Monthly Archives: August 2018

Aug 27 2018
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This Is Bliss

This Is Bliss

This Is Bliss

This image just had to be the one to share today for ShareMondays2018, Fotospeed and the WexMondays challenges! We’ve been away to Shropshire and Worcester this weekend visiting parents-in-law. Driving over the Long Mynd on Saturday afternoon was glorious! Fast-moving clouds shifting the light and shadow across the heathers and bracken, short sharp showers and a real freshness in the air. The countryside up there looks positively verdant compared to much of Surrey, still parched from the long, hot summer! I had hoped to see some ponies and got lucky near the second car park. I can’t walk very far at all, but they were just in range for me to ramble my way over. The group had five mares, a gorgeous foal and this fabulous stallion! He posed among the heather for a while, knowing full well just how beautiful and photogenic he is, but this particular moment brought such a grin to my face it became my instant favourite photo of the week. He’d wandered closer toward me and then sank to the ground to roll about with such a blissed-out expression on his face! That roll definitely hit the spot and reached that itch. They were a chilled-out family group, coming right up past me as they grazed. It was truly blissful perching on a rock watching them! Being away has limited how much processing I could get done so I will share some more images of the group later in the week, especially with the lovely foal!

Aug 20 2018
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Say It With Flowers

Common Blue Courtship

Say It With Flowers

The recent rains have brought green back to the slopes of Box Hill, along with a wealth of wildflowers! It was rather lovely to watch these male (left) and female (right) common blue butterflies courting each other upon the wild marjoram flower buds. Sadly their dance of love never reached it’s conclusion as the courting couple were rudely interrupted by a busy bee!

Common Blue Courtship

Aug 20 2018
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ShareMondays2018 – Shelter

Shelter

ShareMondays2018 – Shelter

I took my parents along to see the wonderful little grebe family on the Glasshouse Lake at RHS Wisley Gardens last week. They put on the most tender display of parenthood for us! Such a treat and a joy to share it with my mum and dad.

Shelter

For every dad
Who’s carried
Us upon their backs,
Provided shelter
Away from harm,
Fed us,
Clothed us,
Kept us warm.
We leave the nest
Yet still rest
Upon your strong arm.
Wrapped in your love
For all our lives,
Laugh with us,
Cry with us,
We know you would
Die for us.
But do you know
That this time dad,
It’s us,
Your kids,
Who’ve got your back.

Aug 13 2018
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Transition

Transition

Transition

I’m fascinated by seed heads! I think these are the remains of verbena bonariensis (vervain), a tall purple-flowered plant that is loved by bees and butterflies. It was quite an ethereal sight seeing the twisting stems dancing in the breeze against the hazy clouded skies. I knew it would make a beautiful, minimalistic mono! The appearance of so many seedheads really heralds the coming transition of the seasons. Such a hot summer has sped up this transitional period! I think many of the insects will be greatly relying upon the late flowering plants, such as ivy, this year. If you’ve been growing verbena for butterflies this year, here’s a helpful link for how to harvest the seeds for next year. I’m sharing this image for today’s Fotospeed challenge.

Aug 13 2018
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ShareMondays2018 – Little Grebe Family

Little Grebe Family

ShareMondays2018 – Little Grebe Family

For ShareMondays and WexMondays this week I just couldn’t resist the delightful little grebes, on the Glasshouse Lake, at RHS Wisley Gardens! Both parents take turns on the nest incubating the eggs and warming the chicks, or out on the waters collecting food and extra nesting material to keep their precious brood safe and secure. There were three tiny chicks and several eggs still to hatch when I visited on Saturday. The adults are very busy and will be for some time to come! The chicks crawl up under the wings of the adults to nestle in against their backs for warmth. In this family portrait the male grebe is feeding a nymph (possibly dragonfly) to the striped chick. It was really heart-warming to watch the care these two parents afford their new babies, a truly tender moment.