Sunset 10 September 2016

The setting sun set fire to the clouds and chased the wet grey day away.

Truce?

Only a temporary one. The weather was too warm and muggy to fight in a fur coat yesterday afternoon, they were back to scrapping this morning.

I’m really comfortable. Honestly, I am.

Dahlias at the allotments

I love autumn, allotments and dahlias. Happy September!
Taken with my phone.

Hoverfly again

I didn’t review all my images yesterday, so here’s another (and better, in my opinion) shot of the Hornet Mimic hoverfly.

Huge hoverfly

When I nipped out to pick the beans for tea I found this magnificent creature resting on the strawberry cage. Google tells me it’s a Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria).

Emerald moth

Not a great pic (a quick snap with my phone when I was very, very tired), but it records my delighted sighting of a very beautiful creature. I’d like to think that it’s a Sussex Emerald moth, but it’s probably just a Common one.

New kits on the block

Kittens from next door survey my garden with curiosity and caution. Pol tolerates them up to a point, but every so often there’s an outbreak of hissing, arched backs and bottlebrush tails before the kitties beat a retreat. I hope they manage to sort out the neighbourhood feline hierarchy without inflicting any wounds that require expensive trips to the vet.

Ladybirds

Two spot (Adalia bipunctata?)

Seven spot (Coccinella 7-punctata?)

Black Harlequin (Harmonia axyridis spectabilis?)

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Itsy bitsy bee

I went out to try to photograph the gorgeous gingery stamens on some newly-flowering poppies on Saturday and was entranced by the tiny bees foraging on them. I thought they were hoverflies at first, but their behaviour was far more bee-like.
Tying to measure a very small moving creature isn’t easy, but they are about 7-8mm long. The poppy seed head was about 9mm across the top. To compare the scale have a look at my picture of a fairly small bumble bee completely obscuring the seed head of one of the black-stamened poppies.
If anyone can identify the little creatures for me (and confirm my assumption that they are indeed bees), I’d be pleased to learn more about them.

Perennial runner beans

Last year’s runner beans proving that, given the right conditions, the dormant roots will survive to sprout again the next year. The right conditions in this case being a mild winter and a gardener who didn’t get round to clearing the old plants away in the autumn.

Bee and borage

Trying to get a shot of a bee actually in a borage flower has, so far, proved beyond my capabilities, but I like this failure.

Eyed hawk moth

Spotting this gorgeous eyed hawk moth hidden among the runner beans leaves in my garden this afternoon made my day. It was a bit tricky shooting with one hand while holding the leaf upside down with the other, but I had to give it a try. The image records the moment rather than the beauty of the creature. To imprint it in my memory I keep popping out to have another long look at it.

Marigold and bug

Violet viola

Self-seeded from last year’s purchased plants. Here’s hoping they spread themselves even further next year – I do like freebies!