Archived & Upcoming Images of the Day
The female Kestrel flew to the Meadow post.
What a fantastic bird!
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
A third of a second after the previous frame the female Kestrel is already poised on the top of the post.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Comma Butterflies seem to have been about since Spring. These will overwinter as Adults in some protected spot (like a shed!) to appear next April to lay the eggs for the new 2020 generation. This one is on a Mint flower.
.jpg)
This view through the underside of the wing just shows the 'comma' of the Butterfly showing through from the 'top' side. This one is on an Ivy flower.
.jpg)
Back on a Mint flowers, the underside of this Comma Butterfly emphasises the wonderful scalloped edge and the white 'comma' mark.
.jpg)
Green Veined White Butterflies have been seen here regularly this year. This one is on the seemingly never ending supply of Mint flowers Now in their second brood, eggs laid now overwinter as Chrysalises.
.jpg)
Green Veined White Butterflies have been seen here regularly this year. This one is on the seemingly never ending supply of Mint flowers Now in their second brood, eggs laid now overwinter as Chrysalises.
.jpg)
As the rising sun in the east glows orange on the leaves, the moon nears setting in the west.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
2 mornings later we catch the moon against a darker sky. Notice how the line of shadow (the 'terminator') accentuates the craters.
.jpg)
A few Migrant Hawker Dragonflies hunt over the meadow during the warmer parts of the day. Here is one in an accurate montage (so slowing down) with a larger scale portrait from what would have been on the right.
 + 3 of 7 insert(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
This is a male Common Darter Dragonfly perched on a cut hedge twig
.jpg)
In the mid-day sunshine a female Common Darter Dragonfly waits for lunch to fly by.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Detail of a head and legs of this female Common Darter Dragonfly.
Note the yellow stripe down the leg - a characteristic of this species.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
This female Common Darter Dragonfly decided that this side of a cardboard box would be a good place to perch in the sun, and perhaps make an even better shadow.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
In a field margin the Prickly Sow-Thistle pops up it's head after the recent cut. Its a rather smaller flower than the familiar dandelion.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
In front of the house (in something you might call a flower bed) Mallow flowers continue to bloom.
.jpg)
All around, and in our patch, the Hawthorn hedges are producing their bounty.
.jpg)
For a couple of mornings we have found a fox down by the brook apparently dozing in the morning sunshine. He gave us a good hard stare, apparently classified us as 'mostly harmless', went back to dozing.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
After a weeks absence, we are pleased to again see the Tawny Owl come to check out our patch.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
2 short visits by obviously the same Tawny Owl 2 days apart.
The 1st & 3rd, and 2nd & 4th (from the left) images are uncannily almost
identical despite quite definitely being 2 days apart - notice the new damage to
the post at the top right hand edge occurring in the intervening 2 days.
 1-5 of 5 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
This Red Kite flew overhead spending about half a second peering upwards at something we never did see.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
We missed the take-off from the crossbar 100m left, but guessing the
destination had the camera focussed and running to catch this landing
at the next one along.
We sometimes cringe at how close these birds come to an explosive death
on the 11kV cables, once seen and described to us by a local farmer.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Here we see a Buzzard flying by, disappearing behind a poplar that also provided the reference for this accurately spaced montage. Just over half a second of flight.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
A Rook flies by the west side of the house, photographed through an upstairs window.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Groups of 10 or 15 Canada Geese, flying over in the early morning, has progressed to this group of about 60, seen here against the morning sky.
.jpg)
A minute later the Canada Geese have formed into a long skein for their couple of minutes or so journey west.
.jpg)
After a sad lack of Honey Bees in the last few weeks, a few were feasting on now flowering Ivy, this Bee is well loaded with Pollen.
.jpg)
A dazzling Sunflower has almost finished offering it's pollen ready to get down to the business of making Sunflower seeds.
.jpg)
This male Reeve's Muntjac Deer has arrived to investigate whatever food is left at the meadow site.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Much more detail of the male Reeve's Muntjac Deer face, with Antlers still barely buds.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Looking down our site's eastern path we catch this lovely male
Reeve's Muntjac Deer staring at us from about 70m away. He
sauntered off down the path on the left where we left him in peace.
With the fully grown antlers now showing as bone means we have at least two
males visiting our patch.
.jpg)