This is an insect I had never knowingly heard of or seen until last weekend when it turned up in the kitchen. The species was once prized by collectors for its marking and colouring, apparently. They like currant and gooseberry bushes. And unwisely flying into kitchens. It’s also the first time I’ve seen or heard the word ‘Abraxas’ other than in the context of Santana’s 2nd album (1970), with its (at the time) controversial cover (Mati Klarwein’s ‘Annunciation’).
Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum
NOW YOU SEE IT… 
…NOW YOU DON’T 
On a recent trip to Houghton for an exhibition, I forgetfully left my camera in the car. Suddenly we were confronted by a fine ornate C18 pillar or column sundial, fit for one of the marginally better-curated theme pages of this sub-blog, SUNDIALS. Resorting to an iPh*ne in low light was far from ideal, so apologies for the quality of the images. Fortunately you can see the ingenious ways in which the 4 gnomons are attached to achieve the correct shadow angles; and the numbering variations of the faces, depending on their orientation. The result is dawn-to-dusk time-telling. Always provided the sun is shining!
1. A FOUR-SIDED C18 PILLAR SUNDIAL IN THE GARDENS AT HOUGHTON
2. A FOUR-FACED SUNDIAL ON AN OCTAGONAL TOWER: HOUGHTON HALL, WEST FRONT
By the time we got to the house a light drizzle was falling and there was no hope of a decent photo. I’ve had to borrow, as credited. I’ve included 1 poor effort at the end simply to give the sundial’s context in relation to the house. Thanks to Elliott Brown for use permission for the first two. You can see these and his other images HERE. Again, you can clearly see the variations in the gnomon placement; and in the numbering / angling of the faces. And, thankfully, proof that the sun does shine in Norfolk.
The image below is credited to Edmund Patrick and licensed via wikimedia commons
Bad weather shot… in all senses
These cabbage whites – a name redolent with faint scorn (contrast Purple Emperor, Red Admiral, Peacock etc) – were out and about on a warm Dorset July day. They couldn’t actually get at the cabbages / purple sprouting broccoli, where they no doubt would have liked to lay their eggs – too well covered over. So I decided to see if they merited a photo-shoot in their own lepidopteran right. I think close-to they have their own beauty.
I’m often surprised how ragged the wings of a butterfly can get, without its flight being affected. I guess it is the sign of impending doom though, a rather sad thought…
This morning my attention was caught by some inept avian fluttering in our field. Two birds, medium size. A flash of red on the head, and a large beak: green woodpeckers. The lack of vivid green ruled out adult males – this was a mother / fledgling education lesson in flying and self-sufficiency. By the time I had grabbed a camera from the house, they had moved further away. I had to creep up to the field fence so as not to scare them, and fire off some distance shots from a slightly awkward position (avoiding barbed wire was one issue). These are quite poor images, as photographs go. But the story is a good and rather sweet one…
Mum!
Uh huh….?
I’m hungry
Hurry up… hungryyyyyyy
Ok dear, worm coming up. You’ll have to learn to do this for yourself now
Still hungryyyyyy
Well here’s a nice bug. Last one. Then you are on your own. Forever.
Open wide…
Thanks mum. I’ll be fine now. I think.
Synchronised independence and self-reliance…
The medieval core of Oxburgh Hall dates from 1482. In the Victorian era, a number of features were added, including oriel windows overlooking the moat (see above), crow- (‘flemish’) stepped gables and a number of tall terracotta chimneys, all differently patterned. Here are some of them.
1482
RINGLET BUTTERFLIES AT OXBURGH HALL, NORFOLK
A fine medieval, moated great house, dating from 1482 with additions – mainly Victorian – and renovations. It is now a National Trust property. There are small formal gardens, some well-planted borders with many bee- and butterfly-friendly flowers, a thriving kitchen garden, and large areas of grassland and meadow all around the house. There’ll be more from this house in due course; for now, here are some ringlets, one of several plentiful butterfly species. Apologies to the ones caught in flagrante delicto, not that they noticed…
ROLLING HARBOUR GALLERY 