Butterflies, Dragons & Everything Else

Ragwort; disliked by some as they see it as a serious weed. 
Also, people who own horses dislike this plant and for good reason as it is poisonous to horses.
However, if managed it is not a problem and in the forest and countryside, where this plant is relatively harmless it has some fantastic benefits.

If you want to see or photograph a huge array of different insect species then look no further than this bright yellow wildflower as nearly every insect imaginable swarms around ragwort to feed on it.

So the next time you see ragwort, don't look on it as a weed, look on it as a vital source of food for our many thousands of insects and stop to check out the activity.

Click on images for larger view.

Common Blue

Bee

Southern Hawker

Golden ringed

Green Veined White

Meadow Brown

Small Copper

Clouded Yellow

Common Blue

Gatekeeper

Peacock

Fallow Deer

Common Lizard

Fallow Deer

Candid Fallow Deer

Fallow Deer

Hornet Moth

Hornet Moth

Poplar Hawk Moth

Poplar Hawk Moth

Poplar Hawk Moth

The Weeks Ahead

Over the coming weeks I have a few meetings, which will definitely keep me busy!

I am soon to meet with the Forestry Commission to work out the best plan of action regarding the wild boar. I'm not expecting them to implement my suggestions, but I do hope they will listen. The wild boar require management, but only when absolutely necessary and this is something I am hoping to help them with, to get a better understanding of boar numbers throughout the area, so that a more accurate guess can be made when a cull is imminent.

I will also be attending a talk on ash die back, to hopefully better understand what is going on within our forests. Huge amounts of larch has been felled and is still being felled throughout the UK and the sooner we get on top of these issues the better.

Then a meeting with Forest of Dean District Council regarding Northern United (Northern Area Action Plan).

As I have been surveying and monitoring this area for wildlife for many years, I have been invited to a meeting to discuss the area and the wildlife. I welcome this invitation as it is local people with local knowledge who can really help, not people pulled in from far and wide that do not know the area and the wildlife present.
I have never approved of the development of this area, but if Northern is to get the green light, I am not going to sit on my hands, or bury my head in the sand as a defeatist. I will work with them to make sure the wildlife comes first and that sensitive and unique areas are maintained, preserved and protected.

Then... It's off to one of my favourite areas in the Forest of Dean to work with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust on a project to manage reptile habitat.
Really looking forward to this as it is where I excel and the excitement of knowing that you will one day find an adder basking in an area that you have helped create is amazing!

Spring is around the corner and I am looking forward to warmer days and lighter evenings, so I can get out with the camera more often.

I leave you with some photographs of wildlife 

All photographed in the magnificent Forest of Dean

Roe Buck

Wild Boar Sow and her Piglet 2012

Red Fox

Baby Grey Squirrel

Wood Mouse Nicking the Bird Food!

Me, Photographing Wild Boar

Portrait of a Wild Boar Sow; From Encounter Above

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker Searching for Bugs

Cinnabar Larvae on Ragwort and Cinnabar Moths on Thistle

Male Adder Basking in Bracken

Wild Boar Sow, Checking Me Out!

Female Adder Photographed From a Distance of a Few Inches

And Finally, a Guard Hornet Guarding the Nest

Rob

Hornets for BBC Autumnwatch!

On Saturday 1st October I took a film crew from BBC Autumnwatch out into the Forest of Dean in search of wild boar and any other wildlife, which would be good for filming.
I showed them a couple of wild boar wallows and two adders before heading off to an old tawny owl haunt, hoping that he still occupied it? He wasn't there and it soon became evident as to why!
As I approached the roost I could see hornets buzzing in and out, and it wasn't until I got close that I realised they were actually building a nest.
Hornets build their nests in the spring, not autumn and it can only be the insane hot weather we have been seeing lately that provoked them to start building at the beginning of October.
The hornets typical behaviour in early autumn is to leave the nest to mate and shortly after mating the male hornet will die. Towards late October the workers and unfertilised queens also die just leaving the fertilised queens, which survive the winter.

Anyway, I wanted to get some pics and footage of them myself as I knew it wouldn't be long before they realised that autumn is on the way and would soon leave the partly built nest to mate. So I went back out to film and photograph them.
As I approached the nest they were buzzing around my head as they were flying in and out, so I approached with caution as just one sting would have sent out a pheromone, which would have mobilised the whole colony to attack. The sting from a hornet is far worse than that of a wasp, due to their size and venom yield, and as they have no barb on the stinger like the wasp, they can sting multiple times.

I was within a few feet of the nest and noticed a guard hornet sat at the entrance, watching me. As he kept his eye on me, he was also watching every single hornet enter the nest and it was fascinating to watch him rear up like a preying mantis if I got too close, or if a worker hornet got too close to him.

Here he is, watching me as I got as close as possible. Photographed using a 100mm macro lens from approx 6 inches away.



And here he is in all his glory; all 5cm of him!



I had to stretch to grab a shot of the inside of the nest and this is when he reared up like a preying mantis, so it was a couple of quick shots before he told me off!



I then filmed them for around 45 minuets. You can watch the edited version below...
Hornet Film Here

Although I didn't get to film for Autumnwatch in person, I know that these hornets along with wild boar and possibly an adder will be featuring on the first show of the series on Friday 7th October. I hope they liked the varied wildlife I showed them and I also hope it will make for some interesting viewing, even though I have not heard from them since.
My time spent with them, helping to give some unique and unusual wildlife behaviour opportunities should have warranted a thank you at least? Maybe my name will appear in the credits as a special thank you, but I doubt it.
Sorry to finish on a duff note, but without people like me they would have to work a lot harder and probably wouldn't stand a chance of finding hornets building a nest in October!!!

Rob

"I recieved a text message from a member of the film crew thanking me for my time, helping them find the hornets, adder and wild boar wallow(s)."
It was a pleasure to help and would love the opportunity to help again in the future. It was a bit surreal watching it on TV!

Rob

Before the Rain!

Not very good weather for photography today as its raining hard and very grey, but I did manage to grab a few macro's before the bad weather set in!
Not my best by far, but the colours make up for the poor composition.

Bugs!

Broke out the macro lens and went bug hunting!

Image 1: Shield Bug
Image 2: Shield Bugs Mating
Image 3: Cockchafer (Maybug) Larvae
Image 4: Lily Beetle






Rob

Macro

A few macro shots from my garden today. The first one is a pond Skater!

For more detail, click images for larger view.







Rob

Lord of the Flies!

I have not posted any pics for a while, so there will be a few at the end of this post.

First of all, BBC Radio Gloucestershire will be broadcasting a series next week about "going undercover" and they kindly asked me to contribute.

Going undercover can be represented in lots of ways, from detective work, to tracking and finding wildlife. That's my bit!

I have already recorded my segment and will let you know when it is on. I will also post a direct link.

Look out for it, it will be very interesting.

Here are some pics...

Now we all know that wildlife is not always cute and cuddly. The following pics show just that.

Even though they are hairy and ugly, they are still fascinating!

If you have made it past the flies, here is a cute Dunnock for you!

Rob