What is buzzing or flying near you today??

Thanks, I was lucky.
I know there are Kingfishers on this stretch of water and have caught a passing glimpse many times, but this morning this one just wanted to linger.

 

Well done Pete, difficult catch.

Found this Elephant Hawk moth caterpillar while watering the flagging Fuchsias, it's favourite food.

Went for a walk yesterday along the Fleet Lagoon (again) but didn't take the camera as I had already posted pics there and saw 19 Yellow Wagtails in a line on a fence, too far away for a pic anyway but I have only ever seen 1 or 2 before.
Walked down to Portland Bill (again) this afternoon
and we saw two Peregrine Falcons - no camera! (taken pics already posted in spring).

 

Excellant pic strongy, I thought that the caterpillar was going to crawl right out of the screen!

 

I was just hoping our cat, Millie, wouldn't see them (there were two) as she had brought a couple in last year because they can emit a blackish fluid which stains the carpet!

 

Excellent ....I thought that the caterpillar was going to crawl right out of the screen!

Me too. A stunning picture that really does much more than the usual grab-shot -- you've got habitat, behaviour and stunning composition and colour.

What kit do you use for your macrophotography, btw?

 

DaveW - your ? albino swallow actually looks more like a young sand martin to me, assuming the plumage is brown like the photo shows. Its not unusual for the swift/swallow/martins to congregate together at this time of year, they are all trying to fatten up ready for their long flight south so are all looking for rich food sources. I've just had a few days at the coast and saw loads of swallows and house martins flying and feeding together.

love the kingfisher photo's pete with envy!!

 

Thanks glen, wish I had the clarity of strongys catterpillar. :D

 

Sandy Loam, no special kit just the close-up mode on the camera. It has a fixed 12x zoom, which if you reduce the pixel rate to 3mp from 7mp can go up to 16x. Its a Panasonic FZ7, nothing fancy.

DaveW, Looks like a juevenile sand martin to me too.

 

This morning Hubby yelled out "a huge spider just dropped on to my bed with a plop and fell off on to the floor - catch it!". I ran for the digi and then crawled around the bedroom floor looking for it - and found it sitting next to the camera case. Here it is, sorry the pic is not clear, I didn't have time to set it properly -





Then I picked it up and took it out to the kitchen to show Hubby and tried to photograph it close-up while I still had it in my hand. It was very strong and fighting to get away, I have never held a spider that fought like that before. Before I could get the photo it gave a great push, jumped down to the floor and left this leg in my hand!





I measured it, it is 4 1/2 cm or 1 3/4 inches long.

 

OMG KG,
I woke up hubby the other night to sort out a "Hertfordshire Hunter", that was crawling up my wall. They don't do any harm but probably like you I don't particularly like the idea of it creeping about

I only meant for him to take it out (not for a date or anything ), he whacked it with a magazine, instant judgement and death penalty unlike your method but at least it went in one peice :D

 

I don't mind them in the house, Hubby and the rest of the family don't care for it. I just don't like walking into the cobwebs for
two reasons - one, they stick to my face and two, I have just ruined a work of art.

Hubby found the spider in the living room this evening and after I caught it, I put it in the bathroom sink and took lots of photos. Then I told him I was sorry for injuring him this morning and put him out front on the Cotoneaster growing against the front of the house.

I must still put a few of the photos into PB and shall post them here tomorrow.

 

KG

That is so sweet a happy ending and an apology toboot. :D

I get quite a few spiders 'round the place these days, owing to living so close to the farm/woodland, combined with the tree's and plants around the area.

Loads of squirrels too, and the odd badger, there i go rambling again............

 

Here is the huge spider in the sink.

You can see that he has compensated loosing his front left leg by moving the second and third legs forward.

 

He is huge and a ugly looking thing isnt he glad to here he is ok and them pictures of it are fantastic detail and shadows brilliant

 

Common, sometimes called giant, house spider Tegenaria. They usually stay in one corner of the room until its mating time and then the go walkabout. Completely harmless (and in your case Kedi l leg less).