Hunter and Hunted

Belated posting again. It really won't do. Nor will the repeated first paragraph nonsense.





Hokay, last Fryday afternoon I went hunting pretty little insects with the paparazzi setup.

Started at Yarner, after big woody butterflies. This did not go according to plan, as I only saw one White Admiral, and that doing the usual thing up in the canopy, way out of reach and far too brief. Still, always a joy to see even one.
Silver-washed Fritillaries were much more visible, though even more active. This is what staking out a good nectaring site is for, and I know a nice one there. So, here come pics?

Alas no, as while the SWF were abundant, the fucking Horseflies were even more so. Have you even been attacked by five Cleggs at the same time? Its not fun. There ensued a frenzied engagement; largely thanks to well-placed repellent and spinning like a phalarope, I took no bites and then in as many seconds I killed one, stunned another, then ran like fuck made a tactical withdrawal..



Eventually finding a relatively safe spot* to have some very overdue lunch I was treated to a few flypasts. Only one put down in sight;

Male Golden-ringed Dragonfly, with lunch.

I choose to believe that is a Horsefly he's munching.



Giving up on butterflies, I relocated to Stover, where there were no Horseflies [where I went, anyway] but some nice dragonflies. I took some pics. They may even come out. They MAY even get developed. [That last due to having my wonderful 'Gotcha!' shot of Downy Emerald cut off and not even developed, while two loading shots of nothing were returned to me. The fucking shits.]
[Ahem]




Getting back to getting out, we cut to Sunday [Saturday being spent mostly in the kitchen - I cooked for the Folks. Including pudding. They were impressed, or at least, unpoisoned. It's a win either way]

So, early afternoon and I'm, well thinking about blogging, when I see that that Hooded Crow is 'showing well' on Fraggle Rock. Oh what the hell.

Admiralty Quarry is one of the few still working, and so with blazing sunshine and a brisk wind, we're talking the full glare/scope shake/dust package. Add in a whole heap [ho ho] of hiding spots and a good 400 other corvids to run interference and things looked less rosy. Especially as it wasn't in sight on first full scan of the loafing crows...


A couple of scans later - I'd driven two hours to get there and wasn't leaving before dark - as if by magic;

Hmm, what's that one?

Gotcha.

Good enough views.



I then went for a wander about the Isle, picking up another lifer in the form of Lulworth Skipper - though not another pic as the one I was able to stalk noticed a Meadow Brown and chased it off into the distance...



Success, though, and that all too rare this year.




[[*Horseflies need damp ground for their larvae - so dry ground with plenty of big hungry ants is the best place to not find them. Of course, you then have to deal with the ants, but I know which I prefer to share my lunch with!]]