Thursday 12 July 2012

Snatching Some Light for the Marbled White!



Often, during a 'typical' British Summer, we are hard put to snatch the occasional warm and sunny week, sometimes it is just the odd day here and there but this year it has been difficult to find even an hour or two of nice weather! It is immensely disappointing for those of us who like to get out in the countryside with our cameras. But if it has been disappointing for us it has been devastating for our wildlife with ground nests washed away, nests in holes in river banks flooded out and much needed grubs and insects washed from foliage resulting in many dead nestlings. Unfortunately, many people too have had their homes flooded out, some more than once...truly devastating! And while we in the UK suffer the effects of extreme weather, many abroad are also experiencing devastation with baking temperatures and dreadful, damaging fires. Whether these extremes are anything to do with global warming will no doubt be the subject of much discussion and, I suspect, little conclusion.

I have managed to get out with the camera from time to time but have been dismayed by the small number of butterflies and Odonata seen in comparison to other years. This Common Blue was photographed in the rain so not the best of photos.


Common Blue Butterfly


 This one was taken in much better conditions! 



 '[Butterflies] That flash like meteors through the shady bowers,
And rest like broken rainbows on the flowers,
Themselves more rich and beautiful of hue
Than any flower that's nourish'd by the dew.'
(Unknown)


The Song Thrush, with its predilection for snails, will be one bird which has seen some benefit from all the rain! This one was seen in fading light so the photo has been lightened a little.



Song Thrush


When I was coming to the end of a walk, again in not very favourable conditions, I spotted what I thought was a fledgling among the grass but quickly realised it was this handsome fellow.



Common Toad

'The world has held great Heroes,
As history-books have showed;
But never a name to go down to fame
Compared with that of Toad!

The clever men at Oxford
Know all that there is to be knowed.
But they none of them know one half as much
As intelligent Mr Toad!'
(Kenneth Grahame)




Something which, by any stretch of the imagination, couldn't be called handsome but is nevertheless impressive, is this fearsome looking Yellow Dung Fly. Had I found it in the place which its name suggests it wouldn't have found its way on to my post but luckily it was on a flower. They do feed on pollen but it was most likely to have been hunting for smaller insects to prey upon.



Yellow Dung Fly


Not quite as fearsome from this angle!




This Grey Squirrel was intrigued enough by me to pose for a photo.


Grey Squirrel


A walk along this stretch of a local canal a few weeks ago should have produced a wealth of Odonata. The vegetation is usually teeming but on this occasion absolutely nothing at all was seen!




More recently on a different stretch of the canal I have seen a few damselflies but nowhere near as many as other years. These were in the classic 'wheel' (copulation) position.



White-legged Damselflies


One rare, fine afternoon recently (the sun only lasted for about an hour!) I decided to look for the butterfly with which I started this post, in a location within easy walking distance of home. I have seen them there in the past and was pleasantly surprised to find them straight away.


Marbled White Butterfly (female)

'A rustle of corn-leaves;
a tinkle Of bells on the hills;
a twinkle Of sheep in the lowlands;
a bevy Of bees where the clover is heavy;
A butterfly blundering by, —
And that is July!'
(James Newton Matthews)


I wasn't able to get one with wings fully open. I do think they are very attractive butterflies!



I have no idea why but the next little insect is one I always enjoy finding each year and I nearly always see one on the same clump of Ox-eye Daisies. It's my old friend the Fat-legged Beetle (Oedemera nobilis).


Fat-legged Beetle


Finally, they say this is the weather for ducks so I thought I would finish with Mrs Mallard


Mallard Duck


and baby mallard.


Mallard Duckling


Until the next time...enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

61 comments:

  1. a lovely set of photos. my favorite is #2. and there is just something about a toad that makes me SMILE! :)

    so sorry about the excessive rains and flooding. how wonderful if we could even out the weather patterns across the globe.

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  2. Die Bilderserie ist wunderschön anzusehen,
    ♥Crissi♥

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  3. Lovely post, SS. You've found a few goodies despite the weather. I love all the photos but particularly the beautifully lit duckling :)

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  4. Hi Jan...before I forget ..yes it is called Velvet Grass here : }
    Surely has been a strange summer, and it passes so quickly, that I have given up on the catch-up part!!
    Your photos are awesome in spite of the weather! I do like the Marbled White and the Common Blue..the Toad and the poem I do love ; }!
    The eyes of the Dung Fly , and the fat legged beetle "great"!!
    Take care my friend!!
    Grace

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  5. Hi Jan,
    Sorry to hear about the rains and weather there, here we are just waiting for rains,we have hardly seen rains this year:)
    I love all your shots of the butterflies and that Yellow Dung fly guess seeing it on the flower doesn't go with th name..lol.Great shots of the ducks.Have a great weekend!

    Shantana

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  6. Hi Jan,

    i was so thrilled to see your lovely image of the toad. I have not seen one here for a very long time, so to see him sitting amongst the vegetation was a delight.
    I love the Song Thrush, so hopefully they will have done well this year. I have seen many along the lanes.....so please a good year for them :)

    Marbled White....never seen one in the wild.......I love the black white detail.

    Little Mallard is cute.....

    I sensed your desparation when you left a comment on my one of my posts. When will this all end Jan.......I know you like me, love our wildlife. I am sure you worry, as I do, on a daily basis.
    Lets hope this dreadful weather will stop soon and let some of our wildlife recover....

    Tku once again for a delightful and charming post.

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  7. Hi Jan,

    We traditionally complain about the weather but this year I think we have every right to do so if only in support of all our wildlife. Like many others I worry for the invertebrates as they are a very important link in natures food chain.

    Nice pics of the Common Blue ... I haven't seen any on my local patch at all this year .. very worrying.

    Love the Marbled White .. another one that is still on my 'to see list' this year.

    Thanks for a lovely post despite the 'wellie' weather.

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  8. Hello Songbird, had to go make a cuppa before settling in to read your post, I alwasy enjoy reading them, :-)

    Seeing your blog name crop up on my side bar indicating a new post, is like when I come across a spanking newly emerged Flutter, a little piece of excitement ;-)

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  9. Hello Songbird, had to go make a cuppa before settling in to read your post, I alwasy enjoy reading them, :-)

    Seeing your blog name crop up on my side bar indicating a new post, is like when I come across a spanking newly emerged Flutter, a little piece of excitement ;-)

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  10. A delightful shot of the Marbled White on clover, Jan. One of my favourite flutters!

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  11. Loved reading your post, Jan. Beautiful set of photos. I had to smile at Mt Toad! Dung flies are interesting to look at arn't they? I adore squirrels! The damselflies are forming a perfect heart :) Love your baby duckling too. Just gorgeous. x

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  12. Hi Jan, what a delightful post! Your images are splendid. I especially like the Yellow Dung Fly photo's, photographed resting on a flower makes them look more endearing. :-)
    I have seen very little in the way of Butterflies and Odonata, in fact last summer was not much better. Like yourself and others I feel for the Wildlife and also those who have had flooding be it homes or businesses.

    It was good to see and feel some warm sunshine today but sadly the rains have returned this evening.

    Your delightful post and images have cheered a dull evening, thank you Jan!
    Enjoy your walks.

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  13. I love the Marbled White, but, it doesn't last very long. And it's only 1 week since we had midsummer, and we have had nothing but rain - will we get a summer this year!!!!!!

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  14. Hi Jan,
    Lovely to see some butterflies and I love that first shot of the Common Blue!
    I replied to a comment on my blog refering to the weather that this planet of ours is experiencing at the moment and put forward a thought that whilst it is devastating to those people who have been flooded etc, there is only one species on this planet that has created the problems that we are now experiencing, a species that is far more able to cope than those smaller ones. I for one, firmly believe that climate change is to blame and whilst this is a natural phenomenon, there is only one thing responsible for the speed in which it is occurring, MAN.
    J
    Follow me at HEDGELAND TALES

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  15. Jan your butterfly shots are fabulous! I also enjoyed seeing the frog and bugs too!! Hope you get that much needed sunshine soon!!! Love the duckling!!

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  16. Lovely set and post, as always Jan.

    I think this years weather will be remembered for a long time. The wildlife has really struggled so far.

    Enjoyed the Common Blue, and like Frank I haven't seen any at my local at all this year, and it's usually one of the most abundant.

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  17. Excellent post again, love all the photos but especially the ones of the Marbled Whites and Common Blues :-)

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  18. I do like Marbled Whites Jan, they're very photogenic too, as your pictures show very well.
    It's hard to explain how disappointing the weather has been, especially as you say, for those who want to photograph or just enjoy the great outdoors and its inhabitants. Maybe we'll get an indian summer.
    Your impressive pictures and words about the Dung Fly just go to prove there's an interest to be found in all creatures if you look close enough!

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  19. Beautiful macro shots Jan.

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  20. What a lovely selection of wildlife. I seem to see very little these days of overcast, damp conditions. They don't even appear during the brief bursts of sunshine.

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  21. Lovely photos and words Jan. Really love the butterfly photos especially the Marbled White (I have only ever seen this species on the Isle of Wight although I think they do occur in Warwickshire). The last picture of the mallard duckling is so cute :).

    Bad as the weather is for us I too worry so much about the wildlife especially butterflies. I have just seen one "flutter" in the garden since 30th May!!! Even when I do manage to get out in the few hours sunshine we get here and there I see few if any butterflies or dragonflies :(

    The canal looks a beautiful place to walk.

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  22. TexWisGirl

    Thank you Theresa, Toads make me smile too. I can't understand why some people think they are ugly or scary!!! We'll trade some of our rain for some of your sun, that should do it :-)

    Crissi

    Thank you Crissi. So pleased you enjoyed them :-)

    Marianne

    Thank you Marianne. I feel lucky to get any photos in sunshine this year, each one is a bonus!

    grammie g

    Thank you Grace. The year does seem to be racing past while we (in the UK) are still waiting for a Summer which just never arrives :-(

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  23. Fantastic photos, as always, Jan! The one of the yellow dung fly is amazing, though I certainly wouldn't call him beautiful:)

    I have been having the opposite problem in taking photos--the sun is always shining so brightly here that the color is washed out in every photo. Yes, I do wonder what is happening to our climate; everyone seems to be suffering from one extreme to the other. As much as I complain about the heat and drought here, I do realize we are lucky: my heart goes out to those who have lost their homes, whether from flooding or wildfires.

    I loved the little poem about the toad. There is never a shortage of toads at my house, and I'm glad to see them, even if sometimes they like to jump out unexpectedly of pots I'm planting:)

    Here's hoping some the sun will soon shine on you and that a little rain will fall on me!

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  24. NatureStop

    Thank you Shantana. Pleas send us some of your lovely, sunny weather. Wouldn't it be wonderful if it was as easy as that? Hope you have a lovely weekend too!

    Cheryl

    Thank you Cheryl. It was lovely to see the Toad, I used to see them in my garden but haven't seen one for years now! I am lucky to see the Marbled Whites so close to home, they are very pretty butterflies.
    The weather this year has been extraordinary! You are quite right, I do feel desperation and indeed desolation for the plight of our wildlife. We can only hope Mother Nature will show her usual resilience and that next year will be much better which may go some way to rectifying the situation...I do hope so!

    Frank

    Thank you Frank. The potential consequences of the dreadful weather this year on our wildlife are terribly worrying. I heard on the news today that waders are arriving months before they should! Everything seems so out of kilter. I haven't seen many Common Blues here, nowhere near as many as usual but that is the same of all butterflies this time.
    It does seem completely bizarre to have to wear wellies in the middle of July!

    Warren Baker

    Thank you Warren. I'm glad you enjoyed it and that it's only tea you drink while reading my posts, I'd be a bit worried if you needed whisky to get through them! :-)

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  25. Przykro mi, że u Was taka okropna pogoda i zrobiła szkody ludziom. U nas były upały i burze,a intensywne opady deszczu też robiły szkody. Jednak mimo tego, masz cudowne zdjęcia ze spacerów. W tym roku u nas też jakoś mniej motyli fruwa, a ważkę widziałam dopiero raz. Twoje motylki są śliczne, ale ważki,ptaki,wiewiórka, ropucha i inne owady też oczywiście. Ostatnie zdjęcie jest słodkie, a właściwie to kaczuszka. Pozdrawiam bardzo cieplutko.
    I am sorry that you in this terrible weather, and did harm to people. We were the heat and storms, and heavy rain also did damage. However, despite this, you have wonderful pictures of the walks. This year, with us or somehow less of butterflies flying around, and only once saw a dragonfly. Your butterflies are beautiful, but dragonflies, birds, squirrel, toad and other insects, of course. The last picture is sweet, and actually a duck. Yours very warm.

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  26. Rob

    Thank you Rob. They are very attractive!

    Omi

    Thank you Omi. Mr Toad made me smile too :-) I had never photographed Odonata in 'the wheel' before so I was pleased with that. Yes, those YDFs are some scary looking creatures!
    Have a lovely weekend Omi, sending a X back :-)

    Pam

    Hi Pam, thank you. If I was a tiny insect I definitely wouldn't have wanted to be on that flower with the dung fly, you're right though it does look much better than it would 'elsewhere' :-) due to illness last year I missed a lot of the Summer but when I did get out I barely saw any butterflies :-( We had torrential rain again last night and there is more to come later this afternoon!

    Bob Bushell

    Thank you Bob. It is a treat to see the Marbled Whites. I am honestly thinking we aren't going to get any Summer at all this year :-(

    John

    Thank you John. It really is a pleasure to see any butterfly this year! I completely agree with you, man has so much to answer for. The words selfish and shortsighted come to mind! Can things change before it is too late I wonder!

    Sondra

    Thank you Sondra. I hadn't seen a Toad for a long time so it was a lovely find. We are expecting more rain later today :-(

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  27. I love the verse about the butterflies!
    Great photos!
    Keep up the good work,
    Steve.

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  28. holdingmoments

    Thank you Keith. I'm sure you're right about this year, surely it has to be better next year! I have seen very few butterflies of any type, it's so disappointing and worrying.

    David

    Thank you very much David :-) I was so pleased to see the Marbled Whites. I had seen them there before but knowing my luck didn't really expect to find them especially with the year we are having.

    Phil

    Thank you Phil. I agree, I think they're really smart looking butterflies. This year really has been desperately disappointing. We have such a short time when we can expect good weather in this country and it is just slipping away :-(
    I do think one of the joys of digital photography is that it has enabled us to look closely at tiny creatures we wouldn't usually notice...and my goodness, how fascinating they can be!

    Roy

    Thank you Roy :-)

    Midmarsh John

    Thank you John. I know, it's not easy to find anything this year and those 'brief bursts of sunshine' are all too brief!

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  29. What beautiful photos. I especially like the Marbled White. Never seen one of those.

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  30. An outstanding sellection of photos! You certainly made the most of those brief moments of sunshine, to delight us once again with your photography and your verses.Love the photos of the Common Blue butterfly and the Marbled White.The Fat-Legged Beetle photo is very beautiful, and the Yellow Dung Fly on the flower is so interesting with it's sparse mane, hairy orange legs, and finely veined wings.Oh yes, and the photo of the White-legged Damselflies is gorgeous.I like the way they form a heart when they are conjoined,I'm kind of romantic that way!! The toad was a good find,love the expression on his face!I think you did such a good job.Thoroughly enjoyed my visit.:)
    Rain rain go away come again another day.:)

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  31. Jan, how did you manage to get these wonderful shots especially this Summer?! It's a good while since I last saw a Marbled White, your photo is definitely the next best thing. Also, if the weather cannot, your Mr. Toad poem brought us all a little sunshine.

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  32. Excellent set of images and post Jan.

    It's pleasing to see from other peoples blogs that at least a few butterflies and odonata are trying to make a go of it, despite the bad weather! I guess if you look at it on a country wide scale 'nature' is coping quite well and yes, some species have taken a bad knock, but things are not really as dire as we think they are. Hopefully everything will bounce back to 'normal' next year!!...[;o)

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  33. Ragged Robin

    Thank you Caroline :-) I believe there is a colony of Marbled Whites at Ufton so maybe you might get to see some there next year.
    It really is like trying to get blood out of a stone this year to find flutters and Odonata, let's hope next year will be much better! Yes it is a very pleasant walk along the towpath, well it is when it's sunny! We had more heavy rain last night!

    Rose

    Thank you Rose. I think this is a year that will be remembered for a long time on both sides of the ocean for its weather extremes. I know I wouldn't be able to cope with your high temperatures at all. What we need is a 'happy medium'! Oh, well at least it gives us something to talk about :-)
    The Toad poem is from a British classic children's book The Wind in the Willows written by Kenneth Grahame and first published in 1908. I don't know if you are familiar with it over there but it is a firm favourite here with both children and adults and has also been the subject of plays and animated films.
    Wishing you a lovely weekend, some cooler temperatures and much needed rain.

    Giga

    Thank you Giga. It seems we are all experiencing strange weather this year and that you have had some extreme storms. I was sorry to see, on your blog, that you too are not seeing many butterflies or dragonflies.
    Wishing you a lovely, butterfly filled weekend :-)
    Dziękuję Giga. Wydaje się, wszyscy przeżywają dziwną pogodę w tym roku i że miałeś jakieś ekstremalne burze. Przykro mi było zobaczyć, na swoim blogu, że ty nie widzisz wielu motyli lub ważek.
    Życząc Państwu piękny, motyla wypełniony weekendu :-)

    Steve Plummer

    Thank you so much for visiting and for your kind comment Steve. I always enjoy visiting your blog and will be over again very soon :-)

    Crystal

    Thank you Crystal. They are lovely butterflies. Unfortunately I don't think they reach the northern part of the country.

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  34. Breathtaking

    Thank you so much for your lovely comments :-) The dung fly was quite a character, I think its goatee beard and 'Biggles' like, flying goggles struck me the most. Until another commenter and then you, mentioned the heart shape in the damsel photo it hadn't struck me but yes, you are quite right, it is rather romantic, rather like when swans form a perfect heart with their necks.
    Could you please shout that last line a little louder! :-)

    Jerry

    Thank you Jerry. If I had needed to travel any distance to see the Marbled Whites the weather would have let me down but as it was literally within walking distance of home it was a case of grabbing the moment.
    I thought Mr Toad was fun too :-)

    The Herald

    Thank you Trevor. Let's hope Mother Nature can work her magic next year but it is very worrying that last year saw a drop in numbers of 61% for the Common Blue and 40% for the Brimstone!!! I fear this years figures will be very bad.

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  35. Marvellous pictures again, you really do get superb images.

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  36. Hello there!!! I always look forward to your posts. I know I know...the rain, drought here....I don't know what's going on. Tucson has been pretty average this year but everyone else north or east of the state of AZ are going through some tough times. My theory? The solar flares:) Or seriously....the El Niño weather patterns. It looks like we are in a reverse state again and our winter here may be very wet. I can only hope.

    Your bug shots are cool. The Yellow Dung Fly is amazing. That pic has a lot of great detail. And the butterflies are wonderful. I hope you have a bit more sunshine. It's just amazing to me how much rain you've been getting. I feel bad for all. There's a thing as too much rain. Hang in there and have a good weekend! Chris:)

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  37. Jan, so sorry to hear about the undesirable soggy weather you have been experiencing. We have had the opposite effect here in midwest of the United States ... extreme drought. I will try to send a little dry weather your way!

    Despite the unfavorable conditions, all of your photographs are stunning! The Marbled White has such a beautiful pattern on its wings. Love the toad, too and the damselfly image is out of this world! A most delightful post! You are quite the gifted photographer.

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  38. Toffeeapple

    Thank you very much Toffeeapple :-)

    Rohrerbot

    Thank you Chris :-) I have never known a year like it, rain, rain, rain and more rain! It does seem like the weather is behaving oddly all over the world at the moment. The only certainty is that we have to accept whatever it throws at us, I suppose it gives us all an excuse to have a good moan though :-)

    Julie G.

    Thank you for your sweet comments Julie, you are very kind :-) I have heard about the extreme weather over there which I'm sure is just as troublesome as our rain. Strangely, we too had a drought order declared here, three or four months ago, and within days it rained and rained...and has hardly stopped since!! I do hope you get some relief soon, you are more than welcome to our rain :-)

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  39. Hello again Jan :-) A good post with a sad, but true, important mention of the loss of habit and life in the wildlife world and in the human one too due to floods and drought.

    Hope I have my camera to hand (and I am in my garden at the time) to capture any butterflies that have survived and are able to visit my garden. There are huge concerns over the butterflies alone :-(

    Thanks for sharing the images from your walks. I love to see what you see especially your butterflies like the blue which I have never seen. Looking at a distribution map – I’m not likely to see the Marbled White up my way so I’ll continue to enjoy any sightings you see :-)

    Wishing you a good week and that the weather is kind to your area :-)

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  40. Jan.
    Love the account of your recent wildlife sightings, especially the photgraphs that brighten it up.

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  41. I love your gallery! Wonderful photos

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  42. Your photos are glorious! Your blog is so refreshing and beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing.

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  43. shirl

    Hi Shirl, Thank you :-) It is very worrying and conservationists have said the effect on wildlife is 'near apocalyptic'!!
    No, unfortunately the Marbled Whites range doesn't extend very far up north although if we hang on to the jet stream which should be up your way and which is apparently causing this dreadful weather, for much longer maybe you will get them and we won't! So you see it's all your fault Shirl, we don't want your jet stream, please take it back!! ;-)

    Ken

    Thank you very much Ken :-) There is also a late (sorry!) reply to you on my previous post.

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  44. Dear Jan,
    It is delightful to see your butterflies....and the damselflies. The Marble White is gorgeous but I absolutely love the photograph of the Yellow Dung Fly.....It has been a most remarkable year indeed. Our drought continues and now with temperatures back into the 100's plus we are in high fire danger. It is the extremes that are causing all the trouble for the wildlife...You have the floods we have the drought...The best we can do is to plant for the bees and butterflies. I ask myself "is this good for the bugs?" If not it is not good for me.
    Mr. Toad is most intelligent!
    I enjoyed your post this afternoon.
    Fair skies to you and many butterflies,
    Sherry

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  45. Hi Jan
    Beautiful images in both this and the last post, esp the Macro shots. Do you have a different lens for macro as they seem much closer? either way they are great.

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  46. Wow, so many wonderful nature shots. I love all the butterflies and the damselflies. The birds are pretty. I loved all your photos and the scenic shot of the canal. Lovely post.

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  47. Fabio Martins

    Welcome Fabio! Thank you so much for visiting and for your kind comment :-)

    Linda

    Thank you very much Linda, I'm glad you enjoy my blog :-)

    Q

    Thank you Sherry. I am so sorry you are still suffering such extreme heat and now the threat of fire in your area, it must be terribly worrying! I do hope you get some relief soon.
    I completely agree with your views on planting for wildlife, I keep that thought in mind more and more nowadays.
    Wishing you some refreshing rain and cooler temperatures :-)

    Monts

    Thank you Monty. No, it's the same old lens :-) Some shots are cropped of course.

    eileeninmd

    Thank you Eileen, so glad you liked it :-)

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  48. Hi there Songbird! I have just come across your blog and wanted to let you know how wonderful it is, has been added to my blog list and am now following, settling back to have a good look back. Regards Gary

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  49. Gary Jones

    Hi Gary and welcome! Thank you very much for visiting, following and for your very kind comments :-) Coincidentally, I took a look at your blog yesterday and very much liked what I saw but was in a rush so planned to return which I shall do soon :-)

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  50. An excellent set of photo's as ever and thank you for the beetle ID, I was going to have to look him up! I love the images of the marbled white, we don't normally get those in Shropshire and I was lucky enough to see one last week :-) I was away when the Blues emerged and we have a distinct lack of them....I have only seen one all year but, as I say I was away for a fortnight in June. I am so hoping that things will recover

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  51. Despite the less-than-ideal weather, you've captured some fabulous shots. Very nice image of the 'wheel' position. If only we could take a bit of your rain, I would send you some sunshine. Cheers!

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  52. wow! what an impressive collection! Prześliczne wszystkie zdjęcia. W szczególności te macro!

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  53. Dziękuję ślicznie za Twoje cudowne komentarze u mnie. Pozdrawiam cieplutko.
    Thank you so much for your wonderful comments for me. Yours warm.

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  54. I just found your blog and I'm so delighted to see your photos. Love, love, love the toads and the various bug-eyed bugs! I think my favorite is the one of the damselflies. Are they different from my dragonflies?

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  55. What a fabulous post. Great photos accompanied by such informative text. I have noticed a decline in butterflies, bees and bugs too. We have Mr & Mrs Toad moved in, living under some stones.

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  56. Chrissy

    Hi Chrissy, thank you. I think Marbled Whites seem to be doing rather well this year for some reason. I have seen them in five different locations recently! I'm glad you saw one too.

    Susan

    Thank you Susan :-)

    Carole DeAngeli

    Thank you Carole. We have actually had a week of lovely weather...at last :-) Unfortunately, it's all change again next week!

    momphotographer

    Welcome! Thank you for visiting and for your kind comment. :-)
    Witamy! Dziękujemy za odwiedziny i za komentarz rodzaju. :-)

    Giga

    Giga. Thank you :-)
    Giga. Dziękuję :-)

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  57. Yet another enjoyable read Jan. somehow I missed this one when you posted it (so my apologies)

    Some great photos there especially the marbled whites, although I have got to say my fave is the White-legged Damselflies mating!

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  58. Barbara

    Welcome! Thank you so much for visiting and for your lovely comments :-) Damselflies are much smaller than dragonflies (which we also have here) and when settled most of them hold their wings along and parallel to their bodies. They look very fragile and their flight is weaker than that of dragons.

    the cuby poet

    Thank you very much :-) How lovely to have Mr and Mrs Toad living in your garden. I used to see them in mine some years ago but lately I have only seen frogs.

    Jason K

    Thank you Jason :-) No worries, I sometimes find it difficult to keep up with all my favourite blogs and it is easy to miss one. I always look forward to your comments!
    I was pleased with the damsels. It was the first time I have managed a photo of them in the wheel position.

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  59. Oh my, I love toads and we have none on this island. You have absolutely beautiful shots here.

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  60. Ślicznie dziękuję, że pamiętasz o mnie i odwiedzasz :)
    Lovely thank you, that you remember me and visit :)

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