TUFTED DUCK & SCAUP

Well here we are at the end of August and things are starting to hot up on the bird front. Did not manage to get out today,but hope to do so a few mornings this week. Sitting here my thoughts are drifting towards Winter and all the species that will start to arrive on our waterways. So for a quick post tonight I have posted two species of Duck that may be confusing to newcomers, I know they have got me thinking in the past.

So first up is the Tufted Duck of which some are resident all year round, but their numbers are swollen by migrants during the Winter.

Next up is the Scaup of which only one or two turn up during the winter months, you can see the main difference between them is the Grey back on the Scaup, both these birds are Male, the females are much browner and the female Scaup is white at the base of the bill.

BUG PLANT.

Spent a couple of hours doing a Seawatch at Pendeen yesterday morning, not so much going through but did manage Great Skua , Pomarine Skua although distant, Balearic Shearwater, Manx Shearwater, Gannets plus a few other  common species. It seems the best day was Friday when the tail end of Hurricane Bill past through to give some great Seawatching ( Pity work got in the way again ).

After this I went across to Bottallack to see if I could find the Choughs, but it seems they were not coming out to play. On walking along the cliffs I came across a Gorse Bush covered with a Creeper like plant (maybe someone knows what it is ) that was acting as a magnet for all sorts of insects,which were going crazy crawling along the stems. Luckly I had my Macro lens in my pocket, so a quick setup and I spent the next hour Photographing this scene.

So here are a set of images that were taken all on the same plant.

ROCK PIPIT & STONECHAT

Sitting here on a grey and dismal evening hoping this weather will clear by the weekend,my thoughts turn to birding and looking forward to getting out with the camera. Then I thought I have not posted anything on birds for quite a while. So with apoligies I have pulled a couple of pics from the archives, and hope this will give me the incentive to get cracking. Also I have a week off next week and would like to stock up some fresh images for the posts

Rock Pipit

Stonechat

FLESH FLY & SAW FLY

Had a busy day at work today so glad to get home for my evening meal, did a couple of small jobs and then grabbed the camera and headed into the garden for half an hour. Not much to report as it was quite chilly and not much flying about, but did manage to catch a couple of species which are featured below.

The Flesh  Fly

This is one of several greyish species with large feet and red eyes, they cannot be reliably seperated without microscopic examination. The insects breed in carrion and are viviparous, with the females depositing small larvae instead of eggs.

The Saw Fly : Sirex Noctilio

There are two speces of this Saw Fly the other being Sirex Juvencus, these flies are active from May until October mainly around Pinewoods and plantations, where the larvae spend two or three years tunnelling into tree trunks. The larvae can survive in felled and sawn timber, and adults often emerge from Pallets and other timbers far from there original homes.

SOGGY SUNDAY

What a weekend we are having again, got up this morning to thick fog and rain and it has only now stopped in the last ten minutes 12.47pm. So It did stop for about 20mins late yesterday so popped into the garden to see what was about, very little moving about the plants, but did get another chance to photo the Saw Fly, and also a Bumble Bee on one of the plants. So That will have to do for today's offering, and just hope it gets better next week. Off to Falmouth in a few minutes to show my Grandson one of the large Cruise Ships that's visiting today

HOVER & SAW FLIES

Well here we are at the weekend again, and its pretty miserable outside at the moment. I was hoping to get out on an insect hunt this morning, but the rain has put paid to that for the moment (Maybe Later ). So here are a couple of images taken in the garden last evening.

This is one of the family of Saw Flies, of this species there are about 400 different types in the UK. They are daytime flyer's and are regular visitors to Flower Beds, at rest they fold their wings flat over their body. Most adults feed on pollen and nectar although some are partly carnivorous. Many Saw Fly larvae resemble the caterpillars of butter-flies and moths,but they have more stumpy legs on the abdomen.

Hover Flies are some of our most colourful and spectacular flies. There are about 250 species found in the British Isles, and like a lot of other insects are only known by scientific names. As well as their amazing hovering ability most display a swift darting flight. Most Hover Flies are excellent mimics of Bees and Wasps, but can be distinguished by much shorter drooping antennae. Main food for adults is Nectar, where as Larvae can be carnivores,vegetarians and scavengers.

RETURNING FRIENDS & STICKY ENDS.

Tonight's post features a few returning feathered friends captured over the weekend. Also a few closeups that I have taken over the last couple of evenings I hope you enjoy.

MACRO MAGIC

So have just spent the last couple of days playing with a new toy, treated myself to a Canon 60mm EF S Macro Lens. So the post tonight is of some of the first images taken, and at the moment I am quite pleased with the results, but hope to improve in the coming days. All the shots were hand held using the 430ex flash unit.

The forth picture is incorrectly named, it is a DARK ARCHES not a Green- Brindled Crescent. Many thanks to John Swann for pointing this out to me. I sometimes find it difficult to indentify some of them due to them being very much alike. So thanks John I appreciate it.

CARNHELL GREEN VINTAGE RALLY

Carnhell Green is a small Village South west from the town of Camborne, in the heart of the West Cornwall farming community. It still retains a great sense of community spirit. Each year they organise various events to raise money for local charities, one of these event is a Vintage rally. So on Saturday August the 8th I attended this years event Which was in aid of the Cornwall Air Ambulance, The Childrens Hospice South West (Precious Lives Appeal ), and Cornwall's Hospice Care (St Julias and Mt Edgcumbe ). There is something for everyone at this great family day out, from old Cars, Motorcycles, Tractors and farm Machinery, to Heavy Horses. A large selection of Stalls, Children's fun area, Fun Dog Show and Stationary Steam Engines, Also parades and events in the main Ring. So below is a selection of images of the 200 plus I took on the day, and a big thank you to the organisers and helpers who put on this great event in aid of such worthy causes.