Butterflies & Flowers

 

This is an amalgamation of tramping around several sites with just an odd photo here and there , I did go on a Botany walk which was very interesting and I did learn some new plants but most where either too small to get a photo or not in flower, this was along Warkworth Links I did however have a Garden Warbler and saw 2 Cuckoos,  lets see what the next one offers. Small Copper out along the dunes last year I photographed one laying an egg and got down and dirty and found that egg with the intention of watching it grow, unfortunately the leave it was on dried out very quickly along with the egg , I will try and be more organized  next time perhaps grow the food plant  before hand.

 

 

Cinnabar Moth they look better in flight with that scarlet rear wing

 I always like a photo of the first for the year but it does not always come out well

Stalking does pay some dividends

 Star of Bethlehem this along the dunes at Druridge apparently the petals have a green stripe underneath which I failed to check for

 Those petals a perfect landing pad for insects

 Scarlet pimpernel either hidden amongst the undergrowth  or as here a good clump in the open

 Lesser Meadow Rue it's very small and those flowers even smaller to me they are like a bunch of bananas

 Checking a small pool that last year had Broad Bodied Chasers on sadly this year no pool at all there was however a very good showing of Northern Marsh Orchid the best Iv'e seen so far along with some Common Spotted just coming  through

 These  growing in profusion on a field edge there where a large number along the whole strip

 22 spot ladybird seems to like Stinging nettles

 One of the Wolf Spiders with an egg sack on the rear, that's that plastic boardwalk it's on , which even had me puzzled and I took the photo

I would love to get more into real close up work there are so many good insect subjects , and you do not always have to know their name , I presume this is an aphid of some sort