Wildlife June 2010

[alpines]

[/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).

[mark smyth]

A cutie from one of my nest boxes

[annew]

VERY cute!

[mark smyth]

what about your birds?

Those deep brown eyes just pull you in

[angie]

Mark that swift is as you say so cute...I excellet photograph, amazing to see it so close .

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

[mark smyth]

Quite odd Angie because I would have assumed the swallows would have come home this evening

[angie]

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

[mark smyth]

I would have expected the swallows to escort the bird of prey out of their area

[Anthony Darby]

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!

[Roma]

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. 

[daveyp1970]

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.

[Anthony Darby]

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!

[Gunilla]

The blackbirds are busy feeding their babies.

[daveyp1970]

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.

[Kees Green]

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