ShareMondays2020 – Flypast

ShareMondays2020 – Flypast

Whenever I watch dragonflies in flight, I am always reminded of fighter pilots. On the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Battle Of Britain, this image, in particular, really resonated with me. The colours and shapes that we associate with military camouflage are all here, in a backdrop to the extraordinary aerial display of this migrant hawker. Watching it hover, soar, dive and rest on the leaves of reeds was just incredible! I could have been watching a Spitfire or Hurricane, in miniature, in a desperate dogfight over the cliffs of Dover. In fact, I was on the edge of the lake at Witley Court and Gardens in Worcestershire.

Migrant Hawker

The life expectancy of a Spitfire pilot during the Battle Of Britain is said to have been just four weeks. The life expectancy of a mature dragonfly is short, typically no more than a week or two, but sometimes they will last for six to eight weeks! Much of their lives are spent as nymphs under the water. Larval development typically takes one or two years, but for some emeralds it can be as short as two to three months, or more than five years for the golden-ringed dragonfly (source: British Dragonfly Society).

A common darter showing the muscles attached to each wing

Dragonflies are true masters of flight. They have muscles inserted directly into each wing allowing for direct flight. These muscles are hinged so that small movements at the wing-base, translates into a larger movement of the wing itself. It has been described as like “rowing in the air”. Each wing operates independently, giving greater control of their aerial mobility. They can hover, fly upside down, turn a full circle in a split second, reach speeds of nearly sixty miles per hour, and even fly backwards! In many respects, their flight mechanisms are more similar to a helicopter than an aeroplane.

Migrant hawker face-on showing the large compound eyes

Add into the mix ultra high-definition vision and you have the deadliest predator on the planet! They have up to thirty three different types of light-sensitive proteins in those large multi-faceted eyes. That really puts our own red, blue and green (trichromatic) vision to shame! Studies have shown that each eye is made up of up to thirty thousand facets, each one pointing in a slightly different direction, enabling the dragonfly to see in all directions simultaneously. It’s no wonder they catch more than ninety five per cent of the prey they target! Their skills are unmatched within the insect world. They are Ace Pilots, Top Gun, the best of the best.

ShareMondays2020 – A Feast Of Thistles

ShareMondays2020 – A Feast Of Thistles

Only a few photos this week! I had a very brief spell outside with the camera last Wednesday, but the goldfinches at Heather Farm put on a good show for me, feasting on the thistle seed heads. On Thursday evening I started coughing. It was a bit concerning! I followed the guidance and immediately started the process of booking Covid tests for both myself and Simon. It is a bit of a process, but you just have to stick with it and keep refreshing the booking site, until you are able to get a nearby drive-through appointment, or order a home testing kit.

Simon got straight in touch with his employers, to arrange working from home, and I contacted my care agency and the carers I had seen that week. Although they all wear PPE and observe good hand hygiene, they have the closest contact to me (after Simon!) so I needed to alert them to the possibility that I may have contracted the virus. After a while I was finally able to book us tests close to home for the following day. I’ve got to say the test centre was really well run, staff did everything possible to make us feel reassured, and we were all done in just ten minutes. Our results were emailed and texted to us on Saturday morning, just under twenty four hours later, and I am delighted to say that we’re both negative!

Goldfinch on thistle seed heads

I still have no idea how, or where, I have picked up this virus. I have been sticking to strict social distancing ever since shielding was paused. I’ve not been meeting up with lots of people, going to pubs or into shops. I’m still classed as extremely clinically vulnerable to complications if I catch Covid-19, so I’m not ready to take big risks. The fact that I am already taking so many precautions, yet have still managed to pick up a virus, just goes to show how easily they can be spread. None of us should start being complacent, especially as the Winter flu and cold season approaches and more sectors are being opened up to the public.

Even if you’re not in a high risk category yourself, there are plenty of clinically vulnerable people out there, around you, who need your help to stay safe. You can’t tell how vulnerable a person might be from looking at them. Some known risk factors like age, gender and ethnicity might be more obvious, but you can’t see chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, COPD, diabetes, severe asthma, organ transplants, certain blood disorders, to name but a few!

Bull Rushes ICM

The person standing behind you at the checkout for the supermarket could be vulnerable. Did you wash or sanitise your hands before you touched any of the surfaces they might then be touching? Maybe you thought it was okay because you’re wearing your mask? Hand washing is still the most important thing we can all do to protect one another! The next most important thing we can do is to get tested as soon as possible if we develop symptoms: a fever, a new, continuous cough, a loss or change in sense of smell or taste. Self-isolate as soon as symptoms appear and follow procedures for contact tracing if you receive a positive result.

For now I am clear, but I am still feeling pretty rotten with the virus I have! I hope my depleted immune system can deal with it soon, so I can get back outside with the nature and wildlife I cherish so much. Take care and stay safe everyone x

ShareMondays2020 – Brown Or Blue?

ShareMondays2020 – Brown Or Blue?

Some butterflies can be hard to identify at first sight! Can you tell from this image which species this is? You can get some help by visiting the Butterfly Conservation website or app. When I first spotted this small butterfly flitting around the grasses and wild flowers, at Papercourt Meadows, I suspected it was a female common blue. Many female Lycaenidae (blues and coppers) have a similar appearance, especially the open wings, and this can make identification difficult in the field. You really need to see some of the close-up details and view the butterfly from different angles. Once I got the side view I was able to confirm that it is, in fact, a brown argus. Of course a brown argus is technically still a blue! Confused yet?

Brown Argus side-on view

Left – male and female common blue. Right – male brown argus.

Key identifying spots that are present in the common blue, but missing in the brown argus, are circled in the guide image above. In the hindwing of the brown argus, the two spots that are circled are closer together than on the blue, almost a figure of eight shape. Another key identification help with this one is that the abdomen (body shape), viewed from above of the argus, is long and thin. This means that it isn’t carrying any eggs and can therefore only be identified as a male brown argus!