A Magpie of the Moth Variety

As we walked past a hedge on our early walkies this morning a moth flew out, landed briefly on Penny's back and then carried on across the lane to rest on a fence:





This was only my second sighting of a Magpie Moth, Abraxas grossulariata. From a distance it was bending in fairly well with the wood so I doubt I would have noticed it if it hadn't flown across our path.

Friday at the Flicks - Magpie

On our early walkabouts several Magpies can often be heard making their very distinctive cackling sound. They usually stay up on the roof tops though one morning I did see one chasing a Sparrowhawk out of the neighbourhood. Occasionally one or two can be seen in the garden like this cheeky looking juvenile:



I always know when they are around as the noise they make is very distinctive:



There were two of them in the garden and for the first time saw what they were up to. I had regularly seen broken egg shells in various parts of the garden. Soon after the video was taken one arrived back in the tree with an egg in its beak. As it was from a Wood Pigeon nest I was quite pleased the Magpies were helping to curtail their ever increasing numbers.

Have a great weekend observing the wildlife around you.

Wordless Wednesday

grey squirrel

What a Whopper

I must go around with my eyes shut on our daily perambulations. Yesterday was the first time I had noticed a Sunflower growing next to the cricket field. It's not as though it is a miniature. Far from it.

It is probably the tallest I have actually seen with my own eyes:

I usually grow a few myself though they never grow to that sort of height.

Last Spring I forgot all about stealing a few seeds from the birds' supply.

LTT

Managed to spot one of the occasional fleeting visits by a couple of Long-tailed Tits:

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday

flesh fly

Don't ask Me

Decided to have a look to see what life was sharing the Summer House.
Until I processed the photos I though I was looking at one spider but when I looked closely there seemed to be too many legs. These focus stacked photos were taken about half an hour apart.

No good asking me what is going on here:





My best guesses give two possibilities.
Two spiders mating
Two spiders having a slow motion battle.