Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Plants Page 53

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 Taken on 30 Jul 2006 at 12:56 Image of day on 18 Aug 2006

This is cattle country so we have to be careful not to let the poisonous Ragwort get where cattle could eat it. But this 'safe' patch attracts hoverflies.

Ref: 20060818_d10_20060730_1256_012 hoverflies on ragwort(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 06 Jun 2018 at 15:05 Image of day on 16 Jul 2018

The white Iris is a cultivar, but no less attractive than the yellow original. Three pairs of opposed flower petals at 120 degrees are interspersed with single petals to make a striking appearance.

Ref: 20180716_df3_20180606_1505_100 iris flower white near garage (orig & final)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 16 Sep 2024 at 11:11 Image of day on 31 Oct 2024

The main pond is totally overrun with Iris plants, some of which have formed seed capsules that burst open to release the rows of seeds.
They look rather appetising, but the WWW tells us that they taste bitter and are mildly poisonous to humans and most animals.

Ref: 20241031_df3_20240916_1111_005 iris open seed capsule(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 20 Dec 2006 at 12:15 Image of day on 07 Jan 2007

The fruiting ivy was also frosted. This sort of crystaline frost freezes moisture straight out of the air (like in freezers) and is called 'Hoar' frost.

Ref: 20070107_p34_20061220_1215_739 frost on ivy berries and leaves (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 17 Nov 2021 at 08:39 Image of day on 23 Dec 2021

This feast of browns and green along the edge of the Brook really caught our eye in the sunshine. The unbroken green of the Ivy covering the tree-trunk looks almost surreal against the bare bole of the tree.

Ref: 20211223_df3_20211117_0839_014 ivy covered tree-trunk at brook(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 24 Aug 2020 at 10:56 Image of day on 10 Oct 2020

Neither of us are keen on green flowers, but our aesthetic judgement is not shared by the insects. This head contains both unopened and open Ivy flowers.

Ref: 20201010_d73_20200824_1056_025 ivy flower starting to open attracting fly and wasp(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 06 Oct 2017 at 12:51 Image of day on 15 Nov 2017

This Ichneumon (a parasitic insect that used to be referred to as a 'Wasp') spent several minutes on this one Ivy flower, crawling all over it to feed.

Ref: 20171115_df3_20171006_1251_184 ivy flower with ichneumon pimpla hypochondriaca(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 06 Oct 2017 at 12:49 Image of day on 15 Nov 2017

Ivy always seems an unlikely plant to make flowers, but each year we get a good show at the end of the summer. The insects really appreciate this late bounty.

Ref: 20171115_df3_20171006_1249_175 ivy flower with wasp flying in (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 07 Jan 2007 at 10:56 Image of day on 13 Jan 2007

The Ivy fruits almost completely devoured in this patch of ivy.

Ref: 20070113_p34_20070107_1056_952 ivy seq(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 24 Apr 2009 at 18:01 Image of day on 18 May 2009

We are often asked for pictures of birds collecting nesting material. We won't loiter around birds actively nesting for fear of frightening them off or showing predators where to look. But these two 'chance' images show the supply end of the nest build. First a Jackdaw ripping strips of some bark.

Ref: 20090518_d35_20090424_1801_103 fb4 jackdaw pulling off strip of bark (for nesting (q)) against red campion(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 18 Nov 2016 at 15:21 Image of day on 26 Dec 2016

What a ~~mouthful~~ beakful. We leave strips of bark along the IR beam to help get images in focus, and they are gradually disappearing. It looks like Magpies are the 'guilty' party.

Ref: 20161226_e64_20161118_1521_054_fb2 jackdaw with strip of bark and leaf in beak(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 23 Apr 2013 at 05:51 Image of day on 04 Jun 2013

Can't resist the 3 for 2 offers when out 'shopping' for the nest?
For some reason this Jackdaw sometimes stops on the tree stump with it's next load of nesting material - usually just one twig or dried leaf. Here it looks like the woodland floor has been doing a 'special' on multiple items - a twig + fresh moss + a couple of autumn leaves, all 'to go'

Ref: 20130604_d36_20130423_0551_020_fb4 jackdaw with twig + moss + dried leaves in beak(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 30 Sep 2010 at 15:00 Image of day on 28 Nov 2010

Ref: 20101128_df1_20100930_1500_488-494 jay flying to post on bridleway dives down & turns into grass 17-23 of 23 (accurate montage exc left bird & wing)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 30 Sep 2010 at 15:00 Image of day on 28 Nov 2010

These 2 images show the jay flying down, skimming along the ground and then swerving to dive down on something in the grass. We have never seen this before and neither have experts we have consulted.

Ref: 20101128_df1_20100930_1500_478-487 jay flying to post on bridleway dives down and turns into grass 07-16 of 23 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 02 Dec 2024 at 11:45 Image of day on 07 Jan 2025

Across the Pond as viewed from inside the house, this Jay spends a couple of minutes scampering about the trees before disappearing into the conifer behind.

Ref: 20250107_df5_20241202_1145_046-1146_058 jay in pollarded willow n of main pond 1-3 of 3 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 25 Jul 2025 at 13:00 Image of day on 10 Sep 2025

Here you can see the orange underwing peeping through the not quite closed wings. At the centre bottom you see the edge of the underwing, but also that the same colour appears on the inside bottom edge of the upper wing - a feature we can't find on any other 'underwing' type of Moth in our guide books.

Ref: 20250910_d72_20250725_1300_147 jersey tiger moth (euplagia quadripunctaria) launches from leaf 1 of 3 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 25 Jul 2025 at 13:00 Image of day on 10 Sep 2025

A slightly horizontally spread montage of the perched insect taking off.
Read this right to left.

Ref: 20250910_d72_20250725_1300_147-149 jersey tiger moth (euplagia quadripunctaria) launches from leaf 1-3 of 3 (approx montage @8fps))(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 09 Nov 2007 at 10:30 Image of day on 12 Dec 2007

A kestrel-jackdaw altercation gave us the opportunity for this image. The 'sky' has been cleaned up to remove out of focus foreground branches, but was this beautiful colour.

Ref: 20071212_d01_20071109_1030_073 kestrel (web crop with foreground willows removed)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 21 Feb 2024 at 12:33 Image of day on 13 Mar 2024

After the above visit to the Meadow Post, she moves to the tall trunk of the pollarded willow behind the Duck Pond. We only have a trail cam here, so the images are not prime quality, but it is good to see her making the most of all the hunting posts, and this camera also more reliably catches moments of departure.

Ref: 20240313_sp2_20240221_1233_061+1228_060+1227_057 kestrel 6m visit to duck pond willow pollard (montage intervals 6m + 9secs)(r+mb id@768).jpg

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