7th September 2006

A day spent butterfly watching.

Butterflies, butterflies,butterflies galore.... all on the Buddleia in the sunshine...
we saw, in no particular order...., Peacock, Red Admiral, Swallowtail, Map, Grizzled Skipper, Large White, Wood White, Silver-washed Fritillary, Queen of Spain Fritillary, Comma, Clouded Yellow, Brimstone, Great Banded Grayling, Large Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown, Painted Lady, Chalk Hill Blue, Common Blue.... also Small Copper on the clover in the front lawn.
Moths... Humming-bird Hawkmoth, Jersey Tiger, T-Moth, Many-Plumed Moth and Silver-Y Moth.... and a Lime Hawkmoth larva fell out of the lime tree... put it back!
Oh... and a Praying Mantis

<<<  Peacock

 Red Admiral  >>>

<<<  Swallowtail

 
 Map  >>>

<<<  Queen of Spain Fritillary 

Brimstone  >>>

<<<  Great Banded Grayling 

Painted Lady  >>> 

 <<<  Humming-bird Hawkmoth    

11th to 27th August 2006

Observations from the Nature Diary

11th
Glow-worm [♀] on front lawn.

We get the males on the window since we put the pale green curtains there [a touch of bigger is better might be the reason why... as in "Cor! Look at the lights on her!!]
[Shown right is a glow-worm larva on a snail  >>>]

<<< These are the curtains

12th
Weather windy and showery during the day... very clear night 15 degrees Celcius.
Moons of Jupiter very clear; also waxing moon... astonishing views of Mares.


27th
Went to Chaumussay for their "foulées" [track events / mini marathon] and vide-grenier - Pauline heard bee-eaters when we got an Orangina to drink.
As we left around lunch we went the Etableau route and heard and saw them again near the Croix Jourdain [on the 1:25000 Grand Pressigny map 1925O] by the railway crossing.
Back to La Forge for bino's, 'scopes, etc. and headed back.
Less than 0.75K from the house, near Gatault, in "OUR" valley - a flock of about 50 to 60 feeding over a field of tares [or similar vetch-type plant] on the bees, butterflies and grasshoppers. Superb views of aerial manouvres [wheeling, gliding and stooping] with the trill calls going all the time... and of them settled in the top of a nearby tree [just out of telephoto range!!] - fab views through the 'scopes though.
This was followed by the passage of three eagles over the valley [probably Booted, going on the jizz]

January the First 2006

Egrets, I've had a few!

We had a Cattle Egret in the field next to ours [below Bezuard]
Patroling along the ditch line next to the road [probably wondering why it stayed so far North!!