The Safari likes hot and humid weather, many others don't, but doubt if we could tolerate it for months at a time like Darwin, Northern Territory (not Darwen, east Lancashire where it might have been hot n humid once). The thermometer showing 25 and a half C mid afternoon is at the front of Base Camp the sun goes off it mid morning, a full fiver hours earlier! Lovely stuff!!
A warm and still night gave us a decent haul of moths in the trap including a few micros for you to help ID tomorrow.Amongst the hoardes of Heart & Darts were this Marbled Beauty
A Dusky Brocade
The Poecilobothrus nobilitatus that flirt with each other on the Lily leaves were going for it big style
One of these horrid 'blood drinkers of the rains' was found - look at those evil eyes! They were a feature of the whole day...
Also around the pond were a good number of Blue Tailed Damselflies...no Large Red Damsels for us yet though
At lunchtime we met up with our Extreme Photographer and set off on that regular (NOT) Lancashire pastime of hunt the reptile
A Dusky Brocade
The Poecilobothrus nobilitatus that flirt with each other on the Lily leaves were going for it big style
One of these horrid 'blood drinkers of the rains' was found - look at those evil eyes! They were a feature of the whole day...
Also around the pond were a good number of Blue Tailed Damselflies...no Large Red Damsels for us yet though
At lunchtime we met up with our Extreme Photographer and set off on that regular (NOT) Lancashire pastime of hunt the reptileQuality litter was found at the parking area - at least that was one bird on the list
We had to lift the six stones (40+kg) of Frank over a particularly high and tricky stile but it was worth it for the Chamomile on the other side - the scent was stunning in the sticky air.
We've never ever seen so much Wild Strawberry - little taste explosions but only a few were ripe enuogh to snaffle unfortunately.
A Wasp - anyone any good at IDing these?
We turned over countless rocks, timbers, sheets etc but only found two Toads, and those under one sheet of cardboard. This one wasa full grown adult and is trying to rebury himself using his big back feet as shovels.
The wildflowers were superb - this is Rest Harrow
40+ Common Spotted Orchids lined a dry ditch at the edge of a field
As the sun broke through the hazy cloud the Meadow Grasshoppers began to stridulate
Not the rare Purple Rampling Fumitory but just common or garden Common Fumitory.
Field Scabious is a scarce plant in Safari-land this one is probably here due to the huge amount of limestone clinker on these old railway sidings.
Tiny Eyebright, stunning but hard on the eyesight!
Common Centaury just coming into flower
Narrow Bordered 5-spot Burnets, one of them has just come out of the chrysalis.
A Caspid Bug, ID anyone, don't think its the 4-spotted yellow one which actually has six spots?
Cinnabar moths in the making
Back home his solitary Mining Bee was probably from a neighbour's garden who have a dry stone wall, with a few bee holes, on one side of their garden.
This is their very Bee friendly lawn - unfortunately an hour after this pic was taken it had been mown.
On Patch 1 we had a half hour look for White Letter Hairstreaks, just in case the sun had brought them out. Didn't find any but did find a weirdly dead Bumble Bee still clinging to a Bramble flower.
Peacocks or Small Tortoiseshells?
We got several butterflies including some Large Skippers, one of which was kind enough to stay still enough to allow close approach.
Got plenty more pics from today - took over 150 without using the motor drive! - will post over the week as gonna be busy and possibly not get many pics.
We had to lift the six stones (40+kg) of Frank over a particularly high and tricky stile but it was worth it for the Chamomile on the other side - the scent was stunning in the sticky air.
We've never ever seen so much Wild Strawberry - little taste explosions but only a few were ripe enuogh to snaffle unfortunately.
A Wasp - anyone any good at IDing these?
We turned over countless rocks, timbers, sheets etc but only found two Toads, and those under one sheet of cardboard. This one wasa full grown adult and is trying to rebury himself using his big back feet as shovels.
The wildflowers were superb - this is Rest Harrow
40+ Common Spotted Orchids lined a dry ditch at the edge of a field
As the sun broke through the hazy cloud the Meadow Grasshoppers began to stridulate
Not the rare Purple Rampling Fumitory but just common or garden Common Fumitory.
Field Scabious is a scarce plant in Safari-land this one is probably here due to the huge amount of limestone clinker on these old railway sidings.
Tiny Eyebright, stunning but hard on the eyesight!
Common Centaury just coming into flower
Narrow Bordered 5-spot Burnets, one of them has just come out of the chrysalis.
A Caspid Bug, ID anyone, don't think its the 4-spotted yellow one which actually has six spots?
Cinnabar moths in the making
Back home his solitary Mining Bee was probably from a neighbour's garden who have a dry stone wall, with a few bee holes, on one side of their garden.
This is their very Bee friendly lawn - unfortunately an hour after this pic was taken it had been mown.
On Patch 1 we had a half hour look for White Letter Hairstreaks, just in case the sun had brought them out. Didn't find any but did find a weirdly dead Bumble Bee still clinging to a Bramble flower.
Peacocks or Small Tortoiseshells?
We got several butterflies including some Large Skippers, one of which was kind enough to stay still enough to allow close approach.
Got plenty more pics from today - took over 150 without using the motor drive! - will post over the week as gonna be busy and possibly not get many pics.Not a sniff of anything scaly though - well what do expect in Lancashire!
Where to next? Busy busy busy but the patches will still get a look in.
In the meantime let us know if there is high humuditity in your outback. Now 9.15pm and still 23C!!! How hot???
1 comment:
A cracking safari Dave, :-) Even hotter monday (today) Get out with that camera !!
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