Big mummy long legs

I never envisaged a situation where I would post several pictures of a crane fly. But this one actually made me jump. It's pictured here sitting on a buddleia. If you know your plants you will realise that this was actually quite a big crane fly. In fact Tipula maxima has the biggest wingspan of any true fly in the UK (winglength 20-30mm). So once I realised it wasn't a small sparrow that had interrupted my gardening over the fence I nipped back for the camera. She (pointed back end) was actually quite attractive as long as you avoided the face ("nice personality"). The fingers on the last shot aren't clumsy framing, just an attempt to portray the scale, although not sure it really works.


Large red damselfly in the garden.

Dull day, deep shade, so I'm pleased this Nagshead marsh tit feeding at the nest came out as well as it did. Truth is I ditched dozens of other shots - playing with the remote camera trigger again, which definitely allowed the birds to be more relaxed than when passing birders were watching them.

Spotted flycatcher nest building - time to go back and see if they are feeding young. I suppose it's too much to hope that some magical subsidence has lowered the tree by 8 feet - it's not like Springwatch you know!

To end a few orchids from local woodland - two rather poor shots of early purple ....

and a couple of what I believe to be common spotted, although the flower head on the lower specimen looks completely different.

As always some 'bigger views on the web albums HERE