A Country Walk

Another country walk taken on a sunny day, but with a cold wind blowing. 

The first image below shows a view across Barley and Oilseed rape fields.

Apple Blossom

Cock Pheasant

Red Campion

This Wren popped up out of the hedgerow and was quite amenable to a few photographs being taken.

Lady's Smock (Cuckoo Flower)

Three images below of birds that really didn't want to be photographed on this occasion.

Goldfinch

Blackcap

Grey Wagtail

Apple Blossom

On this particular country walk I looked closely at the various bluebells that were growing. It was surprising the variety of colours of the flower. This area of the walk was at least a mile away from any buildings and I believe that all the colours were natural and there had not been any crossover from garden plants.

Below are the variety of bluebell colours observed.

Hawthorn Flowers

Apple Blossom

Early Purple Orchid

Dingy Skipper Butterfly

A Butterfly Shoot

Images from a recent Butterfly Shoot in the Dorset area.

The Grizzled Skipper (Female)

The Small Copper

Female Orange Tip

 

Action shots of an Orange Tip pair.

The Green Hairstreak

A Cetti's Expose

More Cetti's Warbler I'm afraid, but you can never have too many.

All photographed at Radipole Lake, Weymouth.

Orange Tip

One of the first colourful species to grace us with its presence in April.

The Orange Tip Butterfly.

I found this male flying along a path next to a river. 

It occasionally pitched on one of its favourite locations, the flower of a Lady's Smock (Cuckoo flower).

Always a good strategy when photographing the Orange Tip, locate Cuckoo flowers along a path or woodland ride and wait for the butterfly to pitch on them as it invariably will.

 

Emerging Butterflies

Two emerging butterflies observed this week.

The Comma

Can be observed at any time of the year, even on a warm day in winter.

A resident species in England and Wales, it emerges from hibernation in March. The next generation arrives in June/July. Another brood can be seen in late September.

The Red Admiral.

Primarily a migrant species arriving in UK in Spring. It migrates Northwards from Africa and through Europe. There is a small resident number of this species in England, but in May there is an influx from Europe.