About Me

My photo
Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, United Kingdom
Bit of a long tooth IT Manager - been and had a few hobbies, as for the title, I make glass beads, its Called Lampwork, I brew my own Beer, its called fun and I take photos, thats the oldest hobby, since I was 16 or so. My first camera was a Zenith E - then a Pentax KR to go digital after a long stint with a Pentax Super A. Now a Nikon D5200 and a D7100 with a Sigma 150 f2.8 macro lens to play with amongst others. Please note all photos used are my own and I retain full copyright to all of them. Thank you for respecting digital ownership

Tuesday 10 June 2014

A few beetles and other nice spots



Well we managed to get to Lincoln to see our parents, Yokes mum, my dad and Christine and my eldest brother and his lady. When I say ‘we’ I include Eleanor in that although the trip was hard for her with her balance disorder and lots of stops along the way were required.

I managed to get out for the day to a local reserve Whisby, - http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/whisby-nature-park

It really is a great area to take a day out at, not only great wildlife but a nice centre to take a break in. It did rain and I took shelter in a hide, so after 40 minutess or so great views of Common Tern, Black-headed gulls with chicks and a Kingfisher I went for a longer walk to get some insect shots, after rain and with a bit of sun they all come out.

 I had a bit of time in the hide to try panning shots - but as my lens was only a 150mm it is a bit 'distant' so I cropped the picture a bit

common tern flying in the rain

 
Bugs were all around with a couple of new ticks for me, and an awesome view of a Red Deer albeit fleeting and no chance of capturing it on film.

Chimney Sweeper moth

Rare beetle and a new tick - Agapanthea villosoviridescens

new Moth for me - Latticed Heath

This moth has no common name but the male has the longest antenna of any UK moth
Nemophora degeerella

did not spot the moth till i saw the shot on the computer monitor

called a Snout - obvious really

having lunch 
 
After that on the Sunday we went over to my brothers home  – he has a decent sized garden and we dug a pond in it earlier in the year – a few insects have found it to make it home to our pleasure as have a few ducks to his annoyance as they muddy it up and eat all the leaves of the aquatic plants trying to grow !

Overall a really nice weekend, it was really nice to see everyone and for me to have a bit of decent insect photography done outside my home location.

Nice dragonfly Libellula depressa , female and male, femal on Lupin.



 A rather handsome hover fly

Helophilus pendulus
 
Backswimmer or Water Boatman, if you look closely you will see small creatures at the back - its the young of the water boatman I think - thats also them - the small brown spots top rh side


water boatman

 A very young bush cricket if you realise thats a petal of a dog daisy it is sitting on you will see how small it is



 I really must sort out the presentation of this to get the photos side by side a bit more - ah well something for the next time.


1 comment: