A short sequence of a presumably common garden event, but one I’ve not previously taken any notice of: ants finding and swarming on a dying (or dead) bee. When I took these thee ants had already moved the bee from the centre of the patio to a corner near the wall.
Ants swarming over a dead bee
Ants swarming over a dead bee
Ants swarming over a dead bee
Quite a feast for them!
Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens.
I’ve not posted for a few days, but on and off I’ve been out and about with the camera. The local short-eared owls seemed to have moved away for the summer (no reports of sightings for a week or so), but there are some cuckoos in the area. I’ve neither seen nor heard them yet, but I’ve had reliable reports from two sources. If I do see them that would be an absolute thrill. I don’t think I’ve ever seen or knowingly heard one before!
Anyway, Sheepcote Valley may have lost its owls for now, but the kestrels seem to be back in force.
Female kestrel at Sheepcote Valley, Brighton
And here are a couple of a male kestrel (note the grey head feathers).
Kestrel at Sheepcote Valley, Brighton
Male kestrel hovering over Sheepcote Valley
The little common lizards are still enjoying the warmth of the brickwork at the edge of the car park at work. Here’s one from today enjoy the sunshine.
Common lizard at Watts bank, University of Brighton, Moulsecoomb
Watts bank, which my office desk overlooks also attracts butterflies. Nothing too extravagent at the moment, but the common blues are quite abundant. This is a female.
Common blue butterfly (female), Watts Bank, University of Brighton
As for the rural street art… I came across this in the middle of a local field. The burnt out wreck has been there for a while apparently. It seems that someone decided to give it a paint job to make it less of an eye-sore.
Burnt out car painted by graffiti artists, Brighton
Detail of graffiti car
A second abandoned car nearby had also been given the same treatment. It doesn’t solve the issue of abandoned vehicles (Brighton Council take note), but I did appreciate the creative tocuh of the unknown artist.
Last shot… Eye of Lizard!
Eye of Lizard
Camera note: kestrel and car photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. Butterfly and lizard taken with the EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens.
This is a first for me. Slow worms (Anguis fragilis) are one of our most common reptiles and there are always a few lurking in the corners of the garden. They are lizards (not snakes, despite being ‘legless’): they have eyelids (snakes don’t) and ear openings (snakes don’t have those either). Usually they are fairly static, and you can often find them underneath pots or stones (they like the warmth, being lizards). They are quite keen on compost bins as well (warmth).
This morning I popped into the garden and spotted two of them on the corner of the patio. And then I realized what was going on. This was the slow worm mating ritual. I dashed inside and grabbed the camera.
Slow worms at the start of mating
The male bites the female on her neck as they begin to entwine
Here they both seem to be having a nibble!
More biting!
Quite a tangle
And finally they separate
The female will produce live young in late July or August. Apparently the young are born in their egg sac. I’ll be watching out for them, but the chance of seeing them at just the right time is remote.
Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens.
