The Farming Post

Wooly Jumpers or Hurdle Boxers if you prefer, are the feature of this latest Farming Post.

This small flock of 'Fat Lambs' were enjoying the nice warm sunshine when I arrived at their location.

Being young and inquisitive they were quite happy to pose for photography. 

NB: I read an entry in an Australian Newspaper website the other day. Apparently it is a serious misdemeanour according to the 'Politically Correct' brigade to refer to immature Lambs under 40kg reared for the food industry as 'Fat Lambs'. 

They should now be referred to as 'Prime Spring' or 'New Season' Lambs in this 'Fat averse World'. 

It is intended to make the meat more attractive to consumers.

Not that it affects me as I don't eat red meat, but honestly! you couldn't make it up.

Since my childhood days I have always known them to be referred to as Fat lambs by the farming community.

I'm assuming that the PC Brigade are quite happy to eat it as long as someone else kills (Sorry euthanises or dispatches it) it for them. 

More Dragons

My latest batch of Dragonfly images.

The first six images are I believe, of the Ruddy Darter.

The next two are the Common Darter.

Lastly, I found another female Brown Hawker ovipositing in a small stream.

The Farming Post

Baling the straw.

These modern Balers are very efficient. 

This tractor was travelling along at a 'Rate of knots' and chucking out those big bales very quickly.

New Zealand is a heck of a long way to drive a tractor and baler from.

Female Clouded Yellow Butterfly

With regard to my recent find of the Clouded Yellow Butterfly

See

http://roysnaturelogbook.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/clouded-yellow-butterfly.html

Yesterday I had a further look at the area where I found the male featured in the link above.

To my surprise I found another and it turned out to be a female.

She has similar, but paler markings and the upper wings are somewhat different than the male.

In this last and vary blurred shot it shows sufficient difference in the upper wing markings of the female.

Return of the Lady

The first and only Painted Lady butterfly I have seen this year. 

I found this one along an open woodland track. Amongst Peacock and Large White butterflies it was moving from thistle head to thistle head and at one stage landed on a small tree stump. Its not quite a perfect specimen having a small nip on the edge of its wing, but still quite colourful.

The Farming Post

More recent activity on the Farming front.

Barley and Wheat harvesting on a hot and dusty day.