Friday 10th July 2020, 5.25pm (day 3,242)
When the sun shines, we all deserve to perch on a fern somewhere and stretch out at 5.25pm on a Friday evening. Lockdown or no, it’s been a busy week. And butterflies have a lot still to do.
Being 42
Life, one day at a time
Tag Archives: nature
This is how I feel
Tuesday 7th July 2020, 3.50pm (day 3,239)
Well into our fourth month of paranoia and I (and this jackdaw) can’t be the only ones looking like this. I remain just about functional in a technical sense, but I’m just pointing my camera at things at the moment rather than being creative. There is so little to appeal about the world right now.
Horned beetle
Monday 15th June 2020, 4.50pm (day 3,217)
The beetle negotiates the wood crevasse, in its funny little helmet (where are its eyes?) and feeling the way ahead with that unicorn horn, which is so protuberant that here it’s become annoyingly just out of focus. I have no idea what species this is; it’s not a European rhinoceros beetle as it’s the wrong colour and we’re not supposed to have them in the UK anyway. It was about an inch (2.5cm) long.
Mother keeps an eye out
Sunday 7th June 2020, 2.30pm (day 3,209)
These kinds of things are universal, aren’t they. I probably had a similar look when seeing Joe off into town that first time.
This was taken on the Rochdale Canal in Mytholmroyd, making this the first time there have been two pictures in a row from outside of Hebden Bridge since March 10th and 11th.
Grasshopper
Tuesday 2nd June 2020, 4.50pm (day 3,204)
I credit Clare as ‘spotter’ on this one. While on the allotment this afternoon she drew my attention to this insect and said, “Try getting a photo of this one.” And so I did. And thank you my love — I rather like the result. This grasshopper has a sense of nobility I think.
Out on a morning forage
Friday 29th May 2020, 8.20am (day 3,200)
It’s a bit out of focus but this was taken with a very long zoom and squirrels move damn fast, particularly up trees. The light’s good, though. This is the earliest shot in a day for three months, which isn’t saying much, but that’s life under house arrest for you.
The magpie exercises
Wednesday 20th May 2020, 9.00am (day 3,191)
“And stretch that right leg… hold it…. hold it…. feel those calves working!… and rest.”
A shame the bird’s body is a bit grainy but this was done on a very long zoom. And on a beautiful morning, as you can see. The blog’s third magpie, according to my over-detailed files.
Dandelion snow
Friday 8th May 2020, 5.05pm (day 3,179)
The white dots that speckle this whole image are not the result of some camera fault. They are dandelion seeds, storms of which blew over Hebden Bridge this evening, as they have for a few days now. The warm, dry weather is bringing them out but also, this year, there are not so many lawns being mowed regularly — not the public ones, anyway. Perfect conditions for them, then. There will be some allergies being born at the moment I can tell you.
In the woods, again
Wednesday 6th May 2020, 9.20am (day 3,177)
Another day celebrating green-ness, for there is not a great deal else to see at the moment. At least the sun is back out.
First caterpillar to complete the Pennine Way?
Monday 4th May 2020, 1.05pm (day 3,175)
Well, OK, perhaps it is ambitious to expect that this caterpillar will manage to complete all 300+ miles of the Pennine Way, but if you’ve never been near it, it’s done more of it than you. And it also becomes the blog’s first caterpillar, a singular honour.
