Tuesday 30th. August 2011

Not so much a post as a series of images , taken on trips in between the rain recently , on visits that I must say didn't produce a lot of interest . Up on the Downs , this Lace Border moth was keeping well down in the grass , trying to keep out of the strong wind .I watched this pair of Meadow Browns get tossed about by that wind until they finally managed to get on with the business in hand .I tried hard to get a shot of the tongue of this immature female Adder , but only managed to get the tip of it .The recent rain had brought lots of Roman Snails out to feed .On a footpath that had been cut , Sainfoin/Onobrychis viciifolia , a member of the Pea family , was managing a second flush of flower .Up on the Common , a Silver Y moth showed how well it's camouflage worked amongst the dead leaves . Had it not flown up in front of me , I would not have seen it .On the heathland area , it looked as if someone had been throwing potatoes around , but they are in fact fungi , Scleroderma citrinum/Common Earth-ball .Over at South Norwood Country Park , this male Kestrel refused to face the camera .Whilst on the lake , two , late , punky looking juvenile Tufted Ducks stayed close to mum .And Hedgerow Cranesbill/Geranium pyrenaicum , was adorning the pathside .

And finally , I was chatting to a fellow camera enthusiast the other day , and the problem of focusing through double glazing was mentioned . He suggested that the camera should be put on the 'landscape' program when taking such shots . I gave it a try when I got home , and must say that it works much better , even distant shots like above . Apologies if I seem to be 'teaching my Grandmother to suck eggs' , but I had never heard of it before , and if you haven't tried it , it's well worth a go .