Migrant Hawker - August 2017

This beautiful creature is a Migrant Hawker Dragonfly (Aeshna mixta), and it's over two years ago since I last came across one in dad's garden.

It has been a long wait to see another one, but it was well worth it. Unfortunately, this specimen didn't hang around for as long as its cousin, and I only managed to grab a few photos, but it was still a great find for me.

Common Wasp - August 2017

I was also quite lucky to grab a shot of this Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) devouring a small insect as it sat preening itself on a Gladiolus bloom.

Emerging Bumblebee - August 2017

I had to wait an age for this Bumblebee (Bombus) to emerge from this Nasturtium (Tropaeolum) bloom, covered in pollen. He seemed to be enjoying himself in there!

Flesh Fly - August 2017

Although it was a lot warmer than it had been in recent weeks, this Flesh Fly (Sarcophaga carnaria) was enjoying using the warm frame of the greenhouse to get some heat into its body.

Bumblebee Ascent - August 2017

The Bumblebees were out in force this week, with this mountaineering one covering every inch of the large yellow Butterfly Bush (Buddleia).

Tagged Feral - August 2017

Meanwhile, there was a very friendly Feral Pigeon (Columba livia) watching my every move. He seemed very tame, but it wasn't until I started to process my photographs that I realised he was ringed and tagged. I'm wondering if he was a racing pigeon that had become disoriented?

Feral Eye - August 2017

He let me get very close, so I took advantage, and captured this portrait using a macro lens! I love the sparkle in his red eye.

Juvenile Jackdaw - August 2017

The young Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) was back again this week, and looking a bit worse for wear. I think maybe he'd had a lucky escape from the claws of something that was eyeing him as potential lunch.

Echinacea Bud - August 2017

In the flower world, the wait for the Coneflowers (Echinacea) to flower was finally showing some progress.

Echinacea Opening - August 2017

This one had only just began to unfurl its flower petals...

Echinacea Arrival - August 2017

...while this one had opened up completely. I must admit to being less than impressed by this display. I was expecting much larger petals!

Apples Galore - August 2017

As noted last week, Autumn was fast approaching, and a bountiful harvest was already on show in the trees and hedges. The Apples on the Apple Tree were ripening up nicely...

Pears Galore - August 2017

...and the Pears looked like they could be harvested now.

Hazelnuts - August 2017

The Corkscrew Hazel Tree (Corylus avellana contorta) was producing dozens and dozens of Hazelnuts, that the Squirrels would soon be poaching.

Bay Berries - August 2017

The Bay Tree (Laurus nobilis) was just beginning to produce berries, which would turn black when ripe.

Juicy Berries - August 2017

Even though I'd done my best to eradicate the Bramble Bushes (Rubus fruticosus), there were still plenty of them hiding away in the less accessible parts of the garden.

Cotoneaster Berries - August 2017

The Cotoneaster Bushes were now full of their bright red berries, which the birds would raid once their Summer food sources became more depleted.

Berberis Berry - August 2017

Even the Berberis Bush had a smattering of berries, which were already being raided my the birds.

Pyracantha Berries - August 2017

The Firethorn Bush (Pyracantha) was also just beginning to produce berries, which would eventually help to see the birds through the Winter.

Camellia Bud - August 2017

All of this talk of Autumn and Winter, and look, the Camellia Bush was just beginning to form flower buds, which wouldn't open until Springtime next year. Isn't nature wonderful?

Suckermouth - August 2017

Finally, here's another one of my fishy friends. A few weeks ago I shared a picture of one of my prodigious algae eating fish, an Otocinclus. They are frequently seen stuck to the glass of the aquarium where they rasp at the algae, and perform a good job of keeping it clean. They've done such a good job that I've had to start supplementing their diet and have found that they absolutely love Cucumber! Who'd have thought that?

So, this week I chose Migrant Hawker as my Image of the Week, as two years seems an excessively long time to have to wait before seeing my second example of the species, and I was lucky enough to grab a decent photo of it...