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Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image Taken on 28 Aug 2010 at 17:54    Image of day on 12 Oct 2010

Another view of a House Martin banking really hard in flight.


Ref: 20101012_df1_20100828_1754_272 house martin in flight with wings past vertical(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 05 Jun 2021 at 08:14    Image of day on 07 Jul 2021

This pair of Hover-flies were making so much noise about it that we had to investigate the frantic buzzing and found these two on a bramble growing out of a miniature conifer. These taken over 8 minutes. At frame 5 he fell off - but she let him regain his classic position. We left them to it and they were gone half and hour later.


Ref: 20210707_df3_20210605_0814_003-0822_076 hover-flies (merodon equestris) mating on blackberry leaf 1-6 of 6 (montage over 8 mins)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 25 Jun 2012 at 16:00    Image of day on 06 Aug 2012

A buzzing in the grass led us to this little encounter between what we thought was two rather slim bumble-bees. But one of our weekly assortment readers quickly told us that these are Hover-flies Volucella bombylans which mimic and parasitise bumble-bees. The yellow specks are pollen grains.


Ref: 20120806_df1_20120625_1600_148 hover-flies volucella bombylans (bumble-bee mimic & parasite) mating (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 15 May 2020 at 13:00    Image of day on 13 Jun 2020

Quite a large Hover-fly this, feeding on Garlic Mustard flowers.


Ref: 20200613_df3_20200515_1300_057+055 hover-fly (leucozoma lucorum) feeding on garlic mustard (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 28 May 2022 at 09:11    Image of day on 06 Jul 2022

The species of this Hover-fly is uncertain.
References images with similar markings all have much more dominant black.
Pleased to meet you even if we don't know what you are!


Ref: 20220706_df3_20220528_0911_159 hover-fly (maybe helophilus pendulus) (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 26 Apr 2020 at 17:52    Image of day on 21 May 2020

This Hover-fly was hovering about a metre away, holding position really accurately, providing the chance of this in-flight portrait.


Ref: 20200521_df3_20200426_1752_264 hover-fly hovering(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 08 Jul 2007 at 11:21    Image of day on 24 Jul 2007

The wet weather has made some of the vegetable beds unworkable and they have become wild flower meadows. This one is covered in thistles on which this hover-fly was resting.


Ref: 20070724_d10_20070708_1121_062 hover-fly on thistle flower(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 21 May 2019 at 10:15    Image of day on 25 Jun 2019

Another new Hover-fly for us, perched on a leaf. A hover-fly specialist has corrected our original ID, which we agreed with once we had studied ours and two apparently reliable reference pics in detail.


Ref: 20190625_df5_20190521_1015_029 hover-fly probably dasysyrphus venustus (previously thought to be scaeva pyrastri)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 21 May 2019 at 08:16    Image of day on 25 Jun 2019

On the Hawthorn Flowers we spotted this Hover-fly which promptly departed before we could get some more detailed pics of it. We seem to be seeing a number of new-to-us species of Hoverfly this Spring. This seems to be Syrphus Ribesii.


Ref: 20190625_df5_20190521_0816_012 hover-fly probably syrphus ribesii female on hawthorn flowers (detail crop)(r+mb id@432).jpg

Image Taken on 11 Jul 2011 at 10:19    Image of day on 25 Aug 2011

We didn't realise Hover-flies came this big or Gorgeous and had an expert confirm our ID as a Volucella zonaria. He commented 'I think it's the biggest native species of hover-fly, but only took up residence in Britain in the 1940s. ... The larvae live in wasp nests.'


Ref: 20110825_df1_20110711_1019_067 hover-fly volucella zonaria on blackberry flower (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image of day on 21 Aug 2007

Facing into and moderate wind this Female Kestrel (the 'Motorway bird') hovered and eventually dived onto prey over an adjacent hay meadow. Once loaded the sequence runs about 5 times slower than life (a bit over 1 second of real time) - what an athlete.


Ref: 20070821_kestrel hovering 20070727 (anim).gif

Image Taken on 28 Aug 2011 at 18:15    Image of day on 20 Oct 2011

There is a family of 4 Buzzard in a copse 600m to our East. The young birds seem to be given sparring lessons by the parents. Here the bird below was hovering in a strong wind blowing from the left and had a passing skirmish with the bird flying above. The bottom bird held its position relative to the trees, so we have spread out the montage to the left. All in half a second!


Ref: 20111020_df1_20110828_1815_045-048 hovering buzzard skirmishing with another flying over 1-4 of 5 (interpretation montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image of day on 17 Jul 2007

For a few seconds a Buzzard turned into the wind and hovered keeping position as impressively as a kestrel. This sequence of 7 images plays in approximately real-time.


Ref: 20070717_buzzard hovering in strong wind (anim).gif

Image Taken on 30 Apr 2016 at 07:26    Image of day on 04 Jun 2016

A Jackdaw flew across our path carrying a wad of soft brown material in the beak.


Ref: 20160604_df3_20160430_0726_067+069+072+073 jackdaw flying with nest material landing on power cable 1+3-5 of 7 (impression montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 30 Apr 2016 at 07:26    Image of day on 04 Jun 2016

The Jackdaw unexpectedly landed on an 11kV power line right in front of us and we could see that the load was probably animal hair to provide comforts to the nest, wherever it might be.


Ref: 20160604_df3_20160430_0726_074+075 jackdaw in flight with nesting material landing on power cable 6+7 of 7 (bird shifted montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 20 Apr 2011 at 11:26    Image of day on 16 May 2011

An unusually aggressive looking Jackdaw lands on the perch looking ready for a fight with anything.


Ref: 20110516_d3b_20110420_1126_029_fb3 jackdaw landing in aggressive posture(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 26 Nov 2020 at 14:51    Image of day on 04 Jan 2021

In recent years Jackdaws have mostly disappeared in the summer months, returning for the Winter.


Ref: 20210104_d01_20201126_1451_017+018_fb6 jackdaw landing on meadow post (montage about 300ms apart)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 13 Apr 2023 at 07:33    Image of day on 21 May 2023

A Jackdaw making a head-on landing on the Meadow Post.


Ref: 20230521_d01_20230413_0733_003_fb6 jackdaw landing on meadow post backlit(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 11 Jun 2014 at 09:53    Image of day on 18 Aug 2014

This Jackdaw is particularly aggressive / confident / stupid / Testosterone driven (you choose!) and launches itself at anything in its way including the normally dominant Grey Squirrels.
Here the Jackdaw is trying to chase away a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker who may have wished it had launched half a second earlier!


Ref: 20140818_e60_20140611_0953_143_fb3 jackdaw landing on perch as great spotted woodpecker juvenile hangs under perch (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 24 May 2014 at 15:15    Image of day on 03 Aug 2014

"Boo!"
Before we actually saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker we imagined from the name and noise they make that they would be a much bigger bird. Here you can see the size relative to the much larger Jackdaw.


Ref: 20140803_e60_20140524_1515_095_fb3 jackdaw landing on perch as great spotted woodpecker male watches from peanut feeder(r+mb id@768).jpg

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