Wildlife

I have always been passionate about wildlife and conservation and when not photographing people I can often be found out in the countryside and on nature reserves. Though we have of course lost species, we are lucky to still have such a diversity of birds, butterflies and insects in the British countryside. Many species are still under threat, but it is heartening to have met so many like minded people when out and about photographing the natural world.

You can contact me on 07866 316577 or via e-mail at info@mauricephotos.co.uk

TO GO STRAIGHT TO DETAILS OF PHOTOGRAPHY COURSES AND TO SEE SOME OF MY FAVOURITE IMAGES PLEASE CLICK HERE AND SCROLL DOWN

Some wildlife links:
Michael Flowers birdwatching classes and walks
Yorkshire Butterfly Conservation
Yorkshire Dragonflies
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
Yorkshire Nature Triangle
Yorkshire Mammal Group
East Yorkshire Birding Forum
Birdguides
Tophill Low Nature Reserve
Yorkshire Red Kites
North Cave Wetlands Nature Reserve
The Wild Bird Cafe - North Cave Wetlands
Paull Holme Strays sightings
Potteric Carr Nature Reserve
Hull Valley Wildlife Group
Spurn Bird Observatory
Mike Robinson Bird Photos
Vince Cowell Photography
Steve Mulligan Bird Photography
David Ware - Wolds Birding
Paul Ashton East Yorkshire Wildlife
Wold Ranger
Beetle Boy's Bio Blog
Rory Selvey (age 13) Wildlife Photography
Kill the Badger Cull
The Brown Hairstreak Blog
Africa Gomez Bugblog
Zilch - eliminating litter
Keep Britain Tidy
Plantlife
Buglife

Next Photo Event dates to be announced...

Monday 23 September 2013

Tophill Low Specialities

top_DSC6180

We had great weather for the photo course at Tophill on Saturday. After the theory session we headed for North Marsh Hide and were rewarded with good views of Kingfisher and a swimming Grass Snake.  Had we been in the hide earlier in the morning we would have seen the male and female Kingfishers perching together for over two hours!

top_DSC6198

top_DSC6201

Saturday 14 September 2013

Sanderling

sanderling_DSC6138

Some birds for a change. Sanderling at Flamborough South Landing at low tide in the evening.

sanderling_DSC6119


sanderling_DSC6126


sanderling_DSC6134


sanderling_DSC6137


sanderling_DSC6136


sanderling_DSC6128

Monday 9 September 2013

French Fritillaries

spot_DSC4864
Spotted Fritillary


Always pleased to see a Fritillary I wasn't quite sure which flavours would be on offer in August in the south. The Spotted Fritillaries (Melitaea didyma) above and below are quite widespread, but when fresh are extremely striking. The males in particular are flame red and the photos don't really do the brightness justice. The bright colour and clear sub-marginal crescent shaped spots are indicative of the southern European meridionalis form. Quite a small Fritillary, they seemed to enjoy short energetic flights from flower to flower staying low to the ground.


spot_DSC4899


spot_DSC5798


spot_DSC4906


spot_DSC4880


Below is Weaver's Fritillary also knows as the Violet Fritillary (Boloria dia) which looks superficially very similar from above to the Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne) which we are fortunate to have still hanging on at a few sites in North Yorkshire. I only saw the Weavers lower down the mountain, but apparently they are often seen at greater altitudes. Took me a while to identify as they are meant to be principally a May/June species, so presumably there are a couple of broods in the south. The Weaver's/Violet Fritillary is also not dissimilar to Titania's Fritillary (Boloria Titania) but she is an Alpine butterfly with much stronger V shaped markings around the outer upper wings.


violet_DSC5669
 Violet Fritillary

violet_DSC5630
the white dot encircled by black at the front of the hind wing seen from underneath kept catching my attention and helped in identification

violet_DSC5628


violet_DSC5791


violet_DSC5150
Violet Fritillary


Pictured below here is the Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe) which is very variable when seen from above in lots of different colour variations.  The underside at first glance is also very similar to the Spotted Fritillary, but it has the orange dots in the post discal band which distinguish it. Knapweed Frit I also saw up and down the mountain. There are similar Melitae species to the Knapweed in Eastern Europe and Sicily, the adults indistnguishable although the larvae are quite different. I do enjoy a Fritillary!


knapweed_DSC5664
Knapweed Fritillary


knapweed_DSC4490


knapweed_DSC4484
Knapweed Frit showing big orange dots


knapweed_DSC5658

Friday 6 September 2013

Southern White Admiral (Limenitis reducta)

ceret_DSC4424

The Southern White Admiral was a butterfly I expected and hoped to see in the south of France, most likely the second brood of the year in August. A handsome butterfly and a truly majestic glider, beating its wings only rarely, it was easy to locate along mountain paths. However, it requires patience waiting for one to land near to you to pose for a photo. The males patrol their territories and occasionally rest on the edge of a bush at around head height to see off potential competitors. This is great for underside shots, but upperside photo opportunities are rarer. The upperside is the most significant difference to its northern cousin the White Admiral (Limenitis Camilla). The Southern White Admiral has a striking iridescent blue sheen to its upperside wings. The sheen is quite similar to that of the Purple Emperor in that it is only visible from certain angles when the light is right.

ceret_DSC4833
 

ceret_DSC4824


ceret_DSC4989
Members of the Nymphalidae family including the Admirals, Emperors, Fritillaries and Browns, also known as brush-footed butterflies, have reduced first thoracic limbs (front legs!) and only use two pairs to walk and stand on. In the photo above you can clearly see the reduced front limbs under the eye. Females use the sensory hairs on these fore limbs to "taste" food plants before egg laying but I'm not sure about the males. Riodinidae metal mark butterflies such as the Duke of Burgundy, have also evolved these limbs, most probably parallel evolution. Must be a naturally selected benefit.

ceret_DSC4827


ceret_DSC4839


ceret_DSC5008


ceret_DSC4423


ceret_DSC4980


ceret_DSC5017


ceret_DSC5014


ceret_DSC5002

Wednesday 4 September 2013

Southern Grizzled Skipper and Mallow Skipper

pyrgus malvoides_DSC5203

There are several Pyrgus species in France but this looks to me to be the Southern Grizzled Skipper(Pyrgus malvoides), almost identical to our own Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae). However, Malvoides is double brooded which explains my sightings in August. Malvae is an early spring butterfly in the UK.

pyrgus malvoides_DSC5188


pyrgus malvoides_DSC5182


Again, there are several similar looking Carcharodus Skippers, but I believe my sightings are Mallow Skipper (Carcharodus alceae) and not the very similar Tufted Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus flocciferus). My sightings of Skippers were lower down the mountains on scrubby patches of wild flowers.

mallow skipper_DSC5700


mallow skipper_DSC5709


mallow skipper_DSC5711

Monday 2 September 2013

Some French Odonata

purpdart_DSC4199

Above and below Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) - also known as the Violet-marked Darter - at Lac de Salagou which we came across by accident but apparently is quite well known. The species is very widespread across Africa and southern Europe. Both males and females seem to rest often with their tail stuck straight in the air, I don't know if this assists a quick hunting vertical take off? Males are purple/violet and females yellow.

purpdart_0511


female Violet Dropwing
purpdart_DSC4180


purpdart_DSC4156


purpdart_DSC4218


The Small Pincertail was usually present near to quite fast running water along with the Beautiful Demoiselles.  Notice how the eyes are completely separate on either side of the head. Small Pincertail is quite a common species in Europe but doesn't occur in the UK.

pincer_DSC4327


pincer_DSC4242


pincer_DSC4246

 Pincer tail of the Small Pincertail
pincer_DSC4258


 shared habitat of Small Pincertail and Beautiful Demoiselle
pincer_DSC4318

Beautiful Demoiselle were very numerous. I was very pleased to find good numbers along a remote mountain stream. However,  I did then also see them in CĂ©ret town centre which has a stream running through it and on one occasion a male flew into Carrefour supermarket and settled on the checkout! The Beautiful Demoiselles seemed far less bothered by by people than Banded Demoiselles and were happy to use my hand as a hunting perch to catch small insects from.

Beautiful Demoiselle ceret_DSC4287

 male Beautiful Demoiselle
Beautiful Demoiselle ceret_DSC4285


female Beautiful Demoiselle
Beautiful Demoiselle ceret_DSC4309 

I did see bright red Scarlet Darters in the town centre but was never able to get in camera range. Golden Ringed dragonflies, which I am used to seeing up at Fen Bog on the North Yorkshire Moors, were a common sight in the mountains too.  Below is a Southern Darter (Sympetrum meridionale).  The Southern Darters were also common along mountain paths and seem almost indistinguishable from our own Common Darters (Sympetrum striolatum).

Southern Darter female
darter-southern_DSC4451