Minsmere RSPB - Spiders

Even though my main focus was on the birds at the wonderful Minsmere RSPB reserve, I had time to look at what was going on in the grasses and on the ground.

 

Recently hatched miniature spiders in an amazing ball, just as the first few spiderlings are making their first steps of independence.

Unknown spider species with a weevil in its web



Close-up of the same unknown species (pity I didn't get the whole spider in the shot!).  I wonder what function the hairs on the legs have?



 

A Jumping Spider (I think?) with prey on a warm brick.

NW Scotland - Beautiful Clashnessie

Photos of Clashnessie Bay at the beginning of the month on a sunny day.  This is amongst my favourite beaches in NW Scotland.

 

Ripples in the river reflecting the light.

 

A screenshot from a cine film my father took in 1966 with my brother and me on the right. My younger brother was happy to play with his toy motor launch, as was I.  No video games then!

 

Minsmere RSPB - Chasers

Not only were there birds to see at Minsmere during my visit towards the end of May, but a few Chasers were evident.

 

The Four Spotted Chaser seen in the morning....

....whilst this macro of another Four Spotted was taken in the golden light as the sun went down. 

 

The scarcer male Broad-bodied Chaser.

Minsmere RSPB - Reedland Birds Pt 1

In the morning of my visit to Minsmere RSPB Reserve in May, I saw one of the reserves iconic birds, a Bittern flying at some distance over reed beds.  I knew the image would be poor, and hoped for better views later.

 

Come the early evening I had worked my way round the reserve and came to a hide overlooking the extensive reedbeds.  A Bittern was heard Booming nearby and eventually I got a view of this male Bittern fishing in reeds about 40m away.

 

Also seen was this female Reed Bunting which stayed long enough at the edge of the reeds to give some clear unobstructed views. 

Scottish Wren & Fledgling

Everyday during my Scottish break, a wren was heard proclaiming its territorial possession around our holiday chalet.

 

Generally it was hard to spot until it flew to another location, but I was lucky enough to capture this close-up.

 

Later in the week I had this view of a delightful wren fledgling waiting to be fed.

Scottish Clouds

A mainly grey day on our arrival to NW Scotland early June, notable for some cloud formations.

 

Threatening weather front that delivered 15 minutes of intense rain....

 

...later leaving the mountains clothed in broken low lying cloud....

 

...before the sun started to break through in the late evening.

Peculiar Bird Behaviour

I have been away in Scotland for a week, so will resume posts.

 

When we arrived at Ullapool on the NW coast of Scotland on a cool afternoon, I was sitting in the car whilst my wife went to stock up for the week.  Waiting in the car park I observed this Herring Gull and Crow 'bathing' on the smoking chimneys of a house.  I presume that they were not doing this for warmth, but possibly were using the smoke to discourage parasites.  On a number of occasions the crow had lifted its wings whilst sitting directly over the smoke coming out of the chimney.   I have never seen this before. 

 

Taken from quite a distance, so not as clear as I would have wished.

A Wet Labrador

A walk yesterday evening along the Grand Union Canal near Slapton with a friend and their Labrador.  The dog kept jumping into the canal and had to shake the water off, resulting in these images.

 

 

Looks like the water is coming out of holes in his skin like a watering can, whilst his face becomes distorted in a momentary grimace.

Trying to avoid the deluge.



 

Wagging the tail produces a trail of water.

Minsmere RSPB - Swallow Preening

More from Minsmere RSPB last week.

 

This Swallow allowed me to get remarkably close whilst it preened its feathers on a reserve signpost.  Harsh sunlight with hard shadows, this was a photographic challenge.

 

What a delightful bird, even though it didn't know the way to the Public Hide!

Minsmere RSPB - The World's Bravest Bird?

On a glorious sunny day spent at Minsmere RSPB Reserve on Thursday, I was walking along the top of the sand dunes when I spotted a Ringed Plover standing on a ridge of shingle some distance off ....

 

....suddenly the bird flew straight at a passing adult Herring Gull, chasing (I can hardly call it mobbing as it was a single Plover) the large gull for a couple of hundred yards away from the area of beach where it was sitting....

 

....The plover (in fact there was a pair) returned to its guard post on the beach before....

 

....driving off a juvenile gull (Black Headed Gull?) a few minutes later.

 

After searching the beach for 20 minutes or so, I eventually spotted the cause of the plover's concern, two recently hatched plover chicks about 40 yards away....

 

...There may have been other chicks, brilliantly camouflaged against the multi coloured beach, but these were the only two I saw, and only really visible when they moved around looking for insects, the parents only having guarding duties.

These photos were taken over a period of three quarters of an hour, at a distance in order to not disturb the adults from their duties, hence not quite as sharp as I would have ideally wanted.

 

What bravery by the adults plovers (length 18 to 20 cms long) against these strong marauding gulls (Herring Gull 55 to 67 cms long), many times their size and weight.  I had to leave this ongoing drama to visit other parts of the reserve, hoping that the young chicks survived.

Bedfordshire - Garden Insects

This afternoon in my central town garden.

 

A worn Holly Blue...

 

Mating Ladybirds (Orange Harlequin?)

A Solitary Bee



 

A wasp(?) on a Buttercup

Whipsnade Zoo - Bactrian Camel Calf

Photos of a Bactrian Camel Calf in April.

 

Photoshop of calf to bring out the head lost in the fur of the adults.

 

Peeking out from behind an adult.

Rushmere Country Park - Flying Squirrel

Walking in Rushmere Country Park yesterday, I noticed a Grey Squirrel in the tree above me about to make a leap from one tree to the next.  Quickly focussing on the mammal I managed to catch these dramatic shots of it flying across the abyss.  As I had no time to set up my camera for a shot of a black silhouette against a relatively bright sky I had photoshop fill in the shadows for me, so a bit grainy photos.

 

 

This image almost gives the impression that the fully stretched squirrel has an flap of skin between its legs, mimicking the Flying Squirrels of the rain forest.

 Just catching its target branches, the squirrel lands safely, even though it looked a bit heart stopping in these stopped images.

 

Earlier I was amazed at the colours of another squirrels tail.

Whipsnade Zoo - Animals

A few photos from my visit to this Zoo at Easter.

 

The 'moment' rather than the quality as I erroneously had too slow a shutter speed.

 

A very old turkey?

 

A rude European Bison.

 

Follow my leader.

 

Lunch