and thought I would try to capture some pictures. This proved to be harder than I expected. Every time I tried to take a shot they would fly away. I tried so often that I began to believe they knew what I was doing and yet they weren’t disturbed by my approach to where ever they were settled. Mind you they weren’t staying settled anywhere for more than a second or so, and their wings were constantly on the go, almost like humming birds.
As I experimented it became obvious that they were taking flight each time I used the focus function of the camera, each time I pressed the shutter release just enough to focus and meter. Then it hit me, the little so and so’s were being frightened by the infrared from my camera/flash set up. As a result the following pictures are the best I managed to get.
I’ll have another crack tonight if they come back. I’ll try manual focus and pre-metering.
View From The Conservatory – Some Flutterbys
Insecta: Lepidoptera : Family Nymphalidae: Subfamily Nymphalinae : Genus Inachis:
Insecta: Lepidoptera : Family Nymphalidae: Subfamily Nymphalinae : Genus Inachis:
Insecta: Lepidoptera : Family Nymphalidae: Subfamily Nymphalinae : Genus Polygonia: Species c-album
Insecta: Lepidoptera : Family Pieridae: Subfamily Pierinae : Genus Pieris: Species brassicae:
View From The Conservatory
Couple of snaps of this seasons squirrels who, once again, have proven themselves adept at getting past any obstacles that I put in their path in my failed attempts to stop them from stealing the bird feed.
Marwell Snaps
These are just a few of my pix from our trip to Marwell. Many of the animals seemed to be staying inside as the weather was a little cool and dull. It was a good day out, as always. So take a look and enjoy….
Meet Ralph
Ralph is a Humboldt Penguin. We missed the penguin feeding and talk so I don’t know how he gets to wear the rather cool surfing suit. He was pretty much the first animal we spotted on our visit to Marwell last week.
View From The Conservatory
So I was just heading out to the freezer in the utility room, thinking about what we should have for dinner tonight. I was a little cautious stepping out of the kitchen as always, because I like to peek and see what birds are in the garden. I stood watching a Dunnock for a minute or so as it darted around the bare branches of some shrubs. Then a movement from the other side of the garden caught my eye.
And this is what I saw…
The amazing thing is he clambered up on top of our fence and plodded along the top in the same way as cats do. The feet on one side on the top of the fence and the other feet on the arris rail.
I had watched him for a while before I thought to go get my camera. These pictures are all captured through double glazing which is less than clean at the moment.
This is the second fox that we have had in the garden with skin/fur problems. Although the previous one looked like he had suffered a kind of de-gloving of the hind leg, perhaps as a result of conflict with a car. Maybe this one has had a similar encounter although I am tempted to contact the RSPCA and see if this is indicative of something that local dog owners might need to be aware of.
View From The Conservatory
A few more pix today of the wildlife in the garden.
View From The Conservatory
Topped up the bird feeders earlier today. Threw a bit of feed on the bird table and just for a bit of sport spilled a bit onto our wonky feeder over the bird bath. Just making sure that the birds had plenty of options open to them.
I knew that arch criminal, and bird food thief, the squirrel would be doing the rounds to help himself. If only a few minutes ahead of those big fat bird shaped vacuum cleaners, the wood pigeons.
What I didn’t expect was that, having already visited the bird table, the squirrel would move on to new pastures.
I don’t mind them filling up. All wildlife is welcome and they do tend to leave the feeders on the house walls alone. So there is plenty to go round for the Robins, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Coal Tits and Dunnocks that are our regular visitors. Even the Carrion Crows visit although they tend to gather the flickings from the bird table. To be quite honest I think they prefer the curried rice which I have taken to putting out.
WrAnTz 