It’s warming up, and there are signs of summer. But the walk was cool, mainly in the shade of the beech trees.
A warning, at the coffee stop.
Was this a chalk pit, or a bomb site?
Hornbeam tree in flower
Fields of buttercups
Not my favourite flower, being invasive and all that
But the buds are nice
Bug time
Athous haemorrhoidalis is a species of click beetle, here on a nettle leaf. Like other click beetles, the joint between thorax and abdomen forms a flexible hinge, and there is a central knob at the back of the thorax. If disturbed the adult can flick itself high (up to 245 mm) into the air, with a takeoff speed of up to 2.27 m/s, making a loud clicking noise. It can also use this ability to right itself if it falls onto its back.
And having a little “love-in”, a bunch of Micro-Moths Micropterix calthella on a buttercup. A tiny moth with a wingspan of around 8 to 10mm, this moth has metallic bronzy forewings, with purplish tinges in places. Like other Micropterix species, it has a tuft of hairs on the head and like other members of the family, this species has functional jaws.
At the end of the walk, a sweet smelling bush of white flowers. Possibly a jasmine, but more likely a Philadelphus (mock-orange), apparntly named after an ancient Greek king of Egypt, Ptolemy II Philadelphus.
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3 replies on “Photos from a walk on Thursday 25th May from Gallowstree Common”
Good shots David. Sorry to have missed it, especially in this weather.
Beautiful and evocative, especially the views of the woods with the sun shining through. Thank you, David
Lovely pics as usual and designed to make me feel homesick! Is that 2.27 miles a second or meters? It’s an amazing adaptation and I always wonder just how long it took for defensive mechanisms like that to become set in creatures’ DNA.