Wildlife photos please

[scarey55]

Yup, looks like a female Common Blue to me. There is a really useful website here that shows the common blue but there are loads of other blue butterflies there too.

[fishermann]

Just knew I had to be wrong.

Dave

[Verinda]

Thank you Dave, I've been puzzling over it for ages. I just can't seem to identify it. It would be brilliant if it was something special and rare, but it probably isn't!

[Verinda]

Oh I didn't see your post Scarey. I thought it was probably a common blue but was hoping it was something even more special. Thank you for the link, I'll have a look now.

Although...my blue butterfly is a bit different to that picture so you never know!

[Martin H]

I read Scarey's post and thought, no, female common blues are much browner than that.

But then I followed the link ... and now I agree. It looks like the Irish version of the common blue, ssp. mariscolore. Larger than the English one I'm familiar with and much bluer.

As the site says,

These forms are not uncommon in Ireland, in Galway, Sligo, Donegal, Antrim, Down, Westmeath, Waterford, &c.

[Verinda]

Oh, thank you that's very interesting and solves the mystery. I'm in Mayo, so perhaps they are incredibly rare in Mayo!

[fishermann]

Just for the fun of it have a look here.

Google Image Result for http://www.karnerblue.org/FemaleKarnerBlue.png

Dave

[Verinda]

Oh yes, a lot like my butterfly. It would have been fab if it had been something extremely rare!

[Verinda]

[IMG][/IMG]

This morning we woke up and were amazed to see a goldcrest wren fluttering at the inside of our bedroom window. It found it's own way out then sat there peering in, so I snapped a (slightly fuzzy!) photo. It then spent the next hour or so fluttering at the window from the outside. I wonder was it looking at its reflection. Goldcrests are sooooo cute!!

[PyreneesPlot]

Long horn beetle

We see quite a lot of these in the spring and again in the autumn walking up the walls of the house in the evening.

Trundling over the deck on a rare dry day.
And my arm

[Verinda]

Those beetles look amazing, what are they?

[PyreneesPlot]

I think they are Grand Capricorne du Chene, oak long horned beetle. We have a huge oak close to the house, so that would make sense.

[Glutton4...]

That's fab, PP - I love beetles. Yeah, OK, that does sound strange, but they are interesting, and useful!

[PyreneesPlot]

I think they are great, too. The first year here I think I saw a new one almost everyday. Now its just - oh, look, another emerald green ground beetle the size of my forefinger...
I'll try and take some more photos. The longhorns are slow so easy to snap!

[Verinda]

I'm starting to feel sorry for our goldcrest wren. He's always fluttering at the window, he can't seem to stay away. He must see a reflection and thinks its another goldcrest. Its getting sad now, don't know if there's anything I can do to help him