ShareMondays2020 – Admiration

ShareMondays2020 – Admiration

Admiration

Battle through brambles
White admiral bearing scars
Admiration grows

My admiration really has grown for these extraordinary, resilient, yet extremely vulnerable woodland butterflies!

ShareMondays2020 – The Skipper And The Copper

ShareMondays2020 – The Skipper And The Copper

What a joyous few days spent amongst the butterflies last week! It started with a first for the camera with this stunning white admiral in the woodlands of Bookham Commons. The commons have the ideal habitat with dappled shade, bramble blossom that adults sip nectar from, and honeysuckle where they will lay their eggs.

The chalk slopes of the Surrey Hills AONB have the ideal grass and scrub for meadow butterflies like the small, large and Essex skippers that I saw. I stayed away from the hundreds of people heading for the top of Box Hill and took Simon over to Denbies Hillside, near Ranmore Common. Such fabulous views across to Leith Hill, down to Dorking and views up The Pilgrims Ways toward Guildford.

The marbled whites emerge, en masse, and are drawn to purple flowers to feed from. They are stunning and ethereal, the spirits, or sylphs of the hillside.

There were only a few people out at these National Trust managed sites and I was so relieved to be able to get outside again safely! I can’t resist leading with my image of the chance meeting of the Essex Skipper and Small Copper on the grass seeds. They stopped briefly, at a safe social distance, greeted one another and then took flight again.

 

#FeelGoodPhotoOfTheDay – Ragged Beauty

#FeelGoodPhotoOfTheDay – Ragged Beauty

Ragged Beauty

Such ragged beauty
Rising from the forest floor
Reaching for the light

#FeelGoodPhotoOfTheDay – Breathe

#FeelGoodPhotoOfTheDay – Breathe

Breathe

Breathe out to nourish
This life giving canopy
And breathe in again

#FeelGoodPhotoOfTheDay – Follow The Tracks

#FeelGoodPhotoOfTheDay – Follow The Tracks

Follow The Tracks

Where do the tracks lead
The way forward is obscured
There’s no going back

Wordless Wednesday: Natural England’s Green And Pleasant Land

Wordless Wednesday: Natural England’s Green And Pleasant Land – Thursley Common NNR

ShareMondays2019 – Ringing In The Rain

ShareMondays2019 – Ringing In The Rain

I thought I’d join the bluebell party this week! I found these little bells at the Valley Gardens, which are linked to Virginia Water and Savill Garden, part of Windsor Great Park. The azaleas and rhododendron are absolutely glorious but the bluebells were totally enchanting!

ShareMondays2019 – Uncommon Beauty

ShareMondays2019 – Uncommon Beauty

I spent much of my birthday on Thursday at Thursley Common NNR, near Elstead in Surrey. I went in search of dartford warblers, curlew and lizards. The lizards managed to evade me, although other visitors did spot a couple on the boardwalk when the sun  came out! The curlew flew over me twice which was a treat to see and I found my dartford warblers at the far end of the boardwalk, near the dragonfly sculpture. Other signtings included stonechat, chiffchaff, goldfinch, redpoll, great and blue tits, greylag geese, mallard, wren and a bit of smoke on the horizon.

After the recent, devastating wildfire on Chobham Common, the sight of smoke on our heathland is a bit worrying! It was soon apparent that this was a small contained fire, most likely where the ranger was doing some land management. 325 hectare of woodland, peat bogs, heathland, ponds and ditches is a huge area to manage so the ranger, James Giles, organises volunteer workparties to maintain this precious resource. The wispy smoke created a atmospheric haze through the distant pines. Once I knew it wasn’t a concern, I was able to sit back in my wheelchair and marvel in it’s uncommon beauty.

ShareMondays2019 – Close Up With A Creeper

ShareMondays2019 – Close Up With A Creeper

Almost at the end of a lovely afternoon in the sunshine at Bushy Park and a couple of treecreepers appeared, on birch trees in the Woodland Gardens, near the Pheasantry Cafe. I had to let my tea go cold while I went to try to get some images! They eluded me on many of the trees, circling around and climbing very quickly, until one decided to pause at the base of the tree I was standing right next too. I hardly wanted to breathe, let alone move! It paused long enough to let me get a few close shots from behind. Those markings allow this tiny bird to almost disappear against the tree bark from a further distance!

ShareMondays2018 – Tangled

ShareMondays2018 – Tangled

I love that there are still some leaves on the trees bringing muted Autumn colours into early Winter. This week has been hectic! I only got the camera out for a short while yesterday afternoon on a visit to the Woodland Gardens, in Bushy Park, with my hubby. It was really nice to spend a couple of hours relaxing and wandering through the woods, without any pressures or deadlines! Speaking of deadlines, it’s just one image today for all three Monday challenges, ShareMondays, Fotospeed and WexMondays. Hope you like it!