Social Distancing Week 13. Eyed Hawk-moth. Paul writes: I found this dramatic looking creature last week in my garden moth trap. It’s the first Eyed Hawk-moth I’ve seen, so I was really excited. I was immediately impressed by the size, the wing length is around 40mm. When resting normally it’s fairly drab looking and only…
Category: THE PHOTOGRAPHS: by Tim Melling, Oscar Dewhurst, Paul Leyland, Guy Shorrock, Brian Leecey
Tim Melling – Dartford Warbler
Tim writes: living in the north means I don’t see Dartford Warblers very often. But on the few times I have seen them I’m always surprised by how small they are. The book measurements are deceiving because they have a long tail. So at 12cm bill to tail tip they are 2cm longer than a…
Paul Leyland – White Ermine
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Social Distancing Week 12. White Ermine Moth Paul writes: I don’t have to travel far to find moths. It’s at this time of year that, in the evening, I start to leave lights on in rooms, with the curtains and blinds not drawn. Many moths are drawn to light and on calm warm nights, especially…
Tim Melling – Cirl Bunting
Tim writes: Cirl Buntings are one of Britain’s most localised breeding species. In the 1930s it bred on farmland in North Wales and much of the south Midlands of England. But in the second half of the twentieth century the population started to collapse. Even at the time of the first Breeding Atlas (1968-72) they…
Paul Leyland – Wall Butterfly
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Social Distancing Week 11. Wall Brown. Paul writes: every year I see Wall Brown butterflies along the field path next to my house. They first appear in the later half of May and remain through to August. I photographed this one a few days ago, it was my first sighting here this year. The Wall…
Tim Melling – Mountain Hare
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Tim writes: the Mountain Hares in the Peak District were introduced from Scotland during the Nineteenth Century by the shooting fraternity after some diversity of things to kill. Ironically the gamekeepers are trying to get rid of them as unnecessary vectors of ticks that can pass the disease louping ill on to grouse. In Scotland…
Paul Leyland – Large Narcissus Fly
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Social Distancing Week 10. Large Narcissus Fly. Paul writes: I’ve started seeing this distinctive fly around the village in the last week. It will be a regular visitor to a lot of gardens at this time of year. The Large Narcissus Fly (Meredon equestris) is a hoverfly which is so named because its larvae develop…
Tim Melling – Jack Snipe
Tim writes: I don’t consider myself to be a photographer. I’m a wildlife enthusiast who takes photographs of the things I see. So serious photographers will look with scorn at this photograph as being dull and lacking detail. But keen birdwatchers will (hopefully) be impressed knowing what a lucky shot this is because in my…
Paul Leyland – Holly Blue
Social Distancing Week 9. Holly Blue. Paul writes: I’ve been watching Holly Blues flitting around my garden for the past few weeks but they have never settled anywhere, until this week. I have a Holly bush in the garden, that I’ve been watching regularly, hoping one of the butterflies would show an interest in it….
Peregrine by Brian Leecy
This is a great image of one of three young Peregrines from a brood somewhere in the north of England. It’s an image to keep in mind when considering the controversy over Natural England’s licensing of removal of Peregrine chicks from nests for the purposes of ‘falconry’. Previous blogs on this controversy: 16 April: Natural…