I haven't been anywhere that's yielded a set of photos lately, though I've still been out and about, finding a few bits and pieces, here and there.
This was the sky over Stockbridge Meadow at Unreasonable O'clock one morning, sunrise being about 04:30 in these latitudes at this time of year.
A little later in the day there'll be some butterflies about. This is the widespread but rather beautiful Red Admiral.
And here's a Comma which gets its name from a tiny white punctuation mark on its underwing, completely ignoring the obvious fact that the wings are a completely different shape to any other butterfly on these islands - scalloped and indented like a piece of jigsaw puzzle.
This tiny, moth-like butterfly is a Large Skipper.
And here's a dragonfly that's just gone! I liked the soft, dreamy look of the reeds so took a photo anyway.
Backlit grasses can look soft and delicate in the early morning light.
And a damselfly that didn't fly away! A male Azure Damselfly, if I'm not mistaken.
My nearest RSPB bird reserve at Fowlmere had a visit from seven Little Egrets recently (one insisted on feeding on the other side of the mere!) Before 1990 we were lucky to get a dozen or so Little Egrets visiting the UK each year: now there are over 700 breeding pairs here in summer and even more visiting during winter.
Fowlmere's resident Barn Owls can often be seen around their nest-box. I also had another birding trip to Smithy Fen, one of the less salubrious parts of Cambridgeshire......
....but there's a flooded field there which is particularly attractive to birds and over 150 species have been logged there over the last few years. The latest celebrity to take up a brief residence there is Marg the Stork. Nobody knows where this White Stork has come from, though a few overshoot their usual migration stop most years.
We'll pop back to Stockbridge Meadow for the last couple of shots of the early morning light.
*******
YouTube's mysterious and inscrutable algorithm has decided recently that I like guitar music. For once it's got something right.....
"Why worry" (a song by Mark Knopfler)
played by Muriel Anderson on a Brunner Compact Harp Guitar.
Take care.
Great photos (as ever) and I loved that new to me harp-guitar! It certainly had a range that most guitars don't have!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful post, John. Love that 1st shot.
ReplyDeleteI wondered where you got to when I saw no posts for a week. Glad to see your lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteYou do see some beautiful sights on your trips out and about. I'm so glad to see these lovely photos of what you've seen lately.
ReplyDeleteNice to hear that music. We have Mark Knopfler's "Why Worry" song on one of our playlists. It's so beautiful. I love hearing it on a harp-guitar.
How I love travelling with you. Beauty and heart balm.
ReplyDeleteYour picturee of grasses John brought to mind a grass we loved as children - I have not seen it for years and never did know its name - we always called it 'tottering Johnnie'.
ReplyDeleteI don't know my grasses I'm afraid, Pat. "Tottering Johnnie" sounds like me when I get out of bed in the morning!
DeleteYour lovely photos accompanied by that harp guitar brought tears to my eyes, John. Such a peaceful feeling that I needed right now! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYes , the clouds have been beautiful here too . Soft and wispy . The Comma is my favourite butterfly . I love your photographs .
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Barn Owls take so readily to nest boxes seems to be a truth greatly overlooked here in North America. There are a few locations where they have been put to good use, but not many. It would be so easy to help increase their population.
ReplyDeleteI think our Barn Owl population would be in trouble without nest boxes as there are few barns now which have the kind of nooks and crannies in which they used to nest.
DeleteGreat shots. I especially like the second last one of the tree. I haven’t seen or heard a harp guitar before! Thanks, John.
ReplyDeleteGreat butterfly pics! And I love the barn owls. I've photographed some barred owls lately in my local parks.
ReplyDeleteAh-mazing photos, John.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're still getting out and about!
ReplyDeleteHi John - yes ... the morning skies are gorgeous at this time of year - in fact so have the evening ones. You certainly live in the middle of a beautiful part of the UK ... stunning photos and fun takes on wildlife - Marg ... great name for a stork - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteThe owl shot is my favourite.
ReplyDeleteMorning light has a clarity and the photographs are beautiful. I am glad that barn owls are not on a red list for their presence like ghosts on wings is an incredible sight hunting low in a field.
ReplyDeleteThe first and last photos are just stunning. And sunrise at 4:30am? Dear me. That would be tough to get used to.
ReplyDeleteI love the early morning light too. The shots are lovely.
ReplyDeleteI echo all of the comments above, but you sent me off on a very nostalgic trip down YouTube - Mark Knofler, which led to Chet Atkins and the Everly Brothers - beautiful music which took me back many years. "Why Worry" is especially wonderful. Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteSeeing the butterfly photos brought back memories, John, of the hours I spent photographing them at our VA home. And thanks for the music and the unusual instrument as well.
ReplyDeleteThat is an amazing increase in the Little Egrets! I loved the video...I had forgotten it. Been years since I have heard it.
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