at last, a green hairstreak butterfly

I have been looking for this little green butterfly (the green hairstreak) for the last five years, and at last today in Greenscombe woods, I spotted this one and was able to photograph it. Hooray! And there were a lot of heath fritillaries about

and lots of heath spotted, marsh and lesser butterfly orchids, and a crab spider waiting for an unsuspecting pollinator.

froghopper

the black and red frog hopper looks like a mis-shapened ladybird but is one of the spittle bug family (see link British bugs ). They are supposed to be common but thgis is the first red and black one we have seen.

out for a stroll

fox crossing

near the zebra?

Calstock in bloom

enormous wisteria climbing over end of incline railway at Calstock (see this link Calstock information)

beautiful Spring, Pempwell, Cornwall 2016

the white sparrow

just one more for old times sake, the amazing sight of  an albino (or leucistic) sparrow in the garden of Spot's new(ish) abode

farewell to Orchard House

well, after 22 years, and with some sadness, we have left Orchard House. One Harriet has been replaced by another, and the garden is now full of laughter and chatter rather than random barking. Meg (who appears in Spot's blog from time to time) is very happy to be in Spot's house but can't work out where he has gone. In fact we have moved just across the road to Farrier's Lodge, our lovely new home, so every dog is confused. With the move away from Orchard House, Spot (who will be 10 in June) and I feel it is time to bring this blog to a close. It has been on line now for more than 9 years, and we have covered the ebb and flow of the seasons and of canine lives with great affection for this wonderful place in which we live. Once again the tide of yellow is upon us with daffodils, celandines and primroses smiling in the sun, the harbingers of Spring, and for once I shall leave their image to your imaginations.

love to everyone

Spot, and his secretary.

Spring snowdrops

Spring is coming! Interesting complex snowdrop near Latchley today.

Minions

colourful scenes on Bodmin moor today

watch tower

we seem to have acquired our own buzzard, the beech tree gives him/her/it a magnificent view across the field of rabbits.

It runs in the family

Out snigging today, and, below, the view of the Tamar valley from Greenscombe, with a snowy Dartmoor in the distance

the road to nowhere

winter sun, starlings and a buzzard in a tree

strange days - bumblebees in winter

It was the coldest night of the year, with a hard frost and a contemplative horse. Nevertheless, much to my surprise there were bumblebees about on the mahonia, and viburnum, both of which lent a sweet scent to the crisp cold air.

new moon time

New moon at Christmas. And a happy New Year from Spot.

rainbow over Lammerhooe

something to brighten up the morning walk on the road to Latchley

hibernators

a queen wasp fast asleep in the wood pile (and saved from the flames)

and a motley collection of harlequin ladybirds

autumn colours

Once again it has been exceptionally mild this autumn. Mushrooms are out in abundance and they provide a few flashes of vivid colour in an otherwise black and brown world. It was genuinely amazing and pleasing therefore to see the brilliant flash of blue of a kingfisher flying swiftly through the bare trees deep in the woods at Inny foot. The rivers are quite swollen, fast flowing and turbid now and I wonder how kingfishers are seeing enough fish to survive on.

thank you

Why? Why put rubbish neatly in a plastic bag and then chuck it out into the countryside?

meal times

breakfast

 

lunch

natural framing

one doesn't have to try very hard around here to find a photograph.

a rare privilege

We occasionally see a flash of brown and yellow through the trees and hedges in the garden as a sparrowhawk swoops down on a sparrow or goldfinch but never before have I seen one sat so close to the house, posing for a photograph, and in the pouring rain.

autumn colour

the artful poser