Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: Graham Catlow on June 02, 2010, 08:18:23 PM
-
Hi,
For the second year a pair of robins raised a brood in a nest box in the garden and abandond it after the first clutch. This gave the Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) a place to make their nest.
These bees are known to use bird nest boxes for nesting. They are named early bumblebees as they are one of the first to appear but they are also one of the first to disappear rarely being found by July. They are one of the smaller bees.
They don't have large nests so there isn't much activity. It took me ages to get these photos. They are not the best but I have circled the bees so you may be able to see them.
If I get brave I may take a peek in the box and see if I can get a photo. Or I will wait until the nest is ended and post a photo then.
Graham
-
Looks ideal. Amazing that your nest box can serve two species in one season.
-
Great... it's wildlife 'Timeshare' ! 8)
-
Lucky you! I have two bee boxes but no residents
-
hi, here is my bee hotel, very intersting in spring and summer...
(http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt188/yuccajoe/gartenbilder017.jpg?t=1275512328)
cheers
chris
-
Wow! 5* :o
-
hard work 8)
-
You say that this bumblebee isn't seen after July - do the queens "hibernate" from then until next spring?
-
You may enjoy this birdbox we saw at the Chateau de Seneffe in the province of Hainaut in western Belgium.
It is a perfect day here today - blue sky and blissfully warm and the air full of the scent of Eleagnus angustifolia. I was washing up at 10ish and noticed that a blackbird is building her nest in the scramble patch of roses and brambles just outside the kitchen window. I was wondering if I could use this as an excuse not to wash up for the next few weeks so I don't disturb her when a family of 3 fallow deer strolled right past the window. Makes me feel like it's the garden of Eden here.
-
Would you assume that this is a sculture rather than a functional structure, after all, birds have territories.
-
Your blackbird will not care what you do. There is a pair nesting among plants for sale at a local plant nursery. As a plant is lifted she just sits there
-
I was about to say that, Anthony. Only one pair of tits would nest. Maybe a colony of sparrows would use it
-
You say that this bumblebee isn't seen after July - do the queens "hibernate" from then until next spring?
Hi Stephen,
Yes the new queens hibernate for that length of time. Although some don't know that is what they are supposed to do and some young queens reproduce the same year and occassionally a third clutch from their young queens.
Graham
-
some stunning bird photography
http://www.birdguides.com/iris/pictures.asp?mode=potw (http://www.birdguides.com/iris/pictures.asp?mode=potw)
-
hello, yesterday ... turtle at feed....with a guest on the rock ;)
(http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt188/yuccajoe/Bild012-31.jpg?t=1275653642)
cheers
chris
-
How many tortoises do you have Chris? Do you keep your babies?
-
anthony, i have four female and three male....no anthony, i gave them to good friends...
cheers
chris
-
The River is teaming with life and in the early evening everyone is out and about looking for a bite to eat under a watchful eye - as I watch too :D
-
My word, that's a large family of cygnets, isn't it? The little cygnets are very sweet, but in our local parks the swans tend to kill all the ducklings, so not so nice.... :-X
-
There's plenty of space on the river here Maggi and although there are scuffles over territory I haven't seen fights to the death. It really is exceptionally beautiful, the English countryside is such a relaxing contrast to living in the mountains where everything is so concentrated in the seasons :)
-
Robin, they are so lovely.. you just feel that you need to pick them up and give them a cuddle.
Angie :)
-
They really are, Angie, and yesterday we saw newly hatched balls of fluff hitching a ride on their mother's back as they swam up stream - the current can be very strong and they run across the top of the water to catch up 8)
-
Today on the river an iridescent flash of blue outlined in the shadows and metallic in the sun - damselflies are flitting from leaf to leaf
-
a couple of pictures from Greece.
The first is of a beetle which was sat in the centre of a type of daisy. There were hundreds of these plants and each had a beetle or on some the happy occupant had been joined by a friend for the usual reasons.
Second one is of ants collecting fallen seeds and taking them back to their heap.
-
Ragged Robin - lovely picture of the damselflies. We visited a garden with an old mill pond once that had dozens of those ones - a really enchanting species, I'm sure someone here will know which!
Tony - are you sure that is a beetle? It looks like a miniature muppet that someone has made up from fur fabric! :)
-
Tony, your furry scarab has me stumped, but your ant looks like Messor barbara, which feeds almost exclusively on seeds. They can create bare trails for many metres radiating from their nest entrances.
-
Could the interesting critter with a fur coat who looks like a cross between a beetle and a bumble bee be a Hairy Flower Chafer Beetle - Trichiotinus pigeror similar?
I was looking for info on another 'bug' and came upon this page, which even has pix of the beastie on another daisy!!
http://www.cirrusimage.com/beetle_chafer_trichiotinus.htm
-
I would have said Tropinota sp., but the elytra are unmarked and the 'hair' is black.
-
Anthony thanks for the information,I thought you would be interested. I have no knowledge of insects but still find them fascinating and seeing them brightened up a very hot afternoon.
-
The damselflies are Calopteryx splendens, the Banded Demoiselle
-
Thanks for your comments Gail and for the ID of these lovely damsels Peter :)
-
Swifts at my house this morning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2ve7Rm89W8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2ve7Rm89W8)
10 a.m. and swifts were going crazy outside at the gable and the under eave nest boxes. As quick as it started it was over.
Listen around 30 seconds for the whip lash of wings as a bird flew very close to me and the camera.
-
Mark.... that's fantastic and to give them all that homes is great of you. I am not sure now what I have nesting with me but they have been around for years but never nested at my property, we build a large log shed and they have made a nest in there so hopefully they will have young.
Angie :)
-
What a wonderful 8) shots of the Swifts looping round your gables - how many nest there? they are mesmerizing to watch in their acrobatic display and it's great when they whoosh past you....very difficult to capture on camera, congratulations just realised you left a comment on one of my YouTube videos - didn't know it was you but thanks for it!l
-
Angie you probably have swallows. They nest inside a building
Robin I have 4 pairs on the gable, 3 pairs in the right boxes and 1 pair in the left - you will have seen a bird go in.
-
A few Coturnix quail at a friend's. He thought they would clean up tossed seed on the floor of his new greenhouse / aviary. Instead the cement floor hurt the feet of two so for the time being he has them in a sand pen. Would that be the new cement or the flat surface that bothers their feet?
johnw
-
And a few more of his rather new finches plus nest.
johnw
-
A few Coturnix quail at a friend's. He thought they would clean up tossed seed on the floor of his new greenhouse / aviary. Instead the cement floor hurt the feet of two so for the time being he has them in a sand pen. Would that be the new cement or the flat surface that bothers their feet?
johnw
The cement would be my guess, they are ground birds so the flat shouldn't bother them. Unusual colour form of Gouldians, one of the prettiest of finches.
-
Nothing unusual with the gouldians. They used to come in only black, red and yellow/orange headed. It will be a while before those two have eggs/chicks. They look like males.
The array of colours now is unbelievable including all white. Why breed a white gouldian? :-\
http://www.ladygouldianfinch-ca.com/gouldian%20finches.htm (http://www.ladygouldianfinch-ca.com/gouldian%20finches.htm)
-
Nothing unusual with the gouldians. They used to come in only black, red and yellow/orange headed. It will be a while before those two have eggs/chicks. They look like males.
yes it could be quite some time unleasss adoption papers are filed. My friend had to remove the females from the cage as the males were just too agressive with them.
He said the nastiest of the lot were the male doves and can't understand why they are a symbol of peace!
johnw
-
Cranking up my outdoor grill for the season, I found this little guy. He was relocated to the garden, the grill cleaned for the BBQ season and initiated with our first BBQ of the year. Mmmm, tastes like chicken.
-
Today a black bear walked nonchalantly through the yard :o Was not able to get a picture.
-
I've got lots of experience breeding gouldian finches. The blood lines (pretty much world-wide) are now so messed up that you never know what you'll get. There are, as Mark mentioned, dozens of color variations (in addition to the "natural" morphs) including yellows, dilutes, pastels, blues, silvers and a bewildering set of head/chest colorations.
It used to be great fun for the amateur geneticist--until pure or documented stock became so difficult to come by.
-
The same is with Hecks and long-tailed finches. They are hybridised so much you never see a red beaked or yellow beaked bird
-
Wildlife vandalism... who or what?
Angie
-
My first go at posting anything.. (Darren is training me up to be his secretary :D )
Each of the flower heads on these Alliums has it's own tenant each night. I don't know where they sleep the rest of the year!
-
What an amazing sight you have captured Susan - are those bees drunk or sleepy? Normally they would live in solitary nests wouldn't they? forget the secretary Bit I think you should be a journalist 8)
-
hi, cetonia aurata on cistus...
(http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt188/yuccajoe/Bild004-73.jpg?t=1276388175)
breakfast time ;D
(http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt188/yuccajoe/Bild006-67.jpg?t=1276388195)
cheers
chris
-
Hi Susan...I find trying to take a picture of one bee is so hard to get , capturing all those together is something special.
Looking forward to see more amazing pictures from you soon. ;D
Angie :)
-
Thank you Robin and Angie, the photos were taken late evening - the bees were very sleepy and not moving at all. Earlier in the day it was a different story - the bees were stacked in a holding pattern over the chives! ;D
Angie - Darren and I both loved the photo of your pond.
-
Susan thanks for your compliment, the pond was put in before the house was built as we wanted to take our fish when we moved, this was our fist mistake the pond had three large trees overhanging it and blocked out all the sun so only three years ago we sadly had them removed, now the pond and fish are happier...we only have three of the original fish left now 20years old but starting to show there age like there owners.
Hope to see and hear more from you on the forum, its nice to have more female friends on the forum. I am not too knowledgeable with plants but just love gardening and flowers .
Angie :)
-
Wildlife vandalism... who or what?
Angie
Angie, in my garden it is usually the chickens and pheasants who pull flowerheads off for me (particularly snowdrops and pulsatillas).
-
Female wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in the yard today, with 10 chicks.
-
Lovely Mark - I've never seen a wild one even in zoos over here.
-
Gail , the same happened again the following day, whatever it is it likes daisy heads... well at least decapitation of daisy's :'(.
Angie :)
-
Isn't it elegant and slim compared to the domestic turkey, more like a peahen in body shape, and her chicks are so cute peeping out of the grass - they seem quite at ease McMark are you too as she looks around for something tasty?
-
Gail , the same happened again the following day, whatever it is it likes daisy heads... well at least decapitation of daisy's :'(.
Angie :)
How annoying Angie, rabbits used to do that with my Frits, just when they opened out, and I never knew why.
-
Isn't it elegant and slim compared to the domestic turkey, more like a peahen in body shape, and her chicks are so cute peeping out of the grass - they seem quite at ease McMark are you too as she looks around for something tasty?
The female is slim. They all came right into the yard, and only scooted off into high grass when I slowly approached trying to take some photos. The mother delighted in gobbling down honeysuckle berries.
The toms (males), particularly late in the season, are almost comically ornate and gussied up, much larger than than the females and looking huge, imposing, and almost absurd when walking around in a pack of 20-30 birds, as they do commonly around here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Turkey
-
hi, a pic from my tufawall, podarcis muralis today by sunbath... 8), behind primula auricula...
(http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt188/yuccajoe/Bild014-27.jpg?t=1276548823)
cheers
chris
-
Excellent pics everyone. Nice to see some excellent Aussie finches in there. 8)
Very weird seeing WHITE swans...... to me they should be black. I know that it is the opposite way around for you guys, but I still look twice every time I see a pic of a white swan, and I would love to see a family of them myself one day. The black swans regularly breed in ponds/lakes all around Canberra and the surrounding areas. The cygnets are just so cute. ;D
Thanks again for the wonderful pics.
-
Paul, as there is only one species of black swan, and ALL the rest (mute, whooper, Bewick, trumpeter etc.) are white, white is the norm. You probably think we all walk upside down? ::) ;D
-
Excellent pics everyone. Nice to see some excellent Aussie finches in there. 8)
Very weird seeing WHITE swans...... to me they should be black. I know that it is the opposite way around for you guys, but I still look twice every time I see a pic of a white swan, and I would love to see a family of them myself one day. The black swans regularly breed in ponds/lakes all around Canberra and the surrounding areas. The cygnets are just so cute. ;D
Thanks again for the wonderful pics.
What do you make of the SWAN picture here then: http://www.kingislandbirdwatching.com.au/King-Island-different-and-unusual-pics.php?ImageGalleryPage=2 (http://www.kingislandbirdwatching.com.au/King-Island-different-and-unusual-pics.php?ImageGalleryPage=2)
-
Some pictures from Tula region.
Horse. Not wild but free.
(http://cs9472.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/111651163/x_407cbe7e.jpg)
Dragonfly
(http://cs9472.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/111651163/x_6e295f65.jpg)
Grass-snake
(http://cs9472.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/111651163/x_6a510b09.jpg)
(http://cs9472.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/111651163/x_4613b916.jpg)
-
Paul, as there is only one species of black swan, and ALL the rest (mute, whooper, Bewick, trumpeter etc.) are white, white is the norm. You probably think we all walk upside down? ::) ;D
And don't forget the black-necked swan - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-necked_Swan
-
Excellent pictures, Olga - especially the snake!
-
Olga your pictures just amaze me.. love the dragonfly 8)
Angie :)
-
Wow Olga. Glorious pics.
I did say that I knew that to everyone else swans are white...... it is just that here they aren't. You lot called us the land down under, so if anyone is thinking anyone is walking upside down then I think it is you lot thinking of us. :P ;D
The Albino black swan is rather cool. Doesn't look quite right for a "normal" white swan, does it? ;)
-
Not a grass snake Olga but a four-lined snake - Užovka pardálí (Elaphe quatuorlineata).
-
I love the composition of your horse shot, Olga, with the endless sky at its head and the grass swaying at its feet 8)
-
Olga:
I'm growing a black tomato from Tula.
Is it the same Tula?
Arnold
-
Not a grass snake Olga but a four-lined snake - Užovka pardálí (Elaphe quatuorlineata).
Anthony it's Coronella austriaca (is it grass snake&). I am sure because I was in company of professional biologists. It eats lizards and very unusual in Tula area.
Thank you all! :D
Arnold I know nothing about black tomato. :o
-
Just some views.
(http://cs9472.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/111651163/x_fa2f60e9.jpg)
(http://cs9472.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/111651163/x_80aafcb4.jpg)
(http://cs9472.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/111651163/x_29c915ac.jpg)
(http://cs9472.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/111651163/x_62836d1a.jpg)
(http://cs9472.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/111651163/x_e8bc8c0a.jpg)
(http://cs9472.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/111651163/x_3ef6b3e5.jpg)
(http://cs9472.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/111651163/x_6dbfb299.jpg)
-
.... and very nice they were too Olga. Don't suppose I shall ever visit Russia but your pictures are a real enlightenment to me.
-
Paul, as there is only one species of black swan, and ALL the rest (mute, whooper, Bewick, trumpeter etc.) are white, white is the norm. You probably think we all walk upside down? ::) ;D
Here is one that does not know which it is supposed to be
Black necked Swan
Cygnus melancoryphus
-
Everyone can get a bit confused at times. ;D ;D
-
Not a grass snake Olga but a four-lined snake - Užovka pardálí (Elaphe quatuorlineata).
Anthony it's Coronella austriaca (is it grass snake&). I am sure because I was in company of professional biologists. It eats lizards and very unusual in Tula area.
Olga the grass snake is Natrix natrix. Coronella austriaca is the smooth snake and much smaller than, though similarly coloured to, the four lined snake.
-
Howdy All,
A couple of pics from the zoo here in Canberra. These weren't any of the residents (I have heaps of pics of different things in the zoo, but figure there wouldn't be much interest here in animals in captivity on the other side of the world), but rather were wild birds that were feeding amongst a small flock of geese. They are double barred and red browed finches. Apologies for the quality of the images, but they were at the limit of my cameras capabilities. To the naked eye you could only just make out what they were, they were that far away.
-
Your double-barred finch is better known as an owl finch or Bicheno in the UK
and did anyone see Springwatch tonight? The spotted flycatcher brought a narcissus fly to the chicks. Where can I get a pair of flycatchers?
-
Interesting to know, Mark. I didn't realise that it had a different name to breeders overseas.
-
Paul we also know them as Bicheno's here in NZ, they are one of my favourite australian grass finches, along with the Gouldians.
I used to breed many an australian finch here in NZ and always wanted to see the Bicheno's. I was very happy when they were breeding at my mothers place in North Queensland.
-
on my wanderings today i saw this fairly large spider a real stunner anybody any ideas on id
-
oh, crikey.... WHY did I click on that photo? :o :-\ :-[ :P
-
looks like he lay down beside it
-
Olga the grass snake is Natrix natrix. Coronella austriaca is the smooth snake and much smaller than, though similarly coloured to, the four lined snake.
Anthony OK, I have to remember my dictionary do not know names of snakes. :D
Old spider's skin on Meconopsis
(http://cs10197.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/31156622/x_8d348f26.jpg)
(http://cs10197.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/31156622/x_c76f8737.jpg)
Butterfly. :) In russian it names "she-bear"
(http://cs10003.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/31156622/x_b589950a.jpg)
-
I think that is actually a moth, looks like from the family Arctidae. We dont have those lovely moths here in New Zealand, lovely pic
-
looks like he lay down beside it
Mark i most certainly did,but it was worth it,she was stunning.(beauty is in the eye of the beholder)
-
looks like he lay down beside it
Mark i most certainly did,but it was worth it,she was stunning.(beauty is in the eye of the beholder)
;D
[attach=1]
-
Unfortunately there are many who have difficulties with the beholding..... darn difficult to behold while you're running screaming! ;D ;)
-
It looked to me like the spider was the one screaming, it appeared decidedly uncomfortable on Dave's arm. ;D
-
The spider looks like a rather plain form of Pisaura mirabilis and the moth the scarlet tiger (Callimorpha dominula). The larvae of tiger moths are often called 'woolly bears'.
-
hi, two pics from today...
(http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt188/yuccajoe/Bild004-80.jpg?t=1277132043)
(http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt188/yuccajoe/Bild019-20.jpg?t=1277132065)
cheers
chris
-
Nice House Leek and Tortoise Back Lizards, Chris.
Here, the weather forecast was dismal with snow forecast for over 500m elevation in the north of the country, and this is the longest day for goodness sake... I reckon that this Common Blue butterfly (I think?) photographed today has a long wait if it's waiting for the flower of one of my favourite Alliums, Allium validum, to open :) The Swamp Onion is in its best element after the weekends flooding so maybe it will open...
-
hi stephen, thanks...
cheers
chris
-
Very nice photos, Stephen and Chris.
I can now announce a great excitement for us! Three swifts have been investigating our new swift boxes for the last couple of days and finally entered today! :o :D Two have been together in one of the compartments so we are hoping for further developments! Many thanks to Mark for his advice and the CD of swift calls which seem to have made the difference, we rarely saw swifts about before then. The boxes went up on the 28 May.
-
You can see our swifts on YouTube - see Mark's link below.
-
anne, thanks....a very good idea for the swifts...
cheers
chris
-
I'm very happy to have helped you and extremely happy with your success.
Who will be next to put up swift boxes? Swifts need us!
-
I'm sure I've showed this before. You can get the wood yard to cut out 4 nest boxes from a half sheet of .5 inch exterior plywood
-
Excellent announcement from this Yorkshire provider of executive homes for the busy Swift on the go, eh?! Even got the interior decor package, I see.... what could be better? ;D ;D
-
Yes, Maggi, it's not a cowpat, it's the very best hypertufa. I wondered about putting in a few saxifrages but decided that was going too far.
-
Anne why did you delete your video?
-
Sorry Mark, we're amateurs at this. Try - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqoqRkAxi4Q
-
Amateurs????? It' a terrific video of the swifts finding the entrance to a new home, and they're certainly queuing up Anne, congratulations on your triumph 8)
-
Robin you're next!?
-
Mark, I am thinking about it, lots of swifts here circling overhead and over the river, I love them but we'll have to see!
-
Quite close to where you live lives a man with his colony of 35 nest boxes
-
I thought I'd post a few varied wildlife images from a recent trip to western Scotland I made about ten days ago.
Firstly two views of a dragonfly, Libellula quadrimaculata.
Then two view of Gannets ((Morus bassanus) flying past Ardnamurchan Lighthouse.
-
More birds: the common sandpiper was in Glen Etive, the others in Glen Lyon, a fabulous place for wildlife watching from the car on an empty road.
Common sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
Oystercatcher Haematropus ostralegus
juvenile Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus
Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
-
Final picture from Glen Lyon - a Brown Hare Lepus capensis
-
Great set, Peter, but the sandpiper is outstanding - great eye and perfect background to show off the bird. What lens were you using?
Out swimming a few evenings ago a gannet came down to investigate and skimmed very low overhead. This is normal behaviour with fulmar petrels or great black-backed gulls but I've never had a gannet come so close before. There is a large gannet colony on the Saltee Islands and they come as far as Tramore Bay, where I was swimming, to fish, a distance of about 25 miles.
Saw a wheatear about a month back, very uncommon here.
Paddy
-
Peter- great portraits, thank you.... I'm enjoying your orchid shots elsewhere, too.....
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5642.msg157527#msg157527
I'm delighted to have spotted the http://www.pmfoto.co.uk/ (http://www.pmfoto.co.uk/),link to your photography site too..... I get there in the end.... must have cleaned the specs or something! :-[
-
What lens were you using?
I managed to acquire a second-hand Sigma 170-500m lens when the new image stabilised ones hit the market and those people with more money than sense traded in their 'unstabilised' lenses. The long focal length helps to create a small depth of field and throws the background out of focus.
The picture was taken from the car - when I am driving down small country roads with very little traffic I keep the camera on the passenger seat set-up ready for this type of shot. The sandpiper was just sitting on a boulder next to the road calling to mark it's territory, and I stopped next to it, wound down the window and took several shots before it decided to fly away. For those technically minded, the camera was set to shutter priority f6.3 @ 1/800 was the actual shutter speed, and I used a beanbag on the car winidow sill for support (a Volvo has wide window sills, big enough for potted plants and a window box). ;D
-
Maggi,
The photography site is a 'work in progress'. I keep making tweaks to it but can never be sure how quickly they are made live. I'll put some of the scenic shots from Scotalnd there soon.
-
Well, I'll be watching it to see how it goes on.... the slideshow on the home page is charming. I hope it generates a lot of photo requests for you.
....which reminds me..... what about a wee piece for the International Rock Gardener?? 8)
-
Peter
I have been using the Sigma 175-500 for 13 years and I don't think that it is up to the job. Picture quality is good but the focusing is dreadfully slow. On my trip to N.Z. years ago to photograph Albatrosses, I only had about 20% success in flying shots. Most of the time it was too slow to focus on the bird and would start"hunting", by which time the bird had gone.
Image stabilisation would have been a boon on a rolling and pitching boat. I have been thinking of changing for a couple of years but the prices went through the roof after the pound nose-dived against just about every other currency. Now I think would I really get value for money if I changed lenses. The jury is still out - however as VAT is going up in January, I will have to make my mind up soon.
Here are a few pictures taken with this lens - hand held-no tripod or support
Bottom picture is a Rock Pipit
-
Nice photos Tom, I especially like the Grasshopper Warbler - the lens has successfully thrown the background out of focus here.
Do you think that it's the focussing on the lens that's the problem or the camera? I say that because my Nikon has two autofocus settings, continuous and single. For the gannet pictures, using the camera on single focus allowed me to focus on the gannets (which were virtually all flying left to right), then frame the picture keeping the shutter button half depressed to lock the focus - had quite a high success rate as the birds were a reasonable distance away and the focus did not change (obviously the forum photographs are some of the better ones ;) ). I also used it last year in the Alps photographing marmots with virtually 100% success rate (on a tripod), and photographing birds on the Farne Islands resting on a camera bag.
Continuous focus admittedly was not as successful (I don't use it very often).
I agree image stabilisation would be useful on a boat, but I wouldn't try currently handholding a 500mm lens in that situation (I might with IS). However if the lens is on a tripod or some other rest, such as a beanbag, the you are advised to turn image stabilisation off - £150+ made redundant at the flick of a switch.
I do have problems with my Tamron macro lens "hunting" to find focus, but it's generally used in situations were it's best to focus manually anyway.
-
Then two view of Gannets ((Morus bassanus) flying past Ardnamurchan Lighthouse.
I preferred it when the gannet's name was an island (Sula). Seems it's now named after a mulberry! :P
-
This fellow dropped in for a drink this morning.
The Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
-
I like the way pigeons and doves drink. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZi6uNJ9bUI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZi6uNJ9bUI)
-
Peter
It's a combination of both. The focus works well enough on shorter focal lengths. The problem is with the larger telephotos.. The physical weight of the lens barrel needs a more powerful motor. You can almost hear it clanking as is tries to lock focus. Also the original predictive focusing sensors and chip were not particularly good compared with Canon's.
This has now been sorted with the D300 series. To compound the matter, auto focus lenses only work really well at apertures of f5.6 or less. The Sigma just about makes this at f6.3
Another consideration is that I got the lens when it first came out, it was revamped some years later so some improvements may have been made.
Like you, I have a Tamron 90mm macro lens and never use it in auto mode. It jumps focus if a leaf quivers!!
The Grasshopper Warbler was taken hand held at 700mm.
-
Tom,
That might go some way to explaining your problem - I'm using a D300. The lens may be the newer version, being second-hand, I'll never know.
The Grasshopper Warbler was taken hand held at 700mm
Extremely impressive!
-
the first two photos are of a couple of toads and the third is for anthony
-
just a few from today
-
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i76/arykana/madrka.jpg)
-
One for Anthony to confirm. Pictured on Primula florindae this afternoon. My one and only reference book on the subject, from Reader's Digest, suggests a Blood Vein, posh name Timandra griseata.
-
Martin now thats a stunner
-
a Blood Vein, posh name Timandra griseata.
What a pretty thing... never seen one of those before. super photo, Martin
-
[never seen one of those before.
My boy's book of moths suggests only Southern England so I'm surprised it's got as far as the Midlands never mind Aberdeen
-
[never seen one of those before.
My boy's book of moths suggests only Southern England so I'm surprised it's got as far as the Midlands never mind Aberdeen
Aha! There's often a clue!
-
My book says locally common further north and found in Irish Republic. My books dont show the colour of yours. Maybe your white one ran out of brown?
-
Bloodvein is found into Scotland. I have seen in in Dunblane. Many species are moving north e.g the Red-necked Footman (Atolmis rubricollis) is extremely common here, yet Skinner, 2nd edition 1998 ('Moths of the British Isles') says "widely distributed, but local, in Wales, the southern counties of England, the Isles of Scilly, and Ireland." It goes on to say "occasional specimens have been noted in western Scotland and other locations way outside the normal breeding range of the species; these are probably immigrants". Not they are NOT! I have seen several this year - newly emerged ones at that!
-
Anthony, what caterpillar makes a creamy yellow silk cocoon attached to grass stems
-
Anthony, what caterpillar makes a creamy yellow silk cocoon attached to grass stems
A burnet moth.
-
here's the cocoon
-
Burnet moth.
-
thanks
-
6-spot burnets (Zygaena philipendulae). Cyanide will not kill them. In fact, they accumulate the stuff from their food plants, trefoils such as bird's foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus).
-
some brilliant moth photos http://www.portlandbirdobs.org.uk/latest_jun2010.htm (http://www.portlandbirdobs.org.uk/latest_jun2010.htm)
-
Is this a narcissus fly sitting on a fuchsia? And anyone know what this caterpillar is (was!) - it was making itself a feeding station on one of my brugmansia seedlings.
-
Not a Narcissus fly which are hairy and come in all black, all pale brown and three coloured
-
A harmless drone-fly (Eristalis tenax), the larvae of which frequent stagnant pools are are air-breathing 'rat-tailed maggots'. They mimic honey bees, like female narcissus flies. Male narcissus flies seem to mimic small bumble bees.
-
Anthony the Narcissus fly males and females can be any colour
-
Three colour forms of the Narcissus fly
-
This is action I like.
Yesterday I went to advise a woman, her partner, her son and son's neighbour about swifts and nest boxes.
22 hours later I get an email from the woman saying they have made 4 triple chamber swift nest boxes with the first already in place and the CD playing
-
This sounds very good. Hope it is not too late for nesting this year.
Jean
-
Way too late now Jean. 3 weeks to hatch the eggs and 5-8 weeks to fledge the young would mean chicks in the nest in late September
Boxes up now will get swifts checking them out and they will return next year, hopefully, to breed.
-
We are having our roof re tiled and am wondering if there are swifts around here to put up boxes for next year.
Jean
-
Jean, the movie Field of Dreams had a brillaint line "build it and they will come".
A triple chamber box is probably the easiest to make. You could make two if you're really keen
All you need is
4 x (120cm x 16.5cm x 12mm) exterior ply or marine ply if you can afford it - roof, base, front and back
4 x (14cm x 16.6cm x 12mm) for the sides and divisions to make the chambers
3 x budgie concaves
1 swift attraction CD
screws to make the box and three larger screws and rawl plug to attach the boxes to the walls.
-
Enjoying some of the insect life in my garden.
-
Mark that first photo is incredible dragonfly eyeing up his hoverfly dinner,and i love the colour of the wasp in the second photo.
-
Mark that first photo is incredible dragonfly eyeing up his hoverfly dinner,and i love the colour of the wasp in the second photo.
I'll second that!
-
A lurker has this butterfly fluttering about her garden, too bashful to post for an identification so I step in.
johnw
-
I have no notion what these very smart butterflies might be but I do thank your shy friend for getting you to post them here, John. They are lovely!
To John's friend : It's a shame you are so shy, but I hope you enjoy the forum, even from behind the curtains! Your garden must be a super place to attract such fine creatures.
-
A lurker has this butterfly fluttering about her garden, too bashful to post for an identification so I step in.
johnw
Liminitis arthemis, the American White Admiral. The blue form (L. a. astyanax) is even more beautiful.
-
Three dead baby blackbirds...if only I had took the time to get a ladder and tie my Hydrangea back on the wall, it had come adrift and I thought I would do it tomorrow but i forgot and we have had terrible winds here. I hate myself :(
Angie :(
-
New Zealand is currently looking at introducing the White Admiral to New Zealand as a biological control, the beautiful addition will not only be admired from lepidopterists.
The only problem so far is they have not survived our Winters, fingers crossed. ;)
-
to do what Kees?
Angie, they will nest again
The goldfinches in my garden lost their just fledged chicks during the wind
-
New Zealand is currently looking at introducing the White Admiral to New Zealand as a biological control, the beautiful addition will not only be admired from lepidopterists.
The only problem so far is they have not survived our Winters, fingers crossed. ;)
There are white admirals and white admirals. I don't think any would act as a biological control as the caterpillars are solitary and would have little or no effect on their food plant. The European species (Limenitis camilla and L. reducta) feed on honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) and the American species (Limenitis arthemis) feeds on the leaves of many species of trees and shrubs including wild cherry (Prunus spp.), aspen, poplar, cottonwood (Populus spp.), oaks (Quercus spp.), hawthorn (Crataegus spp.), deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum), birch (Betula spp.), willows (Salix spp.), and lime (Tilia spp.). They are fantastic butterflies with a lovely blue iridescence on their wings. Alas, the only British species (camilla) is not found in Scotland. I think in the past mistakes have been made by introducing biological control that has affected non-target species. This happened when the parasitoid wasps Pteromalus puparum and Echthromorpha intricatoria were introduced to NZ to control the small white butterfly. They now parasitise more than 50% of Bassaris gonerilla and cause undue pressure on the unique New Zealand red admiral.
-
Angie, they will nest again
The goldfinches in my garden lost their just fledged chicks during the wind
Mark I do hope so, sorry about your goldfinches.
We have no wind here today but when its windy in Aberdeen its gale force with me I am at the top of the hill .
I have tied everything up again, so lets hope she comes back :)
Angie :)
-
Three dead baby blackbirds...if only I had took the time to get a ladder and tie my Hydrangea back on the wall, it had come adrift and I thought I would do it tomorrow but i forgot and we have had terrible winds here. I hate myself :(
Angie :(
I think we all feel like that at times Angie. I very nearly stepped on a fledgling blackbird today. Fortunately it fluttered off squawking and I just had to endure a severe scolding from its parents. I still feel haunted by a frog I skewered with the garden fork once...
-
I drove over a newly fledged robin today. Not squashed thankfully
-
Gail I stood on a frog once or maybe it was a toad :'(...I wont describe how it felt but I take a torch with me now.
Angie :)
-
Does anyone know what this beetle is? As beetles go, it was very large; it was crossing over a dwarf hosta, didn't appear to be eating anything. While the flash went off, it is actually daytime, late afternoon.
-
Does anyone know what this beetle is? As beetles go, it was very large; it was crossing over a dwarf hosta, didn't appear to be eating anything. While the flash went off, it is actually daytime, late afternoon.
Mark
Is this what we call a ground beetle? We see lots of them, oftentimes upside down and having real diffuclty righting itself. If so it is a predator and eats earwig babies, NS is infested with earwigs and leave clematis flowers in tatters. These beetles can be seen all round the garden at night usually off on some unknown mission.
johnw
-
Hi, Pretty sure it is to control the honey suckle in the North Island.
I must admit that the Red admiral does get parasitised a bit by the wasp, it does not seem to trouble the yellow admiral much.
We still have plenty of both though, thank goodness-these two are the most common native butterflies in most gardens in Dunedin only beaten by the annoying cabbage white.
-
[/quote]
Liminitis arthemis, the American White Admiral. The blue form (L. a. astyanax) is even more beautiful.
[/quote]
....and here is the blue form of Limenitis arthemis (Common name: Red spotted purple butterfly).
-
A cutie from one of my nest boxes
-
VERY cute!
-
what about your birds?
Those deep brown eyes just pull you in
-
Mark that swift is as you say so cute...I excellet photograph, amazing to see it so close 8).
Mark last night I watched all my baby swallows have there first flight. I sat watching them for ages. I was looking forward to see them all today but I never saw a swallow all day...I was so disappointed :'(. I wonder where the family have gone.
Angie :)
-
Quite odd Angie because I would have assumed the swallows would have come home this evening
-
Mark.. that's what my husband thought but no sign. I have waited 16 years for them to nest here, they have always been at the farm buildings around the corner from me. I will be so disappointed if they don't return. Mark there was a small bird of prey around the garden today, maybe this has scared them off.
Angie :)
-
I would have expected the swallows to escort the bird of prey out of their area
-
I would have expected the swallows to escort the bird of prey out of their area
They wouldn't a merlin!
On my walks with Heidi, past acres of oats, barley, tatties and neeps (probably kale) I pass many huge clumps of nettles. Last year I came across one batch of Peacock (Inachis io) caterpillars. This year, again, on one batch (the result of one female) and in exactly the same clump as last year!
-
Lucky you Anthony. I've not found any this year after carefully inspecting the nettles I spotted them on last year. I did see one Small Tortoiseshell (I think) caterpillar but did not fancy wading into the nettles to be sure.
-
Has anybody else noticed that comma butterflies are out in quite large numbers and i have actually seen caterpillars for the first time this year,i have spotted any clouded yellows this year.
-
Has anybody else noticed that comma butterflies are out in quite large numbers and i have actually seen caterpillars for the first time this year,i have spotted any clouded yellows this year.
The comma has only reached Dunblane in the last couple of years. I've yet to see one. The caterpillars are solitary and resemble a bird dropping. They feed on nettles, but in the south can be found on hops and even gooseberry bushes!
-
The blackbirds are busy feeding their babies.
-
me and my partner took my niece to the river yesterday here are some of the butterflies and a dragonfly and one of my niece and my dog charlie from yesterday.
-
Love the skippers, unfortunately we don't have any species here in NZ. But I make sure I get my dose of them every time I get to Aussie.
Almost half way through Winter, yippee. Sorry you Northeners as it means that you are almost half way through Summer :P
-
Kees i'm not that familiar with butterflies from your neck of the woods but i bet they blow the socks of ours,if you get chance, and they stand still long enough to be photographed next spring-summer i would love to see some of them.
-
Davey, how fantastic to have seen so many types of butterfly by the river and to have captured them so clearly in your photos - seems everyone including your niece and her lovely dog had a great time - I love the river in every season.
-
I was sent these pictures of a bear at the bird feeder. We moan about squirrels!! The rope must be made of high tensile steel to support this weight
-
OMGoodness, that's just amazing Tom! :o :o :o :o :o I know bears are agile but to go to that extreme for a nut or seed? No sloth, that bear ;D ;D ;D
-
OMGoodness, that's just amazing Tom! :o :o :o :o :o I know bears are agile but to go to that extreme for a nut or seed? No sloth, that bear ;D ;D ;D
Astonishing! Wh knows, but perhaps the feeder was full of honey...
Did the bear get what it was after?
-
Amazing bear sequence! Where geographically was this photographed?
I'm back again with Monarda punctata (spotted beebalm) with an iridescent blue-black mud dauber wasp feeding on it this time. As wasps go, they are very large, and fly about in erratic flitting movements. They love the allium garden, but with their favorite flowers are Clethra (which is not out yet).
-
Some pics of Hibiscus syriacus 'Blue Bird' (the true plant), which drives the bumblebees into a frenzy. They get so completely covered with heavy white pollen, that they can barely fly, often landing on a leaf for a few seconds of aeronautical rest. The third photo shows a closeup of one such bumble, the flower color looks very wrong in the early morning hazy sunlight, they are a very good blue color in reality.
-
Good grief Mark, in flower already? The Hibiscus syriacus don't flower here until mid to late August at best. Hasving said that the blue hybrangeas have been out for a week or more around town - a good 4 weeks or more ahead of schedule. Your Bluebird, sometimes sold as Oiseau Bleu here, has a marvellous habit. Have you been at it with the Felcos?
Torrential rain here this morning and we needed it.
johnw
-
Good grief Mark, in flower already? The Hibiscus syriacus don't flower here until mid to late August at best. Hasving said that the blue hybrangeas have been out for a week or more around town - a good 4 weeks or more ahead of schedule. Your Bluebird, sometimes sold as Oiseau Bleu here, has a marvellous habit. Have you been at it with the Felcos?
Torrential rain here this morning and we needed it.
johnw
'Bluebird' as it is sold here in the US, is invariably seedling grown, a shame because it means they are miserable rangy inferior plants with terrible chloritic foliage and small bluish misshapen flowers. I've grown hundreds of Bluebird from seed myself (open-pollinated and in a hybridization program, and all progeny are inferior plants that bear little resemblance to the parent). Now the nurseries are carrying a trademarked blue Hibiscus syriacis named Blue Satin (real name is H. syriacus 'Marina'), which by trademark, has to be vegetatively propagated. It too is inferior to Bluebird, not as hardy and always suffering some winter die-back, smaller flowers, a shorter bloom period, and not as floriferous, although the flowers are deeper blue, it does not compensate for the gorgeous flowers of 'Bluebird', or as known by its old name, Oiseau Bleu. Hopefully the ones they sell in Canada are propagated from cuttings.
I looked up "Felco" as I suspected it was a cutting tool, sure enough :D Yes, I do prune all Hibiscus syriacus shrubs. Annually I cut the top 3-4' of growth (they grow like weeds), which keeps the shrubs compact and avoids one of the worst shortcomings of H. syriacus, that if left unchecked, the long willowy arching growth on old shrubs will tip over under their own weight and look unsightly. A yearly hard pruning (late winter or early spring) will make the main leader(s) stocky and strong, encourages a healthy flush of foliage and sub-branching, and they flower up a storm on the vigorous new growth. I also carefully prune weaker internal branching and crossing branching, to allow more energy to the main branches and leaders, much the way lilacs are pruned for best flowering.
And you're right, just like your Hydrangeas are well ahead based on an early season, I've never had flowering like this until the beginning of August... we're 2-3 weeks ahead of normal this year.
-
Good to know Mark. I know people here who think Marina is vastly superior to the Bluebird in the local trade. So my guess is the Bluebird / Oiseau Bleu here - well at least the majority - are not the real mccoy. The flowers on yours are quite fantastic. Most of the other ones received here from the west coast are terribly mis-labelled.
A friend says her Agapanthus and Anemone x hybrida are getting ready to flower!
The banana slugs are out in full force tonight.
johnw
-
Davey, our butterflies are quite hopeless actually compared to yours, we have nothing like the peacocks, tortiseshells, comma etc.
I will take pics for you of what I find and any other interesting insects for you all.
-
Bear photo real or fake
http://selever.freeshell.org/projects/rand/ (http://selever.freeshell.org/projects/rand/)
-
Here's a critter munching on some flat leaf parsley.
Eastern Black Swallowtail
-
Here's a critter munching on some flat leaf parsley.
Eastern Black Swallowtail
Very natty tailoring that chap has!
-
I was sent these pictures of a bear at the bird feeder. We moan about squirrels!! The rope must be made of high tensile steel to support this weight
That is just so cute, wonderful pictures Tom
-
Pretty thing, isn't it. 8)
-
A Longhorn beetle pictured last week.
-
what a thing that is Mick,i can't say i have seen a long horn in the flesh.
-
Nor me, it really is a handsome beetle - would like to know more about it - was it in your greenhouse Mick?
-
Robin not in the greenhouse just on the drive outside. I've done a bit of digging and think I may have found the species. Agapanthia villosoviridescens, perhaps Anthony may be able to confirm?
http://www.cerambyx.uochb.cz//index.htm this link takes you to the front page where you can put a search in for species.
This has a bit of information from your area Dave:
http://www.eakringbirds.com/eakringbirds3/insectslonghornbeetles.htm
-
A fantastic link, Mick, and great photos for ID, thanks 8)
-
The long horn beetles are quite common, the larger species are very good hissers.
New Zealands largest species is the Huhu beetle Prionoplus reticularis , scares a lot of people when it is attracted to light. A lot of people eat Huhu grubs, they taste like peanut butter.
Attached a pic-hope it works.
edit by maggi: it does work but I'm replacing it with a jpg which is easier!
-
A lot of people eat Huhu grubs, they taste like peanut butter
Kees, what we find strange others love - in Cameroun on safari we were offered a termite queen larva as a speciality! In fact we tasted lots of things there for the first time - snake was the best! :o
-
Can anyone give me some information, I haven't managed to take a picture or catch this beetle as it is very fast. It lives in my pond and I don't like the look of it, its big :o What I would like to know would it harm my baby fish. Sorry no picture, I will try again today to fish it out, it seems to come up fast for air and then dives down, its black and brown.
Angie :)
-
Angie,
If it's big (2.5-3.0cms), and black with brown margins to the various body parts, then you may have a Great Diving Beetle Dytiscus marginalis. If you're trying to fish it out use a net, they have strong jaws - if you succeed with that, you may in future have to deal with the larvae if it's laid eggs. Speaking from personal experience, they bite also! If one has flown in then there's always the possiblity that others could do so in future.
Both adults and larvae are predators (anything up to the size of fish, newts, etc).
Here's a link for identification: http://www.eol.org/pages/1171540
Peter
-
A fantastic link, Mick, and great photos for ID, thanks 8)
i agree, Mick i would of not thought they were in my neck of the woods,now to find them.
-
The problem with plastic dumped at sea
http://www.birdguides.com/iris/pictures.asp?mode=potw (http://www.birdguides.com/iris/pictures.asp?mode=potw)
-
Has anyone noticed it's July now?
-
oh yes so it is and half way through :-[
-
There is a July thread, started by Fred here-
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5776.0
I haven't split the posts from July in this thread across to the July one because some refer back to June comments :P
-
Angie,
If it's big (2.5-3.0cms), and black with brown margins to the various body parts, then you may have a Great Diving Beetle Dytiscus marginalis. If you're trying to fish it out use a net, they have strong jaws - if you succeed with that, you may in future have to deal with the larvae if it's laid eggs. Speaking from personal experience, they bite also! If one has flown in then there's always the possiblity that others could do so in future.
Both adults and larvae are predators (anything up to the size of fish, newts, etc).
Here's a link for identification: http://www.eol.org/pages/1171540
Peter
Hi Peter
That's it, now that I have seen it close up it even looks scarier to me and to think it could fly :o. I sat at the pond today hoping that I would be able to catch it and show a picture but know I will just have to try and catch it.
Thanks Peter for finding this beetle for me. The pond is full of baby fish, hopefully I can net it out.
Thanks also for the link Peter, isn't this forum great, whatever you need to find out just ask here.
Angie :)
-
Oh I have just noticed the ITS JULY NOW sorry Maggi, its a bit late and I am tired, been busy all day gardening.
SORRY
Angie :)
-
The long horn beetles are quite common, the larger species are very good hissers.
New Zealands largest species is the Huhu beetle Prionoplus reticularis , scares a lot of people when it is attracted to light. A lot of people eat Huhu grubs, they taste like peanut butter.
Attached a pic-hope it works.
edit by maggi: it does work but I'm replacing it with a jpg which is easier!
Sorry to be regressing in time but I've only just come across June. I loathe and hate and detest these things. In other words I'm scared stiff of them. They are present around my house in summer and in flight sound like a jet aircraft on take-off. Their flight is erratic and when they come into my bedroom at night, I dive under cover and wait until someone comes and disposes of the "thing." When I was a child and they came in, one landed on my eye one night and I guess the terror stems from then. I used to dive under and scream for my mother to remove them. Nowadays I read with the window shut and only open it after I put ut the light.
-
The long-horn ID was correct. The larvae feed in the stems of thistles.
Was away when June became July, so missed the change over. Just caught up! :)