Nature pics

[bim]

I would go for corncrake or land rail (family reallidae) length 10.5 inches. The corncrake is a summer visitor and though it is often heard it is seldom seen. Like other members of this family it is usually concealed in long grass. Plumage is buff brown with darker brown and barded on flanks. A large area of chestnut on wings and the greyish face has chestnut cheeks. The bill is similar to game birds. I must admit though the colours look rather grey in the picture but this could be bright sunshine and variation in birds. Did you hear it? It has a double call (aarr-aarr, aarr-aarr) which they repeat for long periods - day and night. So if it is one weel done for seeing it and getting a picture.
Bird watchers use a piece of notched wood and run a stick across it to make a rasping sound which is an acceptable imitation of the birds call - a bit like when you were at school and you wanted a drum but you ended up with two bits of wood that went aarr-aarr.

 

[Lazarus]

Interesting thoughts, thankyou: We do get Corncrake around here on occasion, but I don't think this is one.

No idea about the sound as it was SWMBO's sighting (I'm laid up with Gout!).

Will ask her .................. "No. Didn't hear it"

 

[skomedal]

Hoverfly on flower

View attachment 66855
Taken today camera canon G12 closeup mode, tripod and electric shutter release.

Regards

 

[Lazarus]

@bim

Hmm. It does seem to resemble the Corncrake in some ways, but I'm not convinced.

As you say, colours not right and the legs are distinctly yellow.

Too big, as well.

 

[skomedal]

Tivu

Might be a juvenile bird so does not have adult plumage yet.

Regards

Ps cherries now in season;)

 

[Lazarus]

Juvenile Greylag Goose ??




Where is RolfW when you need him?

 

[Lazarus]

Ps cherries now in season;)

Can you Fax me some?

 

[bim]

It does take 2 years for these birds to get their adult plumage, so could be a yearling.

 

[rolfw]

I'd put money on it being a leucistic Moorhen.

 

[Lazarus]

I'll have to go and look that up!

Edit: Done ...............

 

[Lazarus]

Now she tells me there were three or four all similar.

There are indeed Moorhens at that site, but these birds were a fair bit bigger.

Also, SWMBO says they fed without upending in the way Ducks do (If that makes any sense!)

 

[rolfw]

Not many other birds they could be, sometimes you'll get pale morphs of species and the markings are definitely similar to those of a juvenile Moorhen, but with slightly less colour depth. Will ahve a further scour.

 

[Lazarus]

Well thanks to all three of you - let's hope we come up with a definite answer.

(Unless the hard-core Twitchers are reading, in which case we'll have streams of Cars descending on us within minutes!)

 

[Lazarus]

Despite my bout of gout, I'm going to wander down to the pond with SWMBO and her Camera in about an hour (Lasagne comes first), to see if we can see/deduce/learn more.

Been a good week hereabouts, what with the Kingfisher and all.

 

[Topper]

This is really odd as I am sure I saw this combination of butterfly and flower recently on here but cannot find it anywhere, yet I can remember Rolf telling the poster the name of the flower, well it is now blooming in my garden attracting similar butterfies

 

[Piltdownpaul]

Buddleia? and a small tortoiseshell?

 

[Lazarus]

Despite my bout of gout, I'm going to wander down to the pond with SWMBO and her Camera in about an hour (Lasagne comes first), to see if we can see/deduce/learn more.

Been a good week hereabouts, what with the Kingfisher and all.

Well we are now both mightily confused.

Saw the John Doe at a distance, associating with some other birds that were definitely far bigger than Moorhen, with Goose shaped bodies, largely brown and the tail was black at the root going to white at the tip.

Can't identify those either!

To make matters worse, in their group was an oddball Turkey/Goose cross - We've seen it many times and basic research suggests escaped farm Turkeys can get up to all sorts of nookie.

No more pics as yet, but we'll see what tomorrow brings.

 

[Lazarus]

Yes

Buddleia? and a small tortoiseshell?

Tortoiseshell and Buddleia

 

[Lazarus]

Yes

Buddleia? and a small tortoiseshell?

Tortoiseshell and Buddleia

 

[Topper]

Buddleia? and a small tortoiseshell?

Correct but I cannot find the post, must have been another thread