Sunday 19 June 2022

It's The Little Things

Children have a different view of the world from grown-ups. They have little use for grand views or beautiful countryside, but have a seemingly inbuilt obsession with messy corners inhabited by creepy-crawlies and squirmy-wormies - life on a smaller and more manageable scale. The kind of thing which adults usually don't even notice. Somehow I've managed to retain some of my childish inquisitiveness; so here are a few insects and wild flowers that have entertained me recently.


Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly 


One of our more familiar garden butterflies which everyone sees at least a few times every summer. But how many of us notice the jewel-like blue crescents along the edges of the wings? They can be very territorial and will chase any other butterflies that encroach on what they consider to be their bit of the flowerbed. According to the Wildlife Trusts' website the males "court" the females "by drumming their antennae on the females hindwings". Now that's something to look out for.


Bee Orchids


I mentioned these in a recent post, so I thought I'd better find some for you. I also mentioned how wild orchids sometimes appear in unlikely places and these are a case in point, growing on a small patch of grass in a street in the modern village of Bar Hill. The flowers are supposed to mimic bees and thus attract real bees in to pollinate them. It must work as Bee Orchids are not that rare.



Scarce Chaser Dragonfly


Despite the name Scarce Chasers are not that scarce - not around the many old flooded gravel pits around here anyway. That's the female in the picture above.


Yellow Wort


This tiny flower is a specialist of chalky soils and, while it can turn up in specially managed hay-meadows, it's just as likely to be found in abandoned quarries or, as here, on a heap of waste soil left over from excavating a small farm reservoir. Yellow Wort is actually a member of the Gentian family, but one that is very easily overlooked.


Pyramidal Orchid


From the same heap of soil as the Yellow Wort, comes this Pyramidal Orchid. There are also Bee Orchids, Common Spotted Orchids and vast numbers of Ox-Eye Daisies on the same site. Pyramidal Orchids have occasional moments of nationwide fame when they get on the News for appearing in thousands on a particular traffic roundabout.


Cardinal Beetle


It's amazing how such a handsome little chap can be so little known. The Red-Headed Cardinal Beetle is a fairly common insect of gardens, parks and hedgerows.


Bedstraw Broomrape


The Broomrapes are a very odd group of flowers which lack any green leaves. Instead of photosynthesising they rely on gaining their nutrients from the roots of other plants, in this case Lady's Bedstraw. This particular example was found growing on sand dunes on the North Norfolk Coast. The host plant, Lady's Bedstraw, is a fairly unspectacular yellow flower which gets its name from the fact that it was once used for stuffing hay mattresses, to which it gave a pleasant scent.


Black-Tailed Skimmer Dragonfly


Another dragonfly which benefits greatly from the proliferation of flooded gravel pits
, which have been left to serve as nature reserves in this area. If you get interested in dragonflies then you have to get used to the idea that males and females of the same species can look very different from each other. Birds often have females that are duller versions of the males, but with dragonflies no such rules apply. Here for example is the female Black-Tailed Skimmer:



And that concludes this round up of some of the smaller things in life. But we ignore them at our peril, for it's these tiny organisms that form the foundation on which the whole of the world's ecosystems are built. Children know best.


Take care.


24 comments:

  1. The little things are HUGE in my world and these are beauties. Which would definitely have caught my eye.
    Love that aptly named orchid. And the ladies bedstraw. And of course all of the insects. Thank you.

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  2. Cultivated orchids are considered an expensive hobby, but in the wild the different native orchids proliferate. Enjoyed the miniature views.

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  3. A terrific post, John. If there is one thing above all else that I cherish as a naturalist, it is that a sense of curiosity and wonder have never left me. Childish inquisitiveness is a virtue to be highly cherished. I have no doubt that it will serve me well all my days.

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  4. Pyramidal Orchids are very abundant in my garden, however, I wish the Bee Orchid would pay us a visit. There are several growing over the stonewall from our property, I live in hope, but imagine a Bee Orchid flourishing on a street in a modern urban area.

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  5. Thank you for a look at other lifeforms makes you thk bout nature rjb

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  6. Great post with lots of information and terrific photos!

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  7. I love these closeup views of life there. That Bee Orchid is so beautiful, and I love that you seeing dragonflies. I haven't seen any yet this year. Hopefully soon!

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  8. I'm so happy when you post all these detailed photos, and know the names of the little insects and wild orchids. Thanks for giving me this little walk of knowledge and beauty!

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  9. Love the closeups of the small creatures. I may see them but too slow to get a good photo. I enjoyed this post, John. Thank you!

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  10. I'm loving that cute Cardinal Beetle ! 💚

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  11. I love these details that many miss. Your keen eye means we share in the details. Perfect!

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  12. Love that Bee Orchid. Great shots, John.

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  13. Your photos show the details of these creatures so beautifully.

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  14. So interesting John and all so very different from that around where I live.

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  15. Beautiful photos of those special little things:)

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  16. Some great photography here and a few things to learn.

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  17. Smaller things are often fascinating!

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  18. What lovely photos of a great variety. No sign of dragonflies here. We used to get lots on our previous property.

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  19. These are the little things I love...or some of them. There are a couple that I just see occasionally that I want to photograph and never get the chance. If I ever do it will be pure luck. The Bee Orchid is really cool. I thought it was a bee a first glance.

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  20. As a parent it can drive you mad when children stop to inspect every tiny thing - and yet, as you say, they have a keen eye and we can learn from them.

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  21. Hi John - it's so excellent we have records from the ages gone - in folklore and in actuality - that we can see from your photos and notes of today - how true they remain ... we are so lucky to be alive and appreciate these, especially from friends and children in the know - delightful post - cheers Hilary

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  22. John, my photo of the swallowtail butterfly had the advantage of being up close with my iPhone. The butterfly was oblivious to me and my close proximity. As to a walk through our barn? Don't know if the local historical society with do something similar to Plainfield's. We have shared the large tin sign that we mounted in the rec room loft in there with many folks.

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  23. You are so right, John, as indeed it is the little things in life and nature that can be the most interesting. Many people overlook what is right below their eyes in favor of the larger picture, so to speak. I can recall spending hours taking photos of butterflies, insects and wildflowers during our years of living in VA. It was always an interesting several hours. Thanks for reminding me that the little things DO matter.

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Thanks for taking the time to comment. I'll try to answer any questions via a comment or e-mail within the next day or two (no hard questions, please!).