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Image-of-the-Day by Subject
Insects (assorted) Page 17
Image Taken on 27 May 2019
at 10:04 Image of day on 28 Jun 2019
A rather magnificent Red Soldier Beetle gives us a couple of different views.
 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20190628_df5_20190527_1004_009+008 red soldier beetle (prob rhagonycha fulva) (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Jul 2019
at 15:56 Image of day on 04 Sep 2019
More Red Soldier Beetles doing what they do best - making MORE soldier Beetles.
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Ref: 20190904_df3_20190726_1556_062 14 red soldier beetles(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 15 Jul 2019
at 15:45 Image of day on 04 Sep 2019
A scrum of Red Soldier Beetles all trying to find someone to mate with.
We particularly like the one on the right coming across from a leaf to join in the fray.
Also known as the Hogweed Bonking Beetle, its not hard to see why!
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Ref: 20190904_df3_20190715_1545_011 5 red soldier beetles on small thistle flower head(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 03 May 2020
at 16:12 Image of day on 27 May 2020
This Red-headed Cardinal Beetle was glowing in the sunshine on the
end of some sort of dried up stem.
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Ref: 20200527_df3_20200503_1612_104 red-headed cardinal beetle(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 11 Jun 2016
at 12:53 Image of day on 25 Jul 2016
The Red-headed Cardinal Beetle is a quite startling insect even though only
about 1.5cm long. It wasn't keen on the photographer's approach and was opening
the wing cases to release the wings even as this frame was taken. The
never-to-be-answered question is 'where did it go?'.
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Ref: 20160725_df3_20160611_1253_258 red-headed cardinal beetle (pyrochroa serraticornis)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 12 May 2024
at 13:24 Image of day on 07 Jun 2024
One of the regular Beetle visitors.
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Ref: 20240607_df3_20240512_1324_099 red-headed cardinal beetle (pyrochropa serraticcornis)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 15 May 2006
at 06:14 Image of day on 25 May 2006
The delivery flight for the 06:15 breakfast of green caterpillars
to a nestful of youngsters we know not where - there are lots of good
places to nest.
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Ref: 20060525_d35_20060515_0614_051 fb2 robin in flight with beakful of green caterpillars(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 23 Jun 2007
at 12:12 Image of day on 16 Jul 2007
Robins used this patch of hedge to pause with beaks full
of food before diving across the path into a dense growth
on the other side where the nest must be.
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Ref: 20070716_d10_20070623_1212_069 robin in hedge with caterpillar(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 22 Jun 2013
at 17:16 Image of day on 03 Aug 2013
The robins 'owning' the area around this site have photographed
themselves several times with these tiny caterpillars in their
beaks. We don't provide Robin nestboxes - they prefer the
extensive hedging.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20130803_d50_20130622_1716_162_fb1 robin landing with caterpillar in beak (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 28 Jun 2013
at 15:03 Image of day on 11 Aug 2013
Robins are breeding all over the plot - we haven't looked for the nests
but see all the activity we expect.
Any volunteers to be a little green grub - the favourite pick by the parents
to feed to the nestlings.
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Ref: 20130811_d5c_20130628_1503_034_fb2 robin on log with caterpillar in beak(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 04 May 2015
at 09:44 Image of day on 27 Jun 2015
The posts supporting about 100 Lombardy Poplars along the farm
road are starting to get used by the wildlife. We caught this
robin stopping off for a moment presumably on his way back to the
nest. Talk about 'overloaded'.
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Ref: 20150627_df3_20150504_0944_009 robin on tree stake with 3 different caterpillars held by beak (crop 2)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 24 Apr 2006
at 06:24 Image of day on 29 Apr 2006
Looks like these robins have a family to feed. A small
caterpillar we guess is destined for a small beak. This
was one of a number of visits.
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Ref: 20060429_d3e_20060424_0624_066 fb1 robin with caterpillar(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 04 May 2015
at 17:41 Image of day on 27 Jun 2015
A Robin with a caterpillar in the beak. We are seeing Robins all
round the site collecting insects & grubs.
Youngsters to feed already we think.
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Ref: 20150627_e62_20150504_1741_017_fb5 robin with caterpillar in beak(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 23 Aug 2013
at 11:07 Image of day on 19 Oct 2013
Neither of our aging ears can hear the chirp of crickets anymore,
but we spotted this female Roesel's Bush Cricket low on the
ground looking wonderful in the sunlight. The antennae are at
least as long as the body of the insect and would probably have
carried on out of this crop if not hidden by foliage.
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Ref: 20131019_df1_20130823_1107_084 roesels bush cricket female in meadow grasses (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 15 Jul 2021
at 16:03 Image of day on 25 Aug 2021
A Roesel's Bush Cricket we found on a garden bench Note the very long antennae
sported by Crickets - Grasshoppers sport much shorter antennae.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20210825_d73_20210715_1603_005 roesels bush cricket of garden bench (orig)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Oct 2008
at 11:04 Image of day on 22 Oct 2008
In some long grass we came across this cricket, body about 2cm
long. One of our e-mail recipients suggests that is a
Roesel's Bush-Cricket (Metrioptera roeselii)
which seems to be correct and is a new sighting this year for
this area.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20081022_da1_20081010_1104_020 roesels bush-cricket (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Sep 2014
at 15:48 Image of day on 20 Nov 2014
We put the insect in the longer grass, and then struggled to get a good image!
One antenna goes up and left, the other is bent down to the right.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20141120_df2_20140910_1548_090 roesels bush-cricket in rough grass (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Sep 2014
at 15:49 Image of day on 20 Nov 2014
To our horror it then leapt off towards the pond, and jumped
right in. We grabbed a hat to scoop it out, but it was managing
perfectly fine on the dense weed, so we left it in peace.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20141120_df2_20140910_1549_092 roesels bush-cricket on pond weeds (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 10 Sep 2014
at 15:47 Image of day on 20 Nov 2014
We picked up this Cricket on a path before it got trodden on, and
photographed it 'in the hand' - for scale this is the base of
an adult's thumb. The Antenna rising upwards continues for about
another frame height - we didn't want to lose the detail of the
insects body by shrinking it.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20141120_df2_20140910_1547_074 roesels bush-cricket on thumb joint (crop 2)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 11 Apr 2022
at 10:02 Image of day on 12 May 2022
Next day a trail cam catches this Rook picking up a long piece of Blackthorn
twig way out of balance for the bird to fly with.
Elsewhere we watched how a Rook managed unbalanced loads.
About 10 times a Rook picked up a long twig away from the balance point,
drop it, and immediately pick it up again. About the tenth attempt found a reasonably
central point and the Rook flew off with their prize.
It would seem that Rooks can't estimate where the centre of balance is,
and substitute persistence as a means of getting the job done!
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Ref: 20220512_bu7_20220411_1002_005 rook picking up blackthorn twig but too unbalanced to fly yet(r+mb id@576).jpg
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