Friday 13th. May 2011

As most will know ,Blogger has been playing up for a few days . They say things are back to normal , but mine isn't . Still can't publish normally or edit posts , but have found a way round the publishing fault , hopefully .

Managed to publish Friday's post this morning , and am hoping this one will work too . As I am unsure if this will be a waste of time trying , will use the 'picture and comment' method .

Went up on the Common Friday morning for a look around .

In one of the glades we worked on in the Winter , I found this Chiffchaff .

And it wasn't long before he started singing .

Whilst photographing him , I noticed movement further back in the woodland , and found this female Great Spotted Woodpecker with food in her bill .

After a good look around , she entered the nest hole . No sound from the youngsters , must be very young . A group of dog walkers were approaching , so I went to see what else was about .

This female Large White was nectaring on Goatsbeard/Tragopogon pratensis also known as Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon , as the flower closes up about midday .

Whilst looking for Brimstone caterpillars on Buckthorn , found this spider , which looks of the Crab family , with what looks like a youngster underneath .

Soon after , found a Brimstone caterpillar .

As I photographed it , another spider arrived , and decided that the caterpillar was to be it's next meal . Predation like this is why only about 3/5% of eggs laid by a butterfly survive to become adults .

Going back to the clearing later , when the dog walkers had gone , it was the male that was found outside the hole .

He was less wary about looking around , but unsure of what was inside the hole each time he looked in .

Not so easy to get a shot of either bird on the way out .

And of course , with all that food going in , something has to come out ! I'll keep an eye on the nest in the weeks to come and hopefully get some more shots .

By now , the Chiffchaff was singing from the top of a dead Birch .

On the patio at lunchtime , a pair of Large Red Damselflies in tandem , stopped for a rest on one of Carol's Hosta plants .

And a very tatty Peacock came to nectar on the minature Lilac .

Carol's foot is much better now , the swelling having gone well down . Hopefully another couple of days and she will be able to walk normally .

Here's hoping that this post will publish .