[sunshineband]

Found a "nest" of peacock butterfly caterpillars on the nettles alongside the path at the allotment site. Haven't seen one for years 

They are lovely Sunny - we had lots of peacock butterflies at our holiday cottage last year. 

We do have a lot of the butterflies, but those nests of baby caterpillars are a real blast from the past for me, as we used to rear them at home for release, as part of a repopulation project.

[diospyros]

The tadpoles in the tank have turned carnivorous - and they haven't grown any legs yet so it was a bit of a shock to find one of them finishing off his little brother/sister!  They have a piece of sausage to work on now and the small ones don't look quite so worried any more.

[sunshineband]

Found a "nest" of peacock butterfly caterpillars on the nettles alongside the path at the allotment site. Haven't seen one for years 

They are lovely Sunny - we had lots of peacock butterflies at our holiday cottage last year. 

We do have a lot of the butterflies, but those nests of baby caterpillars are a real blast from the past for me, as we used to rear them at home for release, as part of a repopulation project.

Wrong ID. Now they have changed their skins a few times.. three I think... they have golden spines so are in fact Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars. I had 33 so have given my granddaughters ten today 

Drove down a narrow country lane today just above Freefolk in Hampshire, behind a brown hare lolloping along the edge of the track 

Camera in the boot of the car of course 

[Aled]

Scared an otter off the river bank last weekend, which is unusuall as they usually scare the life out of me! The otter however then decided to have a disagreement with a swan. Lots of chattering and hissing! (by the way i was fishing)
Cheers
Aled

[tosca100]

Scared an otter off the river bank last weekend, which is unusuall as they usually scare the life out of me! The otter however then decided to have a disagreement with a swan. Lots of chattering and hissing! (by the way i was fishing)
Cheers
Aled

Aled, you need to keep a camera in your pocket!

[Aled]

and i had one, but it was pitch black and he was in the river rather quickly. I see otters regularly as i do a lot of fiahing at dusk, during the night and at dawn.
Cheers
Aled

[tosca100]

and i had one, but it was pitch black and he was in the river rather quickly. I see otters regularly as i do a lot of fiahing at dusk, during the night and at dawn.
Cheers
Aled

There are otters round here in BG too, and we have seen spraint and eaten fresh water mussels, but because we can't go out till we have let the chooks out we never see them. One day.....

I believe the ones which are hand raised and released can be a bit bolshy, otherwise they would rather run...or swim away from people.

[Snoop]

I would love to see an otter. I'm really jealous and that's a fact.

Anyway, saw my first dragonfly of the year, an Emperor Dragonfly and an absolute whopper. Surprising to see it so early.

[joyfull]

this was in my bathroom yesterday - so delicate and pretty 

[tosca100]

this was in my bathroom yesterday - so delicate and pretty 

That's gorgeous, love moths and all sorts of bugs...as long as they're not nasty.

[sunshineband]

this was in my bathroom yesterday - so delicate and pretty 

Gorgeous 

It is called a Blood vein moth.

[joyfull]

Thank you for that Sunny, I hadn't managed to find out what it was and that name sums it up perfectly 

[sunshineband]

Thank you for that Sunny, I hadn't managed to find out what it was and that name sums it up perfectly 

You are welcome 

Must be moth day as I had an Old Lady moth hatch from a pupa I found in the greenhouse last winter -- it is not on Berkshire's species list as far as I can see, which is odd as we get them in our garden every summer. With a wing span of over 2 inches you can't miss them when they are flying 

[joyfull]

wow would love to see one, I think moths are very misunderstood, some are really beautiful 

[sunshineband]

Just thought I would post the pictures of our Small Tortoiseshell butterfly "family" to date, plus the Old Lady Moth for Joy to see 

The caterpillars were on some nettles alongside our plot, as there is a big issue with these being parasitized (one of the main reasons why their numbers are so reduced) took about 30 of them to rear at home. gave 10 to my daughter, who has also got them to this stage successfully. They too just four weeks from the eggs hatching to pupation, as theye were indoors with plenty of fresh nettles. Outside this year they took nearly six weeks.

If all goes according to plan I shall keep adults in a massive cage until some eggs are laid, and the release them all. I shall then rear a second brood for release -- these adults will hibernate.

(As I can only attach four photos I am doing this over two posts)