Standing up for Nature
Paul writes: If I’m in a wetland nature reserve in late summer I always look out for Darters sitting like this on a wooden railing. Darters usually hunt from a perch, where they fly off after a passing insect, before returning to the same place. Handrails must be at just the right height to give…
Tim writes: I have posted these two photographs as interesting anomalies, because most birdwatchers learn that the easiest way to tell a (non-singing) Chiffchaff from a Willow Warbler is by leg colour. Chiffchaffs have dark legs and Willow Warblers have pale legs. But not always. The top bird here is a Willow Warbler with dark…
Myathropa florea is often known as the Batman Hoverfly, which is self explanatory if you look at the pattern on its thorax. Some are more marked than others, this is a particularly bright one. Size can vary, with a wing length between 7mm and 12mm. It’s quite a common hoverfly which occurs throughout the UK…
Tim writes: this is a Long-eared Owl carrying a Short-tailed Vole back to its hungry brood that were calling constantly from nearby trees. The male provisions the female while she incubates and when the young are small. But when the young are old enough to “branch” (leave the nest and clamber about in the branches),…
Hoverflies on Umbellifers Umbellifers, such as Hogweed and Angelica, are a great place to see hoverflies at this time of year, they provide a convenient platform for feeding and resting. Most of the hoverflies I see are the common orange and black striped ones or maybe yellow and black ones. Anything different immediately stands out…
Tim writes: this is a recently-fledged Willow Tit that I found on 9th June this year. It was one of a brood of four youngsters being chaperoned by both parents, although they were constantly moving so it could possibly have been five youngsters and one parent. They were contact calling constantly as they slowly moved,…
Tim writes: I know it isn’t a perfect photograph but there is so much of interest going on here I thought it was worth sharing. First of all I was quite pleased to capture a bird in flight feeding its begging youngster, but the fact that it is a Redstart makes it much more interesting. …
Paul writes: This is a colourful night-time visitor to many gardens. The Brimstone (Opisthograptis luteolata) is smaller but a brighter yellow than its butterfly namesake. There are also a series of chestnut marks along the edge of its forewings, making it unmistakable. It’s a very common moth and can be seen throughout the UK in…
The subspecies of Yellow Wagtail that breeds in Britain is flavissima, which means very yellow, as opposed to the nominate Continental breeding subspecies flava, which just means yellow. The two are pretty similar from the neck down but our British flavissima is also yellow on the throat, cheeks and eyebrow with a complementary green crown…
Paul writes: For the past four months I’ve been looking at insects in and around my garden and reporting what I’ve found. I’ve decided I can now spread my wings a bit so I don’t miss out too much on what is happening elsewhere. One of my favourite wildlife sights in Yorkshire, at this time…