My Local Wood

Hardwick Wood was looking great yesterday in the strong dappled sunlight and well worth the long hot walk to get there. Butterflies everywhere with this Green-veined White taking centre stage for a time flitting among the bramble flowers but I soon found my target species, the Silver-washed Fritillary, in a sunlit glade along with  Large Skipper, Comma, Speckled Wood, Marbled Whites and impressive Pied Hoverfly and Hornet Hoverfly.

Hardwick Later Fungi Photography

 The sun had enough warmth on Friday to melt the ice by midday and gave some lovely side lighting as in the Jelly Ear. Some images are Focus stacks and all images are taken with Fuji 100XV using a  250X Raynox Macro adaptor for the smaller species. Last image is an in-camera composite of one in and one out of focus image 

Frozen Mosses and Toadstools Hardwick Wood

A very cold night left ice on all the Mosses and Toadstools in Hardwick Wood which quickly melted as the morning sunshine reached them.

Hardwick Wood Butterflies

Great to see several Silver-washed Fritillaries in my local wood feeding on the Bramble along with Large Whites, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Comma and Brimstone. I hoped to also see the Purple Hairstreaks but the sky clouded over just as I reached the area and they magically disappear into the oak trees when the sun disappears.

Hardwick Wood

 A very enjoyable walk right round Hardwick Wood this afternoon with Ann and Mike. Quite a lot of Bird song including Cuckoo, ChiffChaff, Nuthatch, Gt Spotted Woodpecker etc and all the expected spring flowers - here a selection of shots (Bluebell,Wood Anemone, Primrose, Oxlip, Celandine). The area that was coppiced this year and then fenced off has wonderful large Oxlips while many in the open wood have been nibbled off, presumably by Muntjac Deer. Quite a few large White and Speckled Wood butterflies on the wing.