Wednesday 22 July 2015

Finally...

...and after several weeks here is a new blog...It has been a stressful time - moving house and then project managing the changes in the house - painting, new bathrooms etc...no where near done but slowly we are getting there. I really dislike DIY so the thought of painting a room just fills me with dread...especially when it is sunny outside and there are insects to be photographed...freelance photography - so rock n roll!

The highlight for me in this new house is the pond in the garden - formally a carp pond it is now to be my wildlife pond - a place for insects, amphibians and plants - all set for my camera! The conversion process is slow - especially at this time of year (not that good for planting) plus it is just so tricky to get native plants from garden centres - they are happy to sell Elodea and similar but can you get Potamogeton or Ceratophyllum? Nope...luckily I found a good place on line but the garden centres should be better... So far I have put in Ceratophyllum demersum, Ranunculus aquatilis and Hydrocharis morsus-ranae (rigid hornwort, water crowfoot and frogbit) - I would like Stratoites aloides (water soldier). The problem is the margins. The pond is surrounded by hard landscaping and is lined with butyl. Emergents have nothing to root into, so baskets have to be used - these will be suspended into the water from the fence surround and when they grow will hide the wooden posts and soften the edges. All my winter's work...




Frogbit - Hydrocharis morsus-ranae - one of my favourite aquatics...I hope this increases and forms a floating mat over some areas of the pond...the shade will help keep the algae at bay





Some of the hard landscaping around the pond - with the butyl liner visible. Softening these edges is going to be a long-term effort I feel.




Some more hard landscaping with my emergency frog escape route! An adult frog appeared last week and appeared to have difficulty in getting out...he has vanished now so I hope this helped...when the sides are landscaped this feature will be replaced with something more in keeping...




A section of the floating mat of brooklime (Veronica beccabunga) that was inherited with the pond. I have kept it in its entirety as it provides habitat for invertebrates. When the other plants become more established I will probably reduce the size of the covering.




One of the many pond skaters that have colonized the pond - seemingly with a member of the next generation.  In addition to these there is also a sizeable population of whirligig beetles and semaphore flies - providing hours of enjoyable observation as they interact. Beneath the water surface is a growing population of water beetles - the adults appear occasionally, but the larvae are always around, hunting and growing - known as "water tigers" they are voracious... I have been lucky to have been visited by azure and blue-tailed damselflies - the latter seen ovipositing on the brooklime, whilst in the air above I have observed common darter and southern hawker dragonflies. Just think what it will be like when I get the habitats right...

The garden is proving good for wildlife as well - butterflies species seen include holly blue, meadow brown, ringlet, Essex skipper, large white, small white, green-veined white, small tortoiseshell, peacock, red admiral and gatekeeper. Birds from the immediate vicinity include buzzard, song thrush, green woodpecker, long-tailed tit, blackcap and chiffchaff...stay tuned...

So, have I taken any typical Alex images? Well, not too many unfortunately...but here are a few...



Agrimony - Agrimonia eupatoria




Azure damselfly - Coenagrion puella - hiding behind a leaf stem.





Ruddy darter - Sympetrum sanguineum resting on a seed head...





Essex skipper butterfly - Thymelicus lineola





Feverfew - Tanacetum parthenium. 




Hoverfly - abundant in the garden at the moment.




St. John's-wort - Hypericum sp.





A different view of wild carrot - Daucus carrota


A recent trip to Scarborough gave me a brief opportunity to watch the summer goings-on...













Last weekend I had a last minute booking to cover a Sing! Choir Concert in Cambridge. Those of you who read this blog regularly will know I cover these concerts a lot - they sound amazing and the performance is always a joy to shoot...
















And that's about it...one final shot from the garden...




I hope you like the blog...and I shall see you all soon...

TTFN


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