mallard with ducklings Yesterday we walked round Blackford Pond. There was no sign of all the toads that had been sitting on the bottom of the pond last time we were there. However there were lots of mallards, some with ducklings, also a couple of greylag geese, moorhens (see new banner photo) and black headed gulls and lots of jackdaws, which are very noisily nesting in the trees around the pond, the adolescent birds seeming to be very demanding! We also wandered round Blackford Hill and into the Hermitage of Braid. Lots of buttercups, yellow flag irises, dog roses and many other species of flowers, which were home to lots of insects, including ladybirds (more than I've seen for a while) and the creatures below that Crafty Green Boyfriend took great delight in capturing with his new camera.
a type of soldier beetle (above)a type of scorpion fly (below)
a ladybird larva
There were lots of bees everywhere too, which was very reassuring. Several types of bumble bees, some of them with very prominent knees! For some beautiful photos of bumble bees, visit Stonehead at: http://stonehead.wordpress.com/2009/06/16/bumble-bees-at-work/
Like the new header Juliet - I love moorhens - in Lincolnshire we always called them waterhens.
ReplyDeleteWe have found a bumble bees nest in our hat loft and are keeping a close eye on it as we don't want to disturb them - they are lovely creatures.
The ducklings are so cute in your first picture. We have soldier beetles here too. They remind me of lightening bugs which I believe is related to the soldier beetle. Good to hear you and the boyfriend were able to take such a nice walk. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteNice post: it made me stop and think what I have observed around here in Norfolk Virginia [specifically, in my yard]. Let's see: many bees enjoying my roses and heavenly bamboo's flowers, a few ladybugs [what a surprise! I rarely see them], lots and lots of lightning bugs, and many toads [I have several toad houses in my garden, to give them shelter from my playful dog who likes to play with them and ends up coming in the house slobbering from the mouth].
ReplyDeleteNice to see the insects identified. thanks... bird-wise here in northern California, at my place, at this time of year the Swainson's thrush is singing almost continuously. It's the most beautiful music to my ear. Great to see the bumblebees too-- with big knees! There's a rhyme that would be fun to write. :)
ReplyDeleteI just love ducks. The colouring is picture perfect and they are just so, well, buoyant!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear you found bees!!
Love the moorhen banner. We found some beetles today: am just going to try to identify them...
ReplyDeleteCGB is clearly enjoying the new camera. We look forward to more mini-beasts. I have never seen a Ladybird larva before.
In the evenings you’re also likely to find bunnies by the pond, nonchalantly grazing alongside the woodpigeons.
ReplyDelete‘Moorhen’ in the Slavic languages is ‘kokoshka’, so the artist Oskar Kokoschka is Oskar Moorhen, just as Franz Kafka is Franz Jackdaw. I don’t know why I dislike moorhens, though; it’s not as though they’re agressive like coots …
Golebnik - thanks for the slavic bird surnames, that's great! As for bunnies and woodpigeons, there was a rabbit chasing woodpigeons in the school grounds of one of the big schools in Edinburgh, forget the name, but it was fun to watch. Shane we missed the Blackford bunnies though...
ReplyDeleteWow! Lots to see where you are. I like the name Dog Rose. I've never heard of or seen that before.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog.
Paz
And such lovely, tasty nettles!
ReplyDelete<----Grateful for your nature diary and Craft Green Boyfriend's new camera.
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely photos! And I truly enjoy the name of your blog.
ReplyDeleteYour photography fills my eyes, which is the greatest compliment I can give.
(grin)
Loved seeing your mallard ducklings! Mallards are quite the topic lately (stop by if you get a chance to see why I say that!)
ReplyDeleteloved this post. Hoenstly, I should go for more walks and "look" around. Maybe you could do a book on the merit of taking a walk...with a camera!
I think we forget a lot of the little wonders around us.