Now this is something I never expected o see here in West London! Noreen found it on the (inside of) the study windows late last evening. It’s a (female) Jersey Tiger Moth.
I’ve only ever seen one once before, in Lyme Regis some 10 or more years ago. They are apparently “nationally scarce”. Once restricted to, yes, Jersey, they are most common along the coastal areas of the South West, although they are obviously spreading and there are now reports from the London area. Instantly identifiable as a Tiger Moth, the size (that’s a 5mm grid), pattern and the distinctively striped head are diagnostic. Oh and they like Buddleia, and we have a bush not far from our back door.
Sorry not brilliant pictures as this was lively, so contained in a plastic bug-catcher, being photographed with my point-n-shoot late at night with flash. I have removed the slight colour-cast from the images, I hope without destroying the moth’s colours.
Click the images for larger views on Flickr
[More info on the moths here and here.] Also found this morning on our bathroom ceiling was this gorgeous little Oak Bush Cricket. The body is about 17 mm long and note those spectacular antennae which are three or four times the length of the body.
These are not scarce; we often get them in the house at this time of year — one of the benefits of having trees in the garden (including an oak) and being close to woodland. They’re very forgiving creatures and will happily sit still to be photographed, unlike captured moths.
“Please we are such tired kittens.
We’ve been running around the garden all day.
But now we’ve nowhere nice to sleep,
so we’ve flaked out here in the study doorway.” Click the image for a larger view
As long-time readers will know, in between anything else happening I enjoy a bit of people watching. In the last week or so I’ve seen these.
Click the images for larger views Blokes, Plotting Pinner; July 2016 Three Nubile witches South Ealing; July 2016 Visions of Babushka Northfields, Ealing; July 2016
More pussy porn this week …
I’m sure you understand that the Tuxedo Twins (aka. Rosie & Wiz) have nowhere nice to sleep, only a heap of old slippers, a rope toy and dead catnip mice.
Please, we have nowhere nice to sleep Greenford; June 2016 Click the image for larger views on Flickr
We are so often attracted to flowers by their stunning and vibrant colours — a lemon yellow daffodil or a deep red rose. But back in the early 20th century a radiologist, Dr Dain Tasker, was interested in the anatomy of flowers using his professional skills and X-ray film to highlight the soft layering of petals and leaves. This produced ghostly, monochrome images looking more like pen & ink drawings than photographs.
Pussy porn again this week …
Meet the latest two additions to the household: The Tuxedo Twins.
Born: 6 April 2016
Arrived here: 3 June 2016
Mother was rescued, very pregnant, and cared for by our local animal rescue group, Guardian Angels Animal Support. These two were our choice from the five kittens. Needless to say our existing cat, Tilly, is not impressed. Well not yet anyway!
Tuxedo Twins (Primrose and Wizard) Enjoy a Lie-in and a Radiator Greenford; June 2016 Wizard (Tuxedo Boy) Practices his Ninja Moves Greenford; June 2016 Primrose (Tuxedo Girl) Attacks the String Greenford; June 2016 Click the images for larger views on Flickr
This week a photograph from a few weeks ago, taken on a rather hazy (read, polluted) morning on the way into central London on the A40. I was struck by the sheer amount of metalwork adorning the sky as well as the road.
Metalworks A40 Acton, London; May 2016 Click the image for a larger view
Also found this morning on our bathroom ceiling was this gorgeous little Oak Bush Cricket. The body is about 17 mm long and note those spectacular antennae which are three or four times the length of the body.
