Getting close to wildlife - literally

[tigerburnie]

Is this of any help?

Identify caterpillars | The Wildlife Trusts

I still don't understand why copy and paste works on every forum I frequent, but not on this one, makes it difficult to use the forum.

Edited February 24, 2023 by tigerburnie

[PhilJ W]

Try this.

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/how-identify/identify-caterpillars

[PhilJ W]

12 hours ago, sb67 said:

Hawk Moths are stunning! 

 

I found these caterpillars while gardening this week, does anybody know what they could be? 

 

 

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/how-identify/identify-caterpillars

[sb67]

On 24/02/2023 at 19:17, PhilJ W said:

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/how-identify/identify-caterpillars

 

Thanks Phil, I looked through that and none matched my caterpillars. The closest thing I found was an Angle shades caterpillar , can't ever say I've seen the moth here though. 

[03060]

I love this time of year just before the trees burst back into leaf as the birds are quite happy in their songs and due to the lack of foliage are a little easier to spot. 
 

Pleasant recent sightings have involved watching Long Tailed Tits, a Gold Crest, a rather alarmed Nuthatch although I couldn't see what in particular was upsetting him, a couple of crows several trees away perhaps. I also had a close encounter with a low flying Sparrowhawk which gave me a wonderful view with a fairly slow flypast just above headheight.

 

The main reason for this post, though, is that my trusty 20+ year old pocket monocular is starting to lose it's effectiveness, the lenses becoming a little loose and cloudy despite me trying to clean and tighten them. I just wondered what other people use as I've not found my small pair of pocket binoculars very effective, taking a lot longer to focus and adjust correctly.

 

I'm afraid that I can't now remember the make of my monocular but it came with another fitting which made it into an excellent macro / micro lens if required. Any suggestions as to what might make a good replacement, please.

 

 

Edited March 5, 2023 by 03060
Correction.

[Jeff Smith]

Seen at our local fishing pond this week.  This is the larger of the two that seem to be in residence assumed to be the male!

 

 

[monkeysarefun]

4 hours ago, Jeff Smith said:

Seen at our local fishing pond this week.  This is the larger of the two that seem to be in residence assumed to be the male!

 

 

 

 

Do they get relocated like salt water crocs do here or are they just left alone  ? ( I guess there's a third option.)

[Jeff Smith]

I think when they get to a certain size or become a menace they are destroyed, but not sure, they are certainly removed from the neighbourhood.  These are ponds and lakes in a 55+ golf community.

[Jeff Smith]

More local wildlife today in Florida....almost domesticated as they are fed every day....Sand Crane family - note the cat keeping a wary distance at the end of the building.  Cranes mate for life but living close to traffic means accidents and surviving partners often live loner lives.

 

 

[Martino]

On 05/03/2023 at 08:29, 03060 said:

I love this time of year just before the trees burst back into leaf as the birds are quite happy in their songs and due to the lack of foliage are a little easier to spot. 
 

Pleasant recent sightings have involved watching Long Tailed Tits, a Gold Crest, a rather alarmed Nuthatch although I couldn't see what in particular was upsetting him, a couple of crows several trees away perhaps. I also had a close encounter with a low flying Sparrowhawk which gave me a wonderful view with a fairly slow flypast just above headheight.

 

The main reason for this post, though, is that my trusty 20+ year old pocket monocular is starting to lose it's effectiveness, the lenses becoming a little loose and cloudy despite me trying to clean and tighten them. I just wondered what other people use as I've not found my small pair of pocket binoculars very effective, taking a lot longer to focus and adjust correctly.

 

I'm afraid that I can't now remember the make of my monocular but it came with another fitting which made it into an excellent macro / micro lens if required. Any suggestions as to what might make a good replacement, please.

 

 

I’ve used these - https://www.nocsprovisions.com.    This is a US site, but I would assume they are available in other areas.

[03060]

They're back ! ... 'Jewels in the Sky' ... a beutiful day in Leeds today and very near to the end of this morning's dog walk I saw my first Butterfly of the year, a lovely fluttery Small White .... which was then closely followed by a wonderfully greeny / yellow wandering Brimstone which I usually only ever see one or two of in my area each year.

 

Regards,

Ian.

[Phil Bullock]

That’s great to hear! Could your small white have been a female orange tip perhaps? Would expect to see them out first.,.

[tigerburnie]

On 27/02/2023 at 18:46, sb67 said:

 

Thanks Phil, I looked through that and none matched my caterpillars. The closest thing I found was an Angle shades caterpillar , can't ever say I've seen the moth here though. 

I took this in my greenhouse a while back

Angle shades moth by tigerburnie, on Flickr

[03060]

On 02/04/2023 at 19:42, Phil Bullock said:

That’s great to hear! Could your small white have been a female orange tip perhaps? Would expect to see them out first.,.

Whilst I did see it at rest I didn't notice the green underwing pattern of the Orange Tip but I didn't get very close before it moved on, so maybe.

 

Yesterday I saw a Comma and I'm afraid one of my cats caught a Small Tortoiseshell which was still alive after it had made her sick, I put it back out into the sunshine on a Dandelion flower but I'm not sure that it would recover properly.

 

Regards,

Ian.

[Kylestrome]

Mr & Mrs Blue Tit have moved into their summer residence at the end of our back yard.

 

[Flying Pig]

I came across six hares this morning, all together in a field doing their mad spring stuff.  After a few minutes they separated and one decided to run towards the gate where I was standing.  Twice it came within four feet of me, the first time noticing me at the last minute and turning quickly away, the second standing motionless for several seconds before deciding it didn't want to pass me after all. They look much smaller close to.

[monkeysarefun]

Orb Weaver, hanging out in the front yard.

Edited April 23, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[Welly]

^^^

Had to look that one up to see if it is dangerous - "Reluctant to bite" is the answer

 

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/garden-orb-weaving-spiders/

[Jeff Smith]

Yesterday whilst driving around our neighbourhood near a fishing lake - Florida Softshell turtle.  Presumed to have just buried some eggs then wandering back to the water.

[hmrspaul]

14 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Orb Weaver, hanging out in the front yard.

That's a great photo. I've found spiders in their webs difficult to photograph and that is superb. 

 

Paul

[monkeysarefun]

58 minutes ago, hmrspaul said:

That's a great photo. I've found spiders in their webs difficult to photograph and that is superb. 

 

Paul

Thanks. The Google  Pixel phones always seem to be ignored compared to Samsungs and iPhones but the camera in them is brilliant.

 

It does astrophotography too, all processed inside the phone.

 

 

Edited April 23, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[monkeysarefun]

5 hours ago, Welly said:

^^^

Had to look that one up to see if it is dangerous - "Reluctant to bite" is the answer

 

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/garden-orb-weaving-spiders/

...Which is lucky since they  build their web in the evening to avoid daytime predators and always seem to build them across paths and driveways. They then sit right in the middle of it usually at face height. It's pretty common to walk right into one when walking outside at night in summer, there then comes several seconds of panicked  running your hands all over your face and head trying to find the spider. They are quite a hefty beast, they actually have a noticeable weight to them when they are running across your head or down your arm!

 

[hmrspaul]

6 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Thanks. The Google  Pixel phones always seem to be ignored compared to Samsungs and iPhones but the camera in them is brilliant.

 

It does astrophotography too, all processed inside the phone.

 

 

 

I should get a phone that can take photos - mine refuses to take anything other than me. 

 

On one of the "how do they do it" bit of one of Attenborough headed programmes he discusses the photography inside an ants nest. IIRC the tracking set up camera etc. cost £10,000 and then he quips, and the macro lens was £10 as they make millions of them for phone cameras. My £1000 Sony doesn't do macro, and also struggles to get spiders on their webs in focus - it sees behind them. We are usually hurrying to see a parrot (other birds are available) so I don't get time to really set up for the spiders. 

 

Paul

[monkeysarefun]

9 minutes ago, hmrspaul said:

We are usually hurrying to see a parrot (other birds are available) so I don't get time to really set up for the spiders. 

 

I now only use my DSLR for its telephoto and for photogrammetry, the pixel phone is so much more convenient for everything else and I cannot tell the difference between most  shots taken with the phone or the DSLR. For macro focussing you just get up close, tap the part of the image on the screen that you want to be in focus and the camera will lock onto it and stay locked as you move the phone around for different angles. Even I can do it.

 

It also helps that Aussie spiders are quite large!

Edited April 23, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[J. S. Bach]

We must have Orb spiders here, too; in my back yard a few years ago:

 

 

I was getting ready to harvest the hay mow the lawn but decided to wait until another day. I just noticed a gap in the web's southwest quadrant; I wonder if some rather large prey got taken down there? I never did see the spider.

Edited April 23, 2023 by J. S. Bach
To correct a spelling error.