Tuesday 3 August 2021

Little Beauties

Let me introduce you to some very small friends that I've been trying to learn about on my recent walks....


There are a lot more of these little beings around than you might realise. Here I stooped to photograph one, noticed another nearby, then found one more when I looked at the shot on the computer. Left to right: a Seven-Spot Ladybird, some sort of Skipper butterfly and an unidentified fly lurking in the shadows.



A Common Darter pauses (and poses) on a little fishing platform on a village pond. They are not at all difficult to find, though they don't always co-operate with the photographer. They are also a bit tricky in that they change colour depending on their age....



Here's a less mature male. If you look really closely you can see a yellowish stripe on the legs which confirms they are both Common Darters, though I confess I can rarely see this until I look at the photos.


No problems with this little butterfly - at least not once it settles. It's a Small Copper, which always gets a smile in this part of the world; "copper" being the everyday word for a policeman.



If you're a small, defenceless hoverfly it's a good idea to look like one of the hard gang, like a wasp for example. Its disguise is good enough to fool most predators (and many people). Its Sunday name is Helophilus pendulus, but its stripy thorax gives it the nickname of "the footballer". 



This slender (almost to the point of invisibility) damselfly is probably a Willow Emerald. If not for the sun catching its wings I'd have passed by without noticing it.



It's pretty enough to be a butterfly, but in fact it's a Five-Spot Burnet moth. 



A Gatekeeper butterfly feeds on the nectar of some Ragwort. It gets its common name from its habit of hanging around near gates, though its other name of Hedge Brown suggests that you might find it anywhere along a hedgerow. Perhaps it's just that we see it as we pass through the gates.



This gorgeous fellow is a male Southern Hawker, another fairly common dragonfly in the UK. Females are only slightly less jewel-like being just lime-green and black, lacking the bright blue colour.



And we'll finish off with a Painted Lady butterfly. They are a migratory species that arrives here from Europe during some summers, though they seem to be getting more frequent in recent years.


Take care.


23 comments:

  1. Excellent series of pictures, John. There is much to be discovered in the small world, a realm I have spent time exploring here in recent weeks. I think we have all had those pleasant surprises when we get the picture up on the computer monitor. We will be resuming our Tuesday bird walks with our usual group this morning, so we'll keep a close eye on the world of miniatures too!

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  2. All the beauty we miss when we don’t take the time to observe our surroundings! These are such a colourful lot. Great photos.

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  3. I never knew there were so many different dragonfly-looking bugs. I wonder if we have such variety here in the US. Probably, esp in the southern marshes and in bayou country.

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  4. Beautiful photos! I love photographing the dragonflies. We haven't seen many of them around here this summer. There is so much beauty in Nature. Thank you for sharing. You have a super day, hugs, Edna B.

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  5. Your photos give me a great chance to see the details on these insects. I rarely see them so clearly! Thanks, John!

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  6. Lovely collection John - I really enjoy it when I look at an image on the computer and discover something not noticed with the naked eye when taking the photo.

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  7. photo presentation with fantasy, these insects are part of the living treasures that we see best with a camera ...

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  8. You did well taking those photo, they would have gone by the time I managed to get one.We have the common dater in common today

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  9. Thanks John as I enjoyed seeing these "little beauties" most of which were very colorful and some aptly named. I have seen many varieties of dragonflies and their gracefulness is always amazing.

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  10. I rarely see a dragonfly sitting still for long! Great shots as usual!

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  11. your post is very educational one. Love from Poland.

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  12. I love that Burnet Moth! It's a little tricky to still search for these in my wheelchair!

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  13. Lovely images. They all seem to stay still long enough for you to take their photos:)

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    1. I tend not to show you the pictures where they've just flown away!

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  14. Another good reason to have lots of different plants in the garden and not to be overly zealous with the tidying is that you get to see lots more insects. A lovely weed-free lawn is a barren wilderness for bugs. The dragonflies (and similar insects) are very beautiful with their sparkly colours.

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  15. Well done on the hat-trick in the first shot John 😉 Beautifully shown series of bugs and butterflies 🐞

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  16. They certainly are 'Little Beauties' John! You have captured them perfectly!

    Such a lovely time of year!

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  17. Wow, John, you've seen some wonderful little beauties there. Thank you so much for sharing these photos. We are not seeing very much in the way of butterflies, moths, or damselflies this year. I'm a little worried about it.
    I've wanted to see this post and comment for the past two days, but when I would attempt to load the page, it would take a long time. I gave up every time. So glad that it seems to be okay now.

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  18. Great photos. It's hard to get them to stay still unless you get up when the dew is still on them.

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  19. Hi John - those are wonderful photos - and I do love seeing the descriptions with their names and 'pen-names' ... fascinating how our local descriptive language locks on. Beautiful - thanks ... Hilary

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