Dave in Essex 🇺🇦 🇨🇦
@hennystdave
Organic gardener, bird watcher including surveying for BTO, butterfly surveying for Butterfly Conservation. Professionally in resilience where I still sit on British and International committees (Organisational, Energy and Infrastructure Resilience)
I think allotment food crops are covered by the second exception here
Went to the Constable 250 exhibition in Ipswich today. Great chance to see many great paintings together in one place. Not crowded so can take your time. Highly recommended
Remarkable walk from Wickham St Paul this morning. Jersey Tigers in 4 different places along the way. @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Visit to RHS Hyde Hall today where there were some interesting plants among the tomatoes 🌱🇬🇧
We saw this unusual Cosmos in Paris Botanic Garden last year and have managed to grow it from seed, just started flowering (Cosmos sulphureus) 🌱🇬🇧
I should’ve mentioned this Hornet Hoverfly. In flight I had thought it was a Hornet, but realised my mistake when it landed.
I got ChatGPT to read your brief and it came up with these. Not bad, might give some actual living people some inspiration perhaps
Plenty of Yellowhammers as I 🚲 around villages. Thrown a bit by a road closure for the new transmission lines that I hadn’t expected. Still countryside looking good in the fresher air.
Yesterday morning’s view from near Great Henny church. Not bad. Plenty of butterflies about including a Marbled White, Red Admirals, Peacocks, Gatekeepers etc
Another area now planted for woodland, this time across the valley in Suffolk. As more land is removed from intensive farming, nature starts to recover.
Bimble around the garden looking for butterflies. Small Skipper and these Green-veined Whites most notable #essex @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social
A white letter day! My first sighting of White-letter Hairstreaks & on the bridleway a few hundred yards from home. 2 on brambles with Peacock, Painted Lady and numerous Meadow Browns. Meantime the new woodland is dominated by poppies #Essex @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social
Oh perhaps that’s why this guy (on right) was called Ghost Rider. He won the Hacky Race easily beating the Tesla Truck next to him, and the Shopping Trolley (not in picture).
Everything Electric Show in Cheltenham with some interesting small cars. Ford showing huge expensive cars alongside the better cheaper cars. Great bit of Hacky Racers including a motorised shopping trolley, great fun.
Rainstorm passes through and low sun appears as it clears us, spin around to see a glorious double rainbow.
This Scarce Chaser presented itself for my attention on my morning constitutional. Completely misnamed really as they are not scarce.
Whilst looking for Owls this little chap landed in front of me. A Yellow-barred Longhorn according to the expert in my pocket.
I took a couple of pictures on my 🚲 ride this morning. The Phacelia flowers are starting to fade a little so are a less dramatic colour in the landscape than a week ago.
Seems like @privateeyenews.bsky.social has hit a proverbial nail
Rose Abraham Darby flowering today. A lovely rose commemorating a man who contributed much to the industrial revolution 🌱🇬🇧
I am rather fond of Pegwell’s Longship, made a great impression on me many years ago so made a point of visiting again last year. Mind you, the proper job was a highlight in Copenhagen. Up in Suffolk, an earlier Anglo-Saxon craft is being built.
Lovely walk into Suffolk. House Martins, Lesser Whitethroat bird highlights, Painted Lady & Common Blue butterflies #suffolkbirds Also Brown Hare and couple of Muntjac
Fingringhoe visit today: could barely hear the Turtle Dove as Nightingales so loud 😂 A Whimbrel strolling close to Margaret’s Hide was great. Lunched in sun between heavy showers. Lovely place #essexbirding
Hippeastrums are a terrific plant which multiply and flower year after year. Red Lion looking stunning in evening sun 🌱🇬🇧
Roger McGough poem wandering through my head today. Can’t imagine why.