Wildlife June 2010

[Anthony Darby]

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.

[Paul T]

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.

[mark smyth]

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?

[Paul T]

Interesting to know, Mark.  I didn't realise that it had a different name to breeders overseas.

[Kees Green]

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.

[daveyp1970]

on my wanderings today i saw this fairly large spider a real stunner anybody any ideas on id

[Maggi Young]

oh, crikey.... WHY did I click on that photo? 

[mark smyth]

looks like he lay down beside it

[Olga Bondareva]

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. 

Old spider's skin on Meconopsis




Butterfly.  In russian it names "she-bear"

[Kees Green]

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

[daveyp1970]

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)

[Maggi Young]

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)

 

[Paul T]

Unfortunately there are many who have difficulties with the beholding..... darn difficult to behold while you're running screaming! 

[fredg]

It looked to me like the spider was the one screaming, it appeared decidedly uncomfortable on Dave's arm.

[Anthony Darby]

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'.