Uploads from Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!

WR 052 WREN ~~

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 13:42:27 -0700

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

Wren ....Troglodytes troglodytes …….Family: Troglodytidae

This is the only European species of wren found outside North America and is one of the smallest birds found in Britain (it weighs the same as a 50p coin) with only the goldcrest and firecrest being smaller (both same weight as a 20p coin). However, it is probably the loudest singer of the garden birds and trembles as it puts all of its energy into the song.

Known formerly as the Jenny Wren this little bird lives life at a fast restless pace, feeding mainly at ground level on beetles, spiders and other insects. The name troglodytes means cave dweller but the wren does not live in caves. The tiny nest is built with a dome and resembles a minute cave

The pronounced eyebrow (supercillium) stripe is not present in juveniles and developes with maturity.

BT 072 Blue Tit

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 08:38:00 -0700

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus ….. Family Paridae (Tits)

The Blue Tit is a small passerine, common in Britain and easily recognised by its blue and yellow plumage. It is an acrobatic and energetic little bird often seen hanging upside-down as it searches for food comprising of insects, spiders and tiny caterpillars. This acrobatic behaviour bestows them with an advantage enabling them to exploit food resources unavailable to other birds. Outside of the breeding season they will feed from birdfeeders containing seeds, peanuts and suet.

Blue tits are non-migratory residents and sedentary, never straying far from their natal (birth) place. Their natural nesting site is a hole in a tree but they readily take to a nestbox. Their main competition for nesting boxes comes from the larger Great Tit Parus major but this can be overcome by making the entrance hole smaller enabling only access for the blue tit.

They gather in flocks during the winter along with great tits and long-tailed tits.

Blue Tits seem to possess an ability to transmit learning to other members of the tit family. This was noted in Britain when milk bottles delivered to doorsteps had foil tops. Blue tits learned to peck through the foil in order to get to the fatty cream below. Once this had been discovered the behaviour spread rapidly throughout Britain.

Snail 007 ~ Banded Snail ~

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:25:24 -0700

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

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Banded Snail ...... Cepaea nemoralis

The shell of the Banded Snail is very variable and can have a ground colour of pink, green, yellow, tan or brown and can have many stripes, thick or thin, or no stripes at all. So how do you recognise a banded snail in its many disguises? ...... it always has the black lip to the entrance of the shell (shown in this shot). If it doesn't have a black lip then it's the closely related C. hortensis

Snail 012 Banded Snail

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 02:25:42 -0700

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

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Banded Snail ...... Cepaea nemoralis

The shell of the Banded Snail is very variable and can have a ground colour of pink, green, yellow, tan or brown and can have many stripes, thick or thin, or no stripes at all. So how do you recognise a banded snail in its many disguises? ...... it always has the black lip to the entrance of the shell. If it doesn't have a black lip then it's the closely related C. hortensis

STA 057 Common Starling

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 05:53:21 -0700

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

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Starling ........... Sturnus vulgaris

The only British member of the starling family, the Common Starling is a resident bird which has much declined in numbers over the last two decades. Most of the year, when not breeding, it spends its days feeding in towns and parks, gathering into flocks in the evening, to fly out of the towns to communal roosts in woodland and reed-beds. When radar was in its infancy the operators were baffled by mysterious waves, which they called angels, radiating out from towns in the evenings. I was later found that these were flocks of starlings flying out to roost; so dense were the flocks.

The large flocks, of course, attract predators such as the peregrine falcon and in such situations a murmuration occurs. In a murmuration the whole flock seemingly becomes one organism swirling around in the sky. This is one of nature’s great spectacles and is thought to have evolved to confuse the predator. I remember witnessing this, on occasions, when I was a nature reserve warden, but these great flocks seem to be a thing of the past now.

The mynah bird is known for its ability to imitate and starlings are related to mynahs and can also imitate. I have heard a starling imitating a farmyard chicken but my most memorable experience was at the first house I bought. A neighbour had a wrought iron gate with rusty hinges which shrieked. The sound was a cross between a dentist’s drill and finger nails on a blackboard. The sound would stop me in my tracks and it took a few seconds for my nervous system to repair. However, a starling thought it was wonderful enough to imitate it, and did ----- to perfection! The neighbour (thankfully) later removed the gate, but the starling continued his rendition ------- incessantly. ........ Aarrrrrrrrrgh ! ;)

ROB 101 ~ Robin ~

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 02:25:23 -0700

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

Robin ........ Erithacus rubecula

The Robin is a common favourite bird in Britain and easily recognised by most people. Both the male and female hold their own separate feeding territories but most will have paired up by Christmas time and remain together until the following autumn. The British population is resident but joined in the winter by immigrant robins from Scandinavia. The Scandinavian visitors are paler than ours and have a duller red breast. They are also less tame as they spend their time in woodlands and it is only in Britain that the robin is a tame garden bird which will closely follow a gardener for any worms or insects which he might disturb.

MAG 059 Magpie ................................... Explored

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 02:29:24 -0700

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

Magpie Pica pica
The ubiquitous magpie was formerly a bird of woodland and farms but now present even in town centres. A small member of the crow family (Corvids) the magpie is an intelligent opportunist capable of exploiting different habitats and situations.

FOX 125 ~ Red Fox (Dog) ~

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 09:46:12 -0800

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
The foxes which have been part of my life over the last couple of years seem to have vanished completely. The courting season has passed by without the sound of a calling vixen or the bark of a dog fox. There are none of the signs which show foxes are present and no scent marking. Where they have gone is a mystery to me and I suspect foul play. I certainly miss their presence.

Here are a couple of last year's shots

WAX 035 ~ Waxwing ~

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 06:43:55 -0800

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus ........... Family Bombycillidae

The Bohemian Waxwing (known in Britain simply as waxwing) is an irregular winter visitor to the British Isles where it is seen in small, tight flocks searching for berries. They appear to search for red berries and show a marked preference for those of the Mountain Ash Sorbus aucuparia otherwise known as the Rowan. Its summer habitat is amongst the conifers of the taiga where it nests in dense undergrowth: an extremely large range which circumnavigates the globe.

A flock of winter-feeding waxwings will spend much time in the top of a tall tree calling loudly and it this behaviour which make them easy to spot (if they are around). Suddenly the whole flock will descend to a berry-bearing shrub or tree and strip it of berries very quickly.

The waxwing derives its name from the bright-red tips to the wing feathers which are said to resemble sealing-wax. They are beautiful birds and always a pleasure to see. I was fortunate to have a small flock descend near my house where they fed on rose hips.

WAX 028 ~ Waxwing ~

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 06:43:55 -0800

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus .......... Family Bombycillidae

The Bohemian Waxwing (known in Britain simply as waxwing) is an irregular winter visitor to the British Isles where it is seen in small, tight flocks searching for berries. They appear to search for red berries and show a marked preference for those of the Mountain Ash Sorbus aucuparia otherwise known as the Rowan. Its summer habitat is amongst the conifers of the taiga where it nests in dense undergrowth: an extremely large range which circumnavigates the globe.

A flock of winter-feeding waxwings will spend much time in the top of a tall tree calling loudly and it this behaviour which make them easy to spot (if they are around). Suddenly the whole flock will descend to a berry-bearing shrub or tree and strip it of berries very quickly.

The waxwing derives its name from the bright-red tips to the wing feathers which are said to resemble sealing-wax. They are beautiful birds and always a pleasure to see. I was fortunate to have a small flock descend near my house where they fed on rose hips.

WAX 021 Waxwing

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 06:43:54 -0800

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

GER 0105 Herb Robert

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 14:32:44 -0700

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

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Herb Robert .... Geranium robertianum ....... Family:- Geraniaceae

Herb Robert is a common wildflower found in the hedgerows of Britain. It is a species of cranesbill (Geraniums) found in Europe, Asia, North America and North Africa. It is known in America as Robert Geranium. The plant grows to a height of 150mm to 300mm (6 to 12 inches) and the small pink flowers (May to August) are 12mm (half inch) across with five pink petals. The stems are often reddish in colour whilst the green fern-like leaves also turn red after the flowering season. Herb Robert grows as an annual or biennial.

The genus name of Geranium comes from the Greek "Geranus" which means crane because of the crane's beak-like structure of the seed heads
Other names for this plant are Bloodwort, Puck, Death Come Quickly, Wren's Flower, Red Robin and Granny Thread The Needle,
Herb Robert is attractive to Hoverflies, bees and the Barred Carpet moth

PLAN 0002 ~ Ribwort Plantain ~

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 02:32:48 -0700

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

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Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata……….. Family Plantaginaceae

Other names; buckhorn plantain, English plantain and narrow-leaf plantain

Ribwort plantain is a perennial herb found in almost any grassland in Britain except the most acid areas (pH<4.5). It is often prominent in a sward but very rarely dominant.

The leaves form a basal rosette and in short grass (mown or grazed) they are round and flattened to the ground. Where the plant is surrounded by taller grass the leaves are lanceolate and grow upward. The leaves are borne on short petioles and have parallel veins. The unbranched flower stalks are leafless and grow, throughout the summer, to height of 100 to 400 mm (4 to 16 inches) and the flower head comprises of a stubby brown inflorescense of many small (4mm) white flowers each of which produces two seeds.

The leaves and stalks of ribwort plantain provide valuable grazing for domestic as well as wild animals and was introduced into the Americas and Australia, but is considered an invasive weed in North America

HOV 410 ~ Hoverfly .... (Platycheirus clypeatus) ~

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 02:48:30 -0700

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

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Platycheirus clypeatus … Family:- Syrphidae

P. clypteatus is a very small, common and widespread hoverfly found throughout Britain and Europe in various habitats including wet meadows, dry grassland and woodland rides. The adults fly low amongst vegetation and feed from flowers especially yellow composites . The feeding habits of the larvae are uncertain with some authors claiming they feed on aphids and others stating that they are rarely found in aphid colonies and may be found in leaf litter. It is found from April to October but the peak time is July and August.

This hoverfly seems to always rest with the wings laid along its back, concealing the patterns on the abdomen so, although these are not great shots, they are the only ones I could get showing the abdomen. One of my shots (lower left) shows P. clypteatus on a flower with another hoverfly Syrphus ribesii , which is the size of a honey bee, to illustrate the size difference.

HOV158 Hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus) feeding on ragwort

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 05:44:28 -0700

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

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Helophilus pendulus. Family:- Syrphidae
Other names Sunfly, Footballer (due to the striped 'shirt')

Helophilus means "sun lover" and is very apt as these hoverflies only appear in bright sunlight.
The members of the genus Helophilus all have black and yellow/white longitudinal stripes on the thorax and are therefore easily identified at the genus level but it is somewhat more difficult to identify these hoverflies down to species. Differences in abdominal markings and leg colouration are diagnostic but H. pendulus is the only one with a black, central face stripe. The black on the hind tibia is restricted to the distal third and the mid tibia is all yellow.

H. pendulus is the most common of the genus found in Britain and as its larvae are aquatic and feed on organic detritus it is found around a variety of water habitats from large lakes to muddy puddles. They can even be found in wet cow dung and manure.

The adult (imago) feeds at flowers and can be found well away from water in most sunny situations along roadsides, gardens, field margins etc from April to November but are most abundant from June to August and often seen resting on a leaf.

PAP 001 A Poppy in the Breeze

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 06:28:40 -0700

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

Red Poppy Papaver rhoeas .......... Family Papaveraceae ...... Caught in a Breeze

HS 129 Female House Sparrow

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 10:05:59 -0700

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

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The House Sparrow Passer domesticus

The House Sparrow originated in the Middle East and spread along with agriculture to most of Eurasia and parts of North Africa. Since the mid 19th Century it has reached most parts of the world chiefly due to deliberate introductions, natural dispersal and even shipboard travel. It is the most widely distributed wild bird on the planet. The House Sparrow is strongly associated with human habitations and can happily exist in urban or rural settings. Though found in varied habitats and climates it avoids extensive woodlands, grasslands and deserts away from human development.

The House Sparrow population in the British Isles has declined in recent decades but it has been so common that it is overlooked but it is actually a beautifully marked bird. In Britain it may be confused with the Tree Sparrow Passer montanus (our only other sparrow) but the Tree Sparrow has a chestnut coloured crown which distinguishes it from the House Sparrow with its grey crown.

Carp 001 The Mirror Carp

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 10:51:16 -0700

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

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The Mirror Carp Cyprinus carpio carpio Family :- Cyprinidae

The carp is a native of Asia, but now present in all parts of the world except the Middle East, the Arctic and Antarctica. In Europe the common carp became domesticated as a food fish and the Romans had purpose-built ponds in which to keep carp for food.
Between the 13 to 16th Century the domesticated carp was spread, as a food fish, by monks throughout Europe (including Britain) and every monastery had its own carp pond which was an important protein source. Escaped fish and deliberate introduction allowed carp to become established in the wild. It is a popular fish for the angler and angling societies often restock waters with the fish. Carp are fish of eutrophic waters (slow moving lowland lakes, ponds and rivers rich in organic matter)

Variants arose during domestication and the Mirror Carp Cyprinus carpio carpio in my shot is one such variant. The "mirrors" are enlarge scales and it is believed that the monks bred the mirror variant as it was easier to prepare for the table.

Carp live to a good age with the oldest recorded at 65 years. They also grow to a considerable weight and in 2010 an angler caught one at 45kg (99lb) ….. But, of course, they didn't see the one that got away when I used to fish for carp :)

WASP 050 ~~~~ A Spider Hunting Wasp ... dragging victim to her tunnel

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 13:33:18 -0700

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

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Pompilid Wasp Anoplius viaticus … Family .. Pompilidae

A. viaticus is a spider hunting wasp found throughout Britain and seen from March to September. It feeds from flowers such as Shepherd's Cress and umbellifers.

The mated female hunts for spiders to provide stored food for the larvae. On finding a suitable spider a life or death fight ensues in which she could easily become a meal for the spider. She has to turn over the spider and sting it near to the base of the legs where the cuticle is softer. Once stung, the spider remains alive but paralyzed. The wasp will then drag the spider (which may be bigger than she is) some considerable distance to a suitable site where she excavates a burrow. During the excavation her unguarded victim can easily be stolen by another pompilid wasp or another insect and she may well have to fight off would-be robbers.

When the tunnel is completed with a brood chamber she will drag the paralyzed spider down into it and lay a single egg on the spider. She will then fill in the entrance of the tunnel very carefully and finish by tapping down the new fill until no evidence of the tunnel exists . The egg hatches and the larva eats the still-living spider.

The sting of pompilid wasps is amongst the most painful of all wasp stings.

BEE 152 White-tailed Bumblebee

nobody@flickr.com (Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 11:57:38 -0700

Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !! posted a photo:

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The White-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lucorum ……… Family Apidae

Bumble bees (Genus Bombus) are represented by about 250 known species found mainly in the northern hemisphere but also occur in South America. They have also been introduced in Tasmania and New Zealand. Bumble bees can be confused with other large fuzzy bees but the hind leg of a female bumble bee has a bare concave surface (corbicula) which is surrounded by hairs and used for pollen collection. In other large bees there is no corbicula and the legs are completely hairy.

The White-tailed Bumblebee is a widespread and common species in Britain, but declining in numbers. It is easily confused with the very similar Bombylus magnus and some authors think it may be the same species. In all aspects they are the same except that in B. magnus the yellow collar extends down to include the base of the wings.

B. Locurum has a relatively short tongue when compared with other bumblebees and therefore tends to feed from flowers with a short corolla or those of the daisy family. It will, however, sometimes feed from flowers with a longer corolla and bite through the base of the flower to do so.

It is a ground-nesting species often utilising an old vole or mouse nest.

Uploads from Mike Hazzledine ... Having Problems Again !!

WR 052 ~~~~~~~~~~ WREN ~~~~~~~~~~~~

BT 072 ~~~~ Blue Tit ~~~~

Snail 007 ~~~ Banded Snail ~~~

Snail 012 ~~ Banded Snail ~~

STA 057 ~~~~ Common Starling ~~~~

ROB 101 ~~~~~ Robin ~~~~~

MAG 059 Magpie ................................... Explored

FOX 125 ~~~~~ Red Fox (Dog) ~~~~~

WAX 035 ~~~ Waxwing ~~~

WAX 028 ~~~ Waxwing ~~~

WAX 021 ~~~~ Waxwing ~~~~

GER 0105 ~~~~ Herb Robert ~~~~

PLAN 0002 ~~~ Ribwort Plantain ~~~

HOV 410 ~~~ Hoverfly .... (Platycheirus clypeatus) ~~~

HOV158 ~~~~ Hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus) feeding on ragwort ~~~~

PAP 001 ~~ A Poppy in the Breeze ~~

HS 129 ~~~~ Female House Sparrow ~~~~

Carp 001 ~~~~ The Mirror Carp ~~~~

WASP 050 ~~~~ A Spider Hunting Wasp ... dragging victim to her tunnel

BEE 152 ~~~~ White-tailed Bumblebee ~~~~

WR 052 WREN ~~

BT 072 Blue Tit

Snail 007 ~ Banded Snail ~

Snail 012 Banded Snail

STA 057 Common Starling

ROB 101 ~ Robin ~

FOX 125 ~ Red Fox (Dog) ~

WAX 035 ~ Waxwing ~

WAX 028 ~ Waxwing ~

WAX 021 Waxwing

GER 0105 Herb Robert

PLAN 0002 ~ Ribwort Plantain ~

HOV 410 ~ Hoverfly .... (Platycheirus clypeatus) ~

HOV158 Hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus) feeding on ragwort

PAP 001 A Poppy in the Breeze

HS 129 Female House Sparrow

Carp 001 The Mirror Carp

BEE 152 White-tailed Bumblebee