ABtrees

7 hours ago, Ty Korrigan said:

Apologies, image not too sharp.

Sent by a member of the Lochnagar crater association on the Somme.

The hawthorn and other small trees around the crater is infested with these caterpillars.

What species are they?

    Thanks

        Stuart

You're right - that isn't a great picture - looks like some of the crap pics I end up with !

That said, they may be some sort of Sawfly - there's loads to choose from !

Your best bet on here is to ask @Anno

On 03/05/2024 at 21:36, KeenButGreen said:

Thanks all

 

The rakers should be at .65 and they’re around .9.  I might be able to file the top plate down but it’s a hell a lot of filing.  
 

so I bought a new chain and will keep this one for cross cutting as it’s kinda brilliant at getting through firewood logs. The new one I’ll use for sketchy stuff like boring and anywhere there’s a chance of kickback. 
 

can anyone enlighten me on how to get the raker file out of the 2in1?  It looks like it’s glued in place

I initially had a similar issue - getting carried away with the 2in1. 

I have found what works best for me is to use a round file in the holder for two sharpens

then every 3rd sharpen I use the 2in1 to take the rakers down - keeps it all sweet !

For the sake of £10 - give it a go and see how you get on - it's just trial and error till you find something that works for you and gives consistent results.

Practice, practice, practice !

3 hours ago, Treetom15 said:

Anyone got one or had good/bad experience with them? 
 

I had their innovation 2 smock, great for awful weather but terrible for climbing, just wondered how people rate the defiance as they look like quite a good fit for climbing? 

Hi Tom

I thought I'd seen this topic before.  If you put Harkie Defiance in the search box, there already quite a bit of opinion on them on here.

Not having a go - just trying to help !

AB

However ..... a few more interesting fauna !

As we're now on flowers, here are some 'Whitebells' and some 'Pinkbells'

You know spring is here when these guys turn up !

Hi Beth,

I'm no expert but those do look like Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica Alni), and you certainly seem to have plenty of them !   And it seems once you've got them, you've got them !   Roughly whereabouts are you (in the UK ?)?  

I'm not sure what you aim is - to 'protect' the trees / other plants or just to get rid of the beetles ?

I am in France and we have loads of these but don't notice so much because we also have loads of Alder trees (200 +) along the brook.  Because they're endemic here we also have loads of predators (and therefore a nice ecological balance).  These beetles were (very) rare in the UK until a decade or so ago and it may well take time for the local predators to catch on !

I attach a link to the RHS website which basically says that it is unlikely that they will kill mature trees, spraying anything other than small trees / shrubs is likely to be ineffective as well as damaging to other (possibly predatory) insects.  It also mentions other host plants .

Good luck !

AB

https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/alder-leaf-beetle 

A few follow up pics

Oily, adult slow worms then youngster. 

And a butterfly found in a tree (i know it doesn't really belong here).

I have a few dodgy phone pictures - will try to get out with the proper camera tomorrow.  20+ degrees here (in central France) today and suddenly loads of stuff turning up.  Was out in the woods this pm and in no particular order in 2 hours i saw all 3 spotted woodpeckers (my wife saw the black one on Tuesday), Oil beetle, Lots of early season butterflies (Red Admiral, Peacock, Brimstone, Large Tortoiseshell and male Orange Tip) and finally under a bit of matting a mum and 2 baby slow worms.  Not bad for one afternoon.

Oh and one of my daughters saw loads of Palmate newts in the old millstream !

6 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

If you find pointless activity satisfying I suppose.

Hi All

Mick, I have to pick you up on that - we had a guy come round and he had done exactly that , (as described) last year.  Took out an Asian hornet nest (at about 40-50 feet up) in a field on the outskirts of a local village with said paintball gun.  We passed by a few days later - no activity at all.  To be fair it wasn't your average gun, some higher powered version and surprisingly accurate.  It does work.

On a separate note, we have had Asians for (at least) the last 4 years - never had any trouble from them apart from grabbing my bees as they returned to the hive.  I found letting some grass stalks grow tall in front of the hive seriously reduced their chances of catching one though, and must confess to an adrenaline fuelled 20 minutes with a badminton racquet !!!!!

On 13/08/2023 at 18:42, AJStrees said:

Happened upon a stoat this morning, unfortunately it ran off very quickly. Not seen one in the wild before. 
 

otherwise caught this little fella on camera. Spotted long horn beetle.  Thought it looked great. 
 

 

Must have missed this post AJ.  Here's my version of the same thing just about to depart !

12 hours ago, sime42 said:

Since we're on a bit of a cartography trip, here's something related. Who knows what this is? I didn't until someone told me about it fairly recently, quite interesting. I saw this one today.

 

 

I just thought it looked like an early version trail camera - put there by the council to see if they could spot any wrongdoing - you know dropping litter, in a traffic jam with your engine running, going over 20mph etc etc !!!!!

On 13/09/2023 at 20:17, nepia said:

In fact name them all please!   The White - a Wood White?

Morning - busy week !  I think they go as follows:

Southern White Admiral

Swallowtail

Queen of Spain fritillary

Map (these butterflies are really curious - i think these are 2nd or possibly 3rd generation but i have never seen so many together at once).

Then:

Black veined white

Large skipper

Sooty copper

Map (underside - which gives them their name) - landed on my glove !

And yes, the elusive wood white 

Finally:

Hummingbird hawk

Common blue

Weavers (AKA violet) fritillary

Southern white admiral again - underside v. similar to Purple Emperor and Lesser Purple Emperor (which we also have !).

I have (so) many more butterfly pics (of varying quality it has to be said) - maybe I'll dig out some of the rarer stuff and post it - if you'd like ? !!!!

I think i know what this is but feel free to have a guess - it was a first for me.

OK final final pic.  Saw this very odd butterfly in flight (apparently upside down) - never seen anything like it before and had no idea what it was till it landed !

Final batch

Trying to go for things of interest

Haven't posted for ages - here is the first batch from the last few weeks - a few more to follow.

2 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Strimming and unknowing hitting a wasps nest.

 

’there’s a wasp’

’there’s another one’

’there’s 500!’

 

I had exactly that with a hornets nest down the other end of the fallen tree i was logging my way along - oh look a hornet !  Within 15 seconds maybe 60 - 70. Just started talking calmly to them and slowly backed off. They followed me at a distance of about 2 metres all the way to the tractor 20 metres away. Made sure i was no longer a threat and then got on with their day.  Unlike wasps, made no attempt to sting me - but i'd have been in trouble if they had - out in the wood working on my own !

Just as an aside, i kept the saw running the noise/vibration seems to calm them (maybe ?).

Thanks you two.  That was my initial take on it but the leaves are truly massive - that's a regular oak (Q. Robur) to the left for comparison.  The only one that is even vaguely close is Northern Red (Q. Rubra) but I'm yet to be convinced.

Afternoon

Can anyone help me out with an id on this one please ?  The only thing i can think of is some sort of Paulownia - the leaves are big (25x16 cm) but don't quite look right to me.

Ideas ?

15 hours ago, Pete W said:

 

Stop it, you're making me blush.

I don't think you can ever stop learning, with wildlife photography knowing your subject and location is probably more important than the technical side. Also patience and a willingness to suffer a certain amount of discomfort, as standing in one position for an hour or so can become quite painful! I have been visiting these Gorse bushes for over 30 years, so I know what I'm likely to find. The light makes all the difference though, Meadow Pipit out in the brightness, Whitethroat lurking in the gloom.

Do you all see what i mean ?  I'd be delighted with Pete's Whitethroat picture !

PW

I do get what you mean though, but all modesty to one side, if the subject is in sharp focus, that's half the battle for me.  Once  I'm getting consistent results on that I can start thinking about composition. Not sure I'll ever get to worrying about light levels - don't think I've got 30 years left !!!! 

43 minutes ago, Squaredy said:

Very beautiful.  Do you know what it is?

As Difflock says an Emperor Moth - a male I believe with the fluffy antennae

Every spring seems to bring something new ............... never seen one of these before (and still haven't - I'm in the UK atm !).

Mrs B's poor quality pic on her i-phone

14 minutes ago, AJStrees said:

Cheers mate, much appreciated 👍always more to learn. 

 ..... unless you're @Pete W !!!!

Loved the ducklings btw