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Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image Taken on 12 Apr 2020 at 12:24    Image of day on 27 Apr 2020

This carpet of Forget-me-Not flowers are under the Oak at the side of the Meadow.


Ref: 20200427_df3_20200412_1224_070 forget-me-not flower carpet under oak tree (orig & final)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 27 Apr 2021 at 12:59    Image of day on 25 May 2021

Often seeing a couple of different colours of Forget-me-not flowers on a single plant, this little group on a single stem sports 5 different tints.
We wondered if this was unusual, and found no on-line pics with this many colours on one plant. But also discovered that there are about 70 recorded species of Forget-me-nots with a wild variety of single colours, and about 500 species altogether, mostly not classified.


Ref: 20210525_d73_20210427_1259_147 forget-me-not flowerhead in multiple colours(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 26 Mar 2024 at 10:49    Image of day on 25 Apr 2024

The partly shaded patches of our site are covered in self-set Forget-me-not clumps.


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Image Taken on 01 May 2016 at 16:16    Image of day on 10 Jun 2016

Along our paths we see lots of Forget-me-not flowers emerging. We sometimes see this mix of blue and pink flowers on the same head. A little web search discovers that most of this species produce Pink flowers that quickly fade to blue. Indeed the bottom flower still has a tinge of pink.


Ref: 20160610_df3_20160501_1616_074 forget-me-not flowers with blue and (more recently opened) pink petals(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 05 Apr 2024 at 11:15    Image of day on 01 May 2024

This patch of Forget-me-nots under the Meadow-side Oak tree covers about 40 square metres.


Ref: 20240501_df3_20240405_1115_030 forget-me-not patch about 40 sq metres under oak tree(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 14 Apr 2024 at 09:26    Image of day on 08 May 2024

Forget-me-nots and Garlic Mustard have gone quite mad this year. Here a patch of each on the bank of Round Pond reflected in the still water.


Ref: 20240508_df3_20240414_0926_118 forget-me-nots & garlic mustard on bank reflected in round pond water (adjusted crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 20 Apr 2018 at 10:42    Image of day on 27 May 2018

Under an Oak tree at the edge of the meadow is a carpet of Forget-me-nots of which this is one edge. Smaller self-seeded carpets are popping up all over the partly shaded area of the meadow.


Ref: 20180527_df3_20180420_1042_026 forget-me-nots over a few square metres(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 06 Jul 2020 at 10:51    Image of day on 13 Aug 2020

We do enjoy these 'Fox & Cubs' flowers self-set around the house and providing flashes of brilliant orange. The insects like them too.


Ref: 20200813_d73_20200706_1051_019 fox & cubs flowers with 2 marmalade hover-flies(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 20 Jun 2024 at 10:35    Image of day on 20 Jul 2024

On a different scale Fox and Cubs make splashes of colour just a few centimetres across around the south and west of the house..


Ref: 20240720_df3_20240620_1035_005 fox and cubs cluster of flowers(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 02 Jun 2018 at 14:29    Image of day on 16 Jul 2018

Every year the front of the house erupts in these self-sown vivid orange flowers called 'Fox and Cubs'. The flower clumps are only about 4cm across, but make up for it as little 'flames' burning in the sunshine.


Ref: 20180716_df3_20180602_1429_042 fox and cubs flower cluster(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 13 Jun 2025 at 12:29    Image of day on 29 Jul 2025

Fox and Cubs is among one of several of our 'favourite flowers'. They just glow like tiny suns.


Ref: 20250729_df3_20250613_1229_023 fox and cubs flowers(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 22 Jun 2019 at 10:00    Image of day on 11 Aug 2019

A delight of early summer is a patch of Fox and Cubs that each year appears at the front of the house. These are small flowers each only 1.5 to 2 cm across.


Ref: 20190811_df5_20190622_1000_106 fox and cubs flowers(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 12 Jun 2020 at 12:27    Image of day on 18 Jul 2020

While working up the above we find this amazingly camouflaged insect we have totally failed to ID. Any suggestions?


Ref: 20200718_df3_20200612_1227_101 fox and cubs flowers and buds - detail of unident insect (crop)(r+mb id@288).jpg

Image Taken on 12 Jun 2020 at 12:27    Image of day on 18 Jul 2020

Little clumps of 'Fox and Cubs' are glowing around the south and west of the house.


Ref: 20200718_df3_20200612_1227_101 fox and cubs flowers and buds - normal(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 12 Jan 2025 at 11:45    Image of day on 17 Feb 2025

Fox activity at mid-day - quietly hunting at the bank of Round Pond and about 6 minutes later departing at the east hedge gap.


Ref: 20250217_bu5_20250112_1145_295_sc1+bua_20250112_1151_136+137_sc8 fox at round pond leaves at east hedge 6 minutes later (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 06 Aug 2007 at 15:13    Image of day on 31 Aug 2007

Mid afternoon, in a rough grass field adjacent to our plot, two young foxes foraged and frolicked 50m away from us for half an hour.


Ref: 20070831_d01_20070806_1513_067 fox bounding in rough grass (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 25 Apr 2023 at 05:44    Image of day on 08 Jun 2023

Just before dawn 2 days later we see this adult Fox carrying a quite large prey item rather laboriously across the grass by the Duck Pond. Other images suggest that this is most likely a Hare. Regular visits by prey animals get noticed by their hunters.


Ref: 20230608_bu8_20230425_0544_097-099 fox carrying large prey slowly across grass by duck pond 1-3 of 3 (approx montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 26 May 2023 at 04:03    Image of day on 18 Jul 2023

It hasn't rained here since the coronation (3 weeks), but this Fox's fur is sodden. No-mow May means that even the grass paths become dew-drenched each morning.


Ref: 20230718_e64_20230526_0403_093_fb2 fox cub at woodland site presumably wet from dew-soaked grass(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 23 Jun 2022 at 20:47    Image of day on 11 Aug 2022

Almost all of our detailed pics of Foxes are at night when there Irises are close to fully open. Here we catch an evening moment where the partly closed irises clearly show that the closed iris is a vertical slit.


Ref: 20220811_bu9_20220623_2047_032_sc2 fox eye reflection showing vertical slot iris(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 17 May 2022 at 01:55    Image of day on 19 Jun 2022

This Fox is hunting at the end of the Orchard at 2 a.m.
Is the front leg raised ready to pounce?


Ref: 20220619_bu9_20220517_0155_053_sc2 fox hunting in grass at end of orchard(r+mb id@768).jpg

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