Wicken Fen on a Warm Windy Day

Wicken is looking at its best with the water lilies in full bloom and lots of dragonflies and damselflies (Emperor, Blue-tailed, Azure, Common Darter, and Black-tailed Skimmer). There were also sufficient Hoverflies to keep me happy and several cuckoos for Phil to photograph.

Final Images from Dorset

A few images from our final two days in Dorset, which were spent close to Higher Kingcombe. Heath Spotted and Bee Orchid, wonderful picture wing fly and small dung Fly, Scarlet Tiger Moths mating, Large Skipper, Banded Demoiselle male and female, Beautiful Demoiselle mature male, immature male and female, translucent spider and 4-spot chaser. To be different, I have concluded with one of the many misty dawns that I viewed from the Lodge .

Hawk Conservancy Andover

It was overcast with a strong wind and spots of rain so not ideal for a visit to the Hawk Conservancy HQ at Andover. The displays are very good with the birds obviously happy to perform - often in large groups and then return voluntarily to their aviaries. The Milky Eagle Owl flew very low as did the Hooded Vultures and Kites. The Griffin Vulture tended to keep low over the meadows - I don't think many people would like that large bill coming at them.  Swallows nested in many of the buildings.

 

 

 

Burnet Moth Life Cycle (Dorset )

Six-spot (and some Five-spot) Burnet Moths were the commonest species around at most sites. On Chesil Beach, they were swarming in large numbers on the Viper's Bugloss. I recorded all the life cycle except finding eggs. Interesting that, at Cerne Abbas, they used the wire netting to suspend their cocoons.

Mapperton Gardens

On Wednesday afternoon we visited the gardens at Mapperton Manor, the location of the 2015 film ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’. I was using a soft filter for some of the photos. 

The valley gardens reflect at least three periods of history. On the top level is the croquet lawn, where in dry weather the remains of a parterre, possibly 17th century, can be made out.

On the next level is the Italianate garden laid out by Mrs Ethel Labouchere in her husband’s memory in the 1920s, complete with grottoes, stone ornamental birds, animals and fountains. An orangery was added by the current Earl of Sandwich’s father in the late 1960s.