Sunday 5 June 2016

Cast your clout if you dare...

May came in warm and summery... it goes out with a cold northerly wind, low cloud and rain (at least it does here in the Fens of England)... Summer came and went pretty quickly - whether it comes back or not remains to be seen.

Whilst we may joke about the weather here in the UK, it does have serious impact on wildlife and one we should not be so flippant. The cold weather stops insects from flying, this reduces pollination - just at the time of year fruit trees are in flower - apples, pears, plums, cherries et al could see a reduction in the harvest; similarly production of honey is likely to be down (any bee keepers like to comment on this?). I have noticed a marked reduction in insect activity in my surrounding area over the last 2-3 weeks. Other impacts? Well many migrant bird species rely on insect populations for feeding their young - swallows, house martins, swifts all need large numbers of insects at this time of year...as do our resident populations of blue tit and great tit to name but two.  I'm sure the populations will recover, nature is good at sorting itself out... but at the moment activity is low...

As a consequence photographic opportunities have become reduced during the past couple of weeks (I'm sure those of you in the west and north are enjoying this moan!) so images for May are mainly from the beginning of the month...



Cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) in early morning sun... looking like lace...





...small, red weevil - one of the Apion genus...




holly blue butterfly (Celastrina argiolas) nectaring on garden hyacinth.





a couple on un-identified snails in the garden feeding during the rain...








Ash leaves (Fraxinus excelsior) against a much missed blue sky...





Dock beetle (Gastrophysa viridula) - female with eggs...




Mute swan (Cygnus olor) male on one of the local rivers...






A second male mute swan carrying a piece of fishing line and hook... let's hope people become more careful with their equipment...





Colt's-foot (Tussilago farfara) seed-head with dew...





Common vetch (Vicia sativa)...





Two Fenland landscapes with more seasonal skies...







Honey bee (Apis mellifera) caught in mid air carrying pollen...




Summer clouds...





A landscape I see every day just down the road...great tree...





Yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava ssp. flavissima) a summer breeder reliant on insects...

During May we made the journey up to Scarborough for a family birthday but I did get out at dawn for an hour or so...the light was so much better that the grey dullness that is currently outside my window!



Gorse (Ulex europaeus) with Scarborough in the back ground.

























Coastal shots at sunrise are always a joy to take...

May also starts the wild flower season and wouldn't be complete without a trip to a lovely, native meadow...complete with orchids... This site is just down the road from me and is always a pleasure to visit...

Below are a series of images of green-winged orchid (Anacamptis morio) with cowslip (Primula veris)...









Creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens)...













Sweet vernal grass (Anthoxanthum odorata)



Ground level view of a lovely, rich sward...

Later in the month (and just before the weather turned) the Rex Graham Reserve held its annual open day...allowing the public in to see the largest population in the UK of military orchid (Orchis militaris) and some delightful specimens of common twayblade (Neotta ovata)...














After the trip to see the orchids a stop over at Wicken Fen for dragonflies proved disappointing...but did yield something...



4-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata)




Banded demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) male at rest...




Exuviae of emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator)...the owner now flown.




Amphibious bistort (Persicaria amphibia)



Spiderlings...

I also managed a trip to a delightful woodland just down the road courtesy of a good friend in the village (not to mention a spectacular drive in an open top BMW!).








Woodpecker excavations in a large tree.




Bugle (Ajuga reptans). My favourite image from May. Really like the colours and the lighting.



Bush vetch (Vicia sepium)...




Ragged robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi) a species of damp grasslands and one that is becoming rare...




Greater stitchwort (Stellaria holostea).

The garden has proved a rich source of images this month... you don't have to go far to take decent images; if you have a back garden just go out the back door and have a look, a close look...



22-spot ladybird (Thea 22-punctata)




Yellow flag (Iris pseudacorus)




Garden peony...




Aquilegia...


The pond has yielded its first successful breeding damselflies ad it was a treat to watch several individuals emerging from their exuviae...























Garden poppy...





Garden iris...




Pond snail breathing..




Stinking iris...

Finally I have been experimenting in Lightroom and after a while created this preset.. It doesn't work with all images, but when it des work I really like it... it is different...and in some cases adds a dramatic feel to images... In my opinion the poppy works the best...



















Let me know what you think of them...

That about wraps it for another month - hope you like the pictures...take care and peace to you all...

TTFN...