100 Days of Nature: Days 1 to 28!

28 days ago, @BBCSpringwatch on Twitter set the challenge of photographing nature for 100 days. So I decided to take up the challenge. After 28 days, it occured to me that I should be placing these photos on my blog. So here they come.

Day 1: A hoverfly, Volucella bombylans, that mimics a bumblebee. This is the first time I've seen this species. It was on a Buddleja bush near my home in Stevenage.

Day 2: A juvenile Blue Tit, Cyanistes caeruleus, on the bird feeder in my front garden.

Day 3: A Lesser Water Boatman, Corixa punctata, in a pond at Heartwood Forest, Sandridge.

Day 4: A Beech, Fagus sylvatica, near Nettleden, Hertfordshire.

Day 5: A Wood Avens, Geum urbanum, in my front garden.

Day 6: A Common Blue Damselfly, Enallagma cyathigerum, at Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage.

Day 7: A Riband Wave, Idaea aversata, in my house.

Day 8: A Wild Teasel, Dipsacus fullonum, at Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage.

Day 9: A fungus on an English Oak, at Gunnels Wood, Stevenage.

Day 10: A Comma, Polygonia c-album, at St Leonard's Church, Sandridge.

Day 11: A Great Mullein, Verbascum thapsus, near Luton Airport.

Day 12: Greenbottles, Lucilia sp., at Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage.

Day 13: A Harebell, Campanula rotundifolia, at Six Hills Common, Stevenage.

Day 14: A White-lipped Snail, Cepaea hortensis, at Great Ashby District Park, near Stevenage.

Day 15: A Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, at Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage.

Day 16: A bug at Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage.

Day 17: Hawthorn berries, Crataegus monogyna, near Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire.

Day 18: Sawfly larvae, in Sandridge, Hertfordshire.

Day 19: A grasshopper, at Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage.

Day 20: A Pill Woodlouse, Armadillidium vulgare, at Great Ashby District Park, near Stevenage. My first ever photo of a crustacean.

Day 21: A moth at Great Ashby District Park, near Stevenage.

Day 22: A female Wood Duck, Aix sponsa, at Barclay Park, Hoddesdon. The first time I've seen this bird.

Day 23: A male tachinind fly, Phasia hemiptera, at Great Ashby District Park, near Stevenage. Another first for me.

Day 24: A Damson, Prunus domestica subsp. insititia, near Rushden.

Day 25: A Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria, at Jersey Farm, Sandridge.

Day 26: A Small Tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae, near my home in Stevenage.

Day 27: A small earthworm at Great Ashby District Park, near Stevenage.

Day 28: A bug, Corizus hyoscyami, at Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage.

Lime-speck Pug (Eupithecia centaureata)

Lime-speck Pug (Eupithecia centaureata), a photo by Peter aka anemoneprojectors on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
This Lime-speck Pug (Eupithecia centaureata) was in my house (possibly in my bathroom) on 21 August 2013. I rescued it and it landed on a plant in the garden, giving me time to fetch my camera and take photos in the daylight.

Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis)

Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis), a photo by Peter aka anemoneprojectors on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Apologies for the delay, I shall hopefully be blogging more regularly from now on, and for now, posting some of the things I missed!

I photographed thisw Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis) near Hitchin, Hertfordshire, on 3 August 2013. I had actually walked straight past it, and a friend stopped me and pointed it out. It was the first time I've seen a reptile in the wild, but I knew straight away what it was. I was very happy! I was able to get nice and close, and I even touched it to see what it felt like!

Skylark (Alauda arvensis)

Skylark (Alauda arvensis), a photo by Peter aka anemoneprojectors on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
I see Skylarks (Alauda arvensis) a lot. Usually in the sky, as fairly faint dots, singing their pretty song. I usually hear them before I can see them. Occasionally, I see a blur of one taking off from a field I'm waking past. On 16 June 2013, I visited Heartwood Forest, Sandridge, Hertfordshire, I saw lots of Skylarks in flight and wondered if I went slowly and scanned the tops of the grass and tree saplings, I might see one at rest. I was lucky enough to spot this one and I took a series of shots. It was quite far away but I was very happy.

Field Pansy (Viola arvensis)

Field Pansy (Viola arvensis), a photo by anemoneprojectors (through the backlog) on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
I think the Field Pansy (Viola arvensis) is one of the prettiest flowers I've seen. I first saw one in 2011, and was amazed at how small it was and how delicate it looked. But I knew straight away what it was, because I'd seen pictures in my books. I saw this one on 6 May 2013.