Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Two impressive hoverflies in the garden today: Volucella inanis, a black-and-yellow wasp mimic....
.....and the even larger Volucella zonaria, a hornet mimic with more reddish colouring.
Both were on the hebe bush in the garden along with at least two other hoverfly species, honey bees, bumblebees and peacock butterflies. Each year one or two individuals of these two species appear on the Hebe for the entire time the shrub is flowering - usually all of August and at least the first week of September. When that's finished they switch to the marjoram. Then the marjoram fades - and then they are gone.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Sunday 29th June
There was a short clip here that featured a firecrest in Cliveden, with two bursts of song. Like all the other video clips on my blog, it's disappeared.
There was a short clip here that featured a firecrest in Cliveden, with two bursts of song. Like all the other video clips on my blog, it's disappeared.
Scotland
21st-28th June
Greger chose the two main walks for the week, on adjacent hills named Cul Mor and Cul Beag. The lyrical inventiveness of the Gaels seems to have faltered here, as they mean respectively big back and small back.
Cul Mor presented a rather bland aspect as we climbed slowly from the A835.
We took a coffee break by a tiny lochan. Since the lochan high on Canisp a couple of years back, when we had a bathing dipper and a pair of common sandpipers, I've always hoped for bird life on these little pools; but today there was nothing.
I think this picture is a bit spooky. I had no idea Greger had taken it. He looks like someone in Midsomer Murders who turns round to the camera and smiles and says "Oh, it's you" and then BAM! And I would carry on sitting there, completely oblivious, wittering on about ptarmigan.
Close to the edge, I nearly lost my hat in a sudden gust. Behind me is our next hill, Cul Beag; and beyond that is Ben Mor Coigach.
A closer look at the tops and ridges of Ben Mor Coigach, and part of Loch Lurgainn.
We looked across to Cul Beag and debated whether to take it in the same walk. It looked close enough, but it was more or less a descent and re-ascent and the terrain between is pretty rough. We decided to do it separately later in the week.
Our approach to Cul Beag a day or two later was from the single-track road to Achiltibuie. Greger dropped me at the start of the path into the Inverpolly and drove off to park in the Stac Pollaidh car park. Fortunately he got a lift back, which saved him nearly two kilometres.
Both these hills were disappointing from a birding point of view; but they provided two great walks.
Cul Mor became more interesting as we climbed, not least for its views of the Inverpolly Nature Reserve, with a curious flat-topped buttress that invited a small detour.
Close to the edge, I nearly lost my hat in a sudden gust. Behind me is our next hill, Cul Beag; and beyond that is Ben Mor Coigach.
A closer look at the tops and ridges of Ben Mor Coigach, and part of Loch Lurgainn.
We looked across to Cul Beag and debated whether to take it in the same walk. It looked close enough, but it was more or less a descent and re-ascent and the terrain between is pretty rough. We decided to do it separately later in the week.
Our approach to Cul Beag a day or two later was from the single-track road to Achiltibuie. Greger dropped me at the start of the path into the Inverpolly and drove off to park in the Stac Pollaidh car park. Fortunately he got a lift back, which saved him nearly two kilometres.
We lunched at the summit which bore a cairn but no trig point, and carried on to the north to make a round walk of it.
The ghostly birch wood on the lower slopes held willow warblers, siskins and redpolls.
The ghostly birch wood on the lower slopes held willow warblers, siskins and redpolls.
Both these hills were disappointing from a birding point of view; but they provided two great walks.