More beguiling creatures. Belhus.

Silver-Washed Fritillary

We all like to get close to wildlife and if you are patient and wait in the right place they will nearly always come to you.   It's a pity that sometimes  the beautiful flora gets trampled when a little care could be taken.

Under Redwing

The domination of weather

We prayed for rain because of the almost frightening dryness that was creeping over the land.  We could see only a terrible demise of our precious reserves and the disappearance of the wildlife there.    But,  Hey! give us a break,  we give in,  no more please,  everything is being drowned.  It's difficult to leave the house.

Essex birds july 2011

Mediterranean Gulls

Avocets

Little Egret

Yellow Wagtail

Spotted Flycatchers

Ingrebourne Valley weds 13th july

Greenshank and Green Sandpiper.         Weather is a bit murky at the moment but still a lot going on.   There is never a dull moment in nature.

Greenshank and Green Plover

Greenshank

Kestrel

Gatekeeper

Green Emerald Dragonfly

Violet Ground Beetle in my garden

RSPB Rainham Marshes Weds 6th july 2011

When Grasshopper Warblers are on form It is hard to miss them.  They go down to feed and then seem to get this almost uncontrolable urge to reel and work their way up the plant to an exposed position reeling away,  and then drop down to feed, and it all starts up again.  Wonderful.

Grasshopper Warbler

Reed Bunting

Chiffchaff

Juv Blackcap

Common Lizard

A morning at the beautiful Belfairs woods

A glorious morning and another facinating place to be.  Plenty of free parking a cafe and toilets.  The woods are separated by the fairways of the golfcorse which it seems anyone can walk around as well,  there are no fences.  I was actually told by a groundsman when I enquired where the nature reserve was,  to walk down the fairway and cross the brook, as the golfers would be some way behind.  (seems to work).   It soon became clear a lot of care is being taken here to preserve the natural state of the woods and its occupants.  I was guided to the area where the White Admiral hangs out and sure enough soon got used to the way it moves about the wood.   There were plenty of other butterflies in this area of the woods also,  Ringlets, skippers, Red admirals, ect;     The White Admiral has a sort of bat like flight and the white wing stripes stands out

quite bright as it flits around the trees and bushes.   I eventually found one coming back to the same place where I could watch it and get a few shots with my camera,  I didn't realise at the time that it had wragged wings , but even like that it was a beautiful creature. 

Facinating Butterflies july 2011

The behaviour of butterflies like all fauna is facinating to observe,  and the purple Hairstreak is no exception.  Although these butterflies are seen on and around Oaks I have seen them on a variety of trees and plants.  Here in these photo's from The Ingrebourne Valley they are on Sycamore where I have seen them for some years.   On one warm evening recently I saw them on oak, Ash, Sycamore and Hawthorn.   If you get your eye in on them you can see them creep around and between the leaves and stalks twisting and turning flying up every now and then,  but always returning to the same place.   In the morning sun they lie flat on their side as if to catch the sunrays on their wings.

Male Purple Hairstreak on a Sycamore