House and Garden

The House Spider    Tegenaria gigantea


 

 

 

The Garden Spider   Araneus diadematus



 

 

 

The House spider has very long legs, especially in the male. The body is brown, heavily mottled with black, with a number of clear chevrons towards the rear. The house spider builds a triangular web, then hides in a tubular retreat in a corner and waits for flies and other insects to become entangled. Females live for several years, surviving for months without food. Their habitat is, in and around houses, especially sheds, other out buildings, and also in open countryside, particularly in the south. Seen throughout Europe. The male Garden Spider Araneus diadematus is 5-8mm and the female is 10-12mm.It makes a large symmetrical orb web which acts as an aerial trap for flying insects. This spider made it's web just outside one of my windows, so I took some photos inside and some outside.

Focus on Finches

The male Green finch

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dingy and Dinky

The Dingy Skipper
Erynnis tages
 

 

 

 

 

 

As I still have plenty of butterfly pictures left over from last year I will be posting some now and again. The Dingy Skipper is a very moth like butterfly,at first glance I thought it was a moth. It is 14mm in size, and commonly perches with wings wide open but wraps the wings around the body at night.

Dull Day At The Coast

The Turnstone  Arenaria interpres

 

Some fishermen were gutting fish not far away from where I took these shots, and threw the heads to the waiting gulls and the Turnstones  got in on the action. They run really fast, and this one got there before a nearby gull.


 

There were a small group of them on the rocks and down below on the seaweed covered stones.
 

No matter how I tried I couldn't  get a decent shot, especially one showing the eyes whch were very dark.


 

I'm posting this shot to show you the size of the Turnstone in comparison to the Herring Gull,. It almost disapears amonst the seaweed.


 

We only live half an hour from the coast, so often go for a seafood meal and I take my camera along just in case. disapointingly on this day at the beginning of summer it turned out to be a really dull day, so this is the best I could manage.I was pleased however to see the Turnstones busily engaged in looking for food which they find by foraging in seaweed, and by flipping over pebbles to find prey underneath.This behaviour is the origin of it's name Turnstone. The male is distinguished by slightly brighter colours, as seen in second photo. It feeds on crustaceans molluscs and worms.

Greetings

 

Many many thanks for all your kind comments on my last post, and a very Happy New Year to everyone. I especially wish you and your families lots of good health, love and good fortune in 2014. I have missed you all, but hope to renew blogging some time in January. This is the only photo I have taken since the 1st of November, and it’s a view I see every day from my lounge window.

Blog Break

Just to let you know that due to unforseen circumstances I will be taking a break from blogging for a while. See you all as soon as I can.

Pintas

 

 

 

Pintas was found on the farm, undernourished and dirty.He was a young stray,very suspicious of people, a free spirit, but cold and hungry.He slept in between hay bales near the cow shed. Every evening we fed him,and during the day he disappeared, only to reappear at dinner time,when he ate, and then kipped down in the hay.After a while we began to see more of him roaming around on the farm, and he had the habit of sitting on a high wall watching as the cows were herded into the fields.One day he decided to join in, and he's been herding the cows ever since. He runs like the wind, jumps as though he has springs under his feet,and loves to chase cars!! It was a day of celebration when he let us stroke him for the first time.:) He's been with us for six years now, and is such a good dog, and Mel's best friend.

The Portrait of a Lady

The Painted Lady   Vanessa cardui   (Nymphalidae)



 

 

 

 

 

 

The Painted lady is found in grassy places where flowers are in bloom. When feeding néctar from flowers such as the Lantana, the Painted Lady is usually oblivious to the approach of na observer. It's wing span is 6cm, and flight period from March-November or further north, April-October.

The Crab Spider

The Crab Spider
 

Misumena vatia
 

The white crab spider is the most common of the crab spiders, and the yellow, the less common. They are mainly slow-moving, squat-bodied spiders, which bear a striking resemblance to crabs.While lying in wait on a flower, the two pairs of long front legs, strongly armed with bristles on their inner edges, are held out in anticipation, ready to fold inwards in a pincer movement on insects which approach too closely, and then the spiders fangs go for the neck. The spiders powerful nerve poison quickly paralysis the victom. The Misumena vatia seems adept at subduing stinging insects such as hive bees, bumblebees, and the meadow brown and marbled white butterflies are frequently caught by the Misumena. 

Squirrel Selection

I just want to cuddle this squirrel.

 

An add for shampoo perhaps! 
 

Chubby Chops.
 

I think there is something feline looking about this squirrel.
 

This squirrel was looking right at me.

 

Cheeky fellow joined me for breakfast.
 

Cute bear cub look-alike.
 

 

They really are quite different in appearance from one another, and it makes it even more enjoyable to watch them. 

Autumn Colours