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Tuesday 16 June 2015

Wildlife seen around the lanes, mostly my OH's photos this time

I mentioned in my last post that my OH has been making regular cycle rides around the lanes in the early evening, for both fitness and wildlife spotting reasons. Most of the photos in this post are his, although as I was getting a teeny weeny bit envious, I suggested that perhaps we could take the car out and go for a slow drive around to see what we could see. Luckily there are a few tracks where there is space to park and we can have a bit of a walk, so last Weds evening we went out together, despite it being overcast and not great for photography. 

I just enjoyed the magic of getting out for the first time in over three months and having a potter somewhere that's not my own garden. I did see a couple of Meadow Brown butterflies, but want to come back when the sun is shining and a bit earlier in the day when I hope there will be more butterflies about. I also got to see one bunny, who was lying flat in the grass in a cow field, amazingly camouflaged as a cow pat (no photo as it took off the moment I raised the camera), and a Roe Deer and her youngster in a field, who gambolled off as soon as they saw us. It was a great experience for me, and just goes to show there's plenty of wildlife still around, I'm just not seeing it so much in the fields around our property.

This first photo is nothing to do with wildlife, but it's been a year since the new septic tank was installed, and it was time to clean out the grease trap. Only it was clean! Very little pong so it seems to be working like it should. You can see how brown the grass was getting over the tank area, as there is only a few inches of soil over gravel, ditto the filter bed, which although has about eight inches of soil, seems to dry out rather quickly too. Thankfully we had about 50mm of rain over four days which got the stream running again, and all this grass has greened up again nicely.

He seems to be enjoying himself.......

Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens),
male. OH's photo.

Dirk gets fruity with Rachel. OH's photo.

Meanwhile, out in the country lanes and fields.....


Looks better when the sun is shining!

He's seeing quite a few foxes. The one top right is a mangy one that he's seen in the field
next to the veg patch AND chicken run - lucky there is a 6 foot high fence in between!

I took the rubbish photo of the Goldfinch on the right, he got to see the Stonechat on the left.
I'm jealous!

Stonechat (Saxicola torquata). OH's photo, but shame about the bramble stem!

Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum), either a female or juvenile male. OH's photo.

A photo that I took! Wild Foxgloves growing on the field margin.

Himself wandering up a track.

Bunnies - OH's photos.

Roe Deer, including bambi, but very far away. OH's photos.

I'll leave you with the little tinker, aka Bertie, who just loves to sneak onto, and into, my round cushions and make a nest for himself, the moment I stand up. He's so skinny he fits in the hole whereas his rather chunky brother wouldn't!



Health update

Since I got these photos prepared my OH has come back with more interesting photos, but they can wait until the next post. I haven't even been in my garden for five days, due either to rain or (mostly) a rough time after my last chemo which left me feeling pretty wrecked. I even threw up this time, which actually is pretty good going seeing as it was my sixth round, so I'm now half way through! I had managed to get some energy and appetite back in the few days before the chemo sessions and did some cooking for the first time in months. Suffice to say after the chemo it's a different story, and hard to eat anything at all for a while. Hopefully it will pass soon and I'll feel a bit more hunger and energy.  Things are still looking better in the perineal wound department, although it does still flare up every now and again, but it's a lower level flare up, and in general it seems to be healing. My latest blood test shows a slight improvement with four things related to blood so hopefully these weekly jabs for anaemia and the iron tabs are starting to take effect.

I haven't been keeping up with other blogs as some of you post practically every day so no way can I read and comment on all these posts, especially when I'm feeling like carp. I'll leave the carp in as my Kindle's predictive text just changed that. :-)

Edit: Since I wrote the above I did get out in the garden this morning, and can't believe how much things have grown - mostly the weeds/wildflowers in the veg patch but also the lettuce - this cooler weather has been good for it so my Cos has not bolted before hearting up. There are flowers on the courgettes now too! Not many butterflies about and they are nearly all Meadow Browns. I'm going to have another wander outside now but it's rather breezy so carp for photography ;-)

18 comments:

  1. You have competition in the photography department Mandy. I feel for you, Dave goes off with his camera and comes back with interesting birds, deer and foxes too. And he has a viewfinder! Irritating isn't it?

    I hope you are feeling better soon and able to eat. Take care of yourself.

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    1. He doesn't usually take that many photos, probably cos he is somewhat less interested in the bugs than me - but I'm glad he taking his camera with him as I get to see it all too! I didn't know Dave had a camera with a viewfinder - can't you use it? I know how hard screens are in the sun.

      Just starting to feel a return of a little energy, so hope to get out with him again later in the week. Thanks! :-)

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  2. Great photos. I'm pleased that you are felling a little stronger and that your bloods and wounds are heading in the right direction. Chemo will make you feel carp but you are half way through now - on the homeward stretch.

    I haven't checked if it's on your blog but would love to know more about your septic tank set-up?

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    1. Cheers Ian - yup a nice feeling to have got to the halfway mark! Even if I only get a few days feeling halfway normal out of every fortnight, it's better than nothing and I make the most of it.

      I did write about the septic tank installation - there were two posts as so many photos. If you click on the keywords/labels under this post for septic tanks, you'll find them, but they are in back to front order. The very first post is a funny about our old tank when the toilets got blocked up and how we fixed it. Don't read whilst eating. :-)

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  3. Did someone say "flowers on courgettes" here in UK I have just taken the fleeces off, still small plants, hmmmm does this now mean I will have marrows in Brittany? Like OH's photos, like the Banded Demoiselle. Good to see your getting out Mandy and that your health is improving.

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    1. I thought the courgettes were a bit behind this year, Ian! Spuds seem to be, as they are only starting to flower. I'm sure we've been eating new potatoes by mid June before. Well it won't be long and that's one thing I'm looking forward to eating!

      I did see the Demoiselle at home myself but it was flying, of course later it posed for my OH! Feel a little better today, hope to get up the lanes by the end of the week or weekend. Cheers. :-)

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  4. So glad Keith has managed to look at the wildlife through a glass lens and NOT blow it into the middle of next week.
    I really do hope you got outside today as it has been totally awesome much like yourself.

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    1. Hiya Carl - I'm not sure the mangy fox would still be alive if it got inside the chook run but it's up to us to try to protect our livestock as best we can. There certainly are no shortage of foxes around. I want to see one! I did get outside twice but it's quite breezy here and not very warm. Still was good to get some fresh air and a bit of exercise after being icky for days. xx

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  5. Nice to hear from you Mandy and you managed to get out for a little, OH photos are very good and I think I would feel a little jealous too. I like the fox photos have not seen one this year and the Rabbit photo. It's got to that time of year and I have hundreds of photos to go through and not enough time to do it. Have you thought more about having a little pond you mentioned a few weeks back? The Foxgloves are just coming out here too.Wish you well.
    Amanda xx

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    1. Thanks Amanda - was great to get out and looking forward to doing it again. Getting a bit more energy now so should be able to manage more over the next week before it starts all over again! OH has seen fox cubs now too, though not really young ones, and quite a few hares... photos to come. The little pond is for the future when we downsize from this place! I can just imagine his answer if I suggested digging in our rocky soil here!!! :-) Cheers my dear xx

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  6. lovely pictures.. glad your health is improving.. sorry about the carp bits. onwards an all that

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    1. Cheers Red - still very up and down, but a few more ups lately so trying to make the most of it! Looking forward to raspberry season now as I'll be able to harvest them SO much easier than strawbs. Let my neighbour have loads of the strawbs rather than waste them. :-)

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  7. Good to hear you are getting out and about a bit more Mandy.
    You do have a really nice surrounding area for wildlife.

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    1. Thanks Roy! I was quite amazed as in recent years we rarely see deer or hares, which we used to see in the fields around the garden. So they are still around which is nice to know. :-)

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  8. I am so glad you were able to get out but really sorry to hear the chemo has knocked you about so much. The area near your house looks great for wildlife - some lovely photos and I really like the one with the foxgloves :)

    No Meadow Browns here yet and no dragonflies either although I have seen some damselflies at long last!!

    Hope you feel a bit better soon and are able to eat. Take care.

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    1. Feeling lots better today thanks, RR, and we have done the same route this evening with the same walk, but in the sun this time and there were lots of butterflies about, including skippers, so I was very happy!

      Glad you've seen some damsels - the dragons are just appearing here now and I saw two round my pond today, not stopping of course. Just starting to eat a bit better but I have weird taste bud changes and often something I usually like makes me feel sick just thinking about it, yet I've been looking through recipes and feeling hungry for certain things! It's all very weird. Well when I'm feeling energetic enough to cook I'll pick something different to do. Looking forward to our new spuds being ready which is a good thing. Thank you. :-)

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