Two Legs, Four Legs at Dogs Live Peterborough 2017

The weather was too hot to stay very long at the Dog Event at Peterborough but time to get a few shots of  dogs and their owners. So often the different breeds seemed to be accompanied by a certain style of footwear etc from the traditional brogues for the Beagles to the spotty socks for Dalmatians. Flyball was fun as ever with lots of paddling pools for the dogs to cool down in after their event.

CCC Trip to Brighton - Iconic Scenes

This year's CCC coach outing was to Brighton yesterday on a very hot day. I hadn't anticipated just how busy it would be on a Saturday in July but there were still quieter places to find early on though by afternoon the beaches were pretty packed. A few shots of 'iconic' Brighton to start to series of entries.

Silver -Washed Fritillaries in Gamlingay Wood

As with other butterflies, seems to be a good year for Silver-Washed Fritillaries with plenty on the wing in GamlingayWood. Also Meadow Brown, Green-Veined White and Ringlet. I haven't been able to identify the Cimbicid Sawfly and the shutterspeed (1/500th) was a bit slow for the hoverfly (Volucella pellucens)

Damselflies and Dragonflies at Paxton Pits Cambs

It was very useful to refresh my memory as to the differences between the Common Blue Damselfly (first two images with wine-glass abdominal markings and wide upper blue stripe on thorax, images 1 and 2), Azure Damselfly (Stirrup abdminal marking and blue and black stripes about even, image 3) and Variable Damselfly (Stirrup marking but blue stripe is very reduced and sometimes interrupted, also 'bat' marking on penultimate abdominal segment, image 4) during a survey at Paxton Pits yesterday. Other photos are Blue-tailed Damselfly, Emerald Damselfly (wings at 45 degrees), female and male Banded Demoiselles, Scarce Chaser and Emperoro Dragonfly.

Austrian spiders - Not for Arachnophobes!

A few spiders from our recent trip to Austria. The first image is not great photo as the subject was small and long way away but pleased to see Nursery spider with young on its back as well as with egg sacs. Orb spiders were everywhere with lots of different prey. The fifth image is of the very small male hiding in a buttercup. Other images - a couple of crab-type spiders.