Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few days, you will know a cull of badgers has started in two areas of the Westcountry, amid much controversy. But one thing is starting to concern me is the fact they are not testing of the badgers being shot for bTB. Why is…
Some butterflies from the weekend before last, taken in Wat Tyler Country Park and RSPB Vange Marsh. A small tortoiseshell butterfly.
The numbers of this species are noticeably higher than the last few years.
I’ve seen a lot more common blue butterflies this year too.
And a gatekeeper, which always seems to be common!
Last weekend I met up with some friends and had a walk around Wat Tyler CP. On the sea wall we found a scarce species of plant: Bupleurum tenuissimum, theSlender Hare’s-ear.
On its leaves was the rust fungus Puccinia bupleuri, which is only recorded from a handful of UK sites.
I was lucky enough to have a close encounter with a fox a few weeks ago. After eating some rubbish it proceeded to have a good clean right in front of me.
It had something caught in its teeth too.
While at Thursley Common we came across this lizard sunbathing in the open on some flattened grass, I’ve not seen one in this sort of basking spot before.
A quick photo of a scarce emerald damselfly, the last one I saw this year.
A few weeks ago in Wat Tyler CP, there was a patch of thistles covered in marbled white butterflies.
A few posts ago I posted a video of my garden hedgehog. Well a couple of nights ago I spotted it and want out with the camera and got his shot.
On Wednesday I popped up to Fingringhoe Wick and got some nice photos of willow emerald damselflies Lestes viridis.
There were a few mating pairs around too.
I also finally got a photo of a brown hawker, my odonata nemesis!
A ruddy darter male posed.
And a pair just about posed on some bramble.
