Steve Walker

Love nature - gardening, wildlife, countryside and Cornish seaside.

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

Emperor #dragonfly emergence condensed from 5.5hrs into a 30 second clip. From nymph to wing fluttering before its 1st flight. Amazing to witness at a garden pond I only created 12 months ago💚. @MarcHeathym007 @BDSdragonflies @BBCSpringwatch @ChrisGPackham @Kate_Bradbury

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

First Odanata of the year on the pond, fresh looking large red damselfly.

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

Peacock and Orange-tip butterflies in my garden this week. Bee flies have been here since last month.

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

Good year for butterflies in the garden. Lots of speckled wood like this one still around, with some ringlets and gatekeepers.

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

Hummingbird hawk-moth on the remaining few buddleja flowers in the garden this evening.

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

Some dragonflies still on the wing at Ripple Pits yesterday, between the rain showers. Managed to get a reasonable pic of this Southern hawker.

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

This dragonfly nymph looks like it's preparing to leave the water and become an adult dragonfly. @bdsdragonflies

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

Some of today's garden wildlife residents.

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

Lots of orange tip caterpillars in the garden tucking into the garlic mustard.

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

Activity in the garden pond is ramping up. Large red damselflies have been emerging over the last 2 weeks. Lots of frogs cooling off with the newts. A single azure (I think) damselfly has appeared this week.

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

Much buzzing around my winter honeysuckle in the sunshine today. A great plant for pollinators at this time of year. @BumblebeeTrust

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

Lots of frogspawn in the pond this year, which started appearing from 25th Feb. Always starts here just before the end of Feb. The newts returned to the pond at the same time, so I’ll have to rescue some spawn to hatch out in a bucket (they never last long in the pond).

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

Not something I see everyday in the garden from the bedroom window. I think a male sparrowhawk. Maybe feathers under this tree holding the bird feeder aren’t always the result of the neighbours cats.

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

A good reason to leave "untidy" piles of weeds in the garden. Found this newt taking a nap under it, so it won't be going on the compost heap until spring. @ARC_Bytes @B_Strawbridge @Kate_Bradbury

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

@Fozziefotos @BDSdragonflies @savebutterflies @HerefordshireWT @NatureUK Might be an immature blue-tailed damselfly, the “rufescens-obsoleta” form, according to my book.

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

Yesterday on my pond I saw this large red damselfly resting on a dragonfly exuvia (witnessed 1st flight earlier that day). Also another exuvia, semaphore flies courting and a dragonfly nymph almost ready for emergence.

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

Nothing better than frogs on lily pads. @ARC_Bytes

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

Two hedgehogs in the garden tonight, a large one and a smaller one (part hiding in the plants). Would be wonderful if they are a pair.

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

First large red damselfly of the year in my garden. Saw it fleetingly yesterday, but it posed for a picture today. @BDSdragonflies

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

I've got slow worms, and they're multiplying. I never get to use the compost. @ARC_Bytes

[Steve Walker @Stevewalker38]

@Claremou1 @v36Woods Some self seeded in the no mow section of my lawn, and it is slowly multiplying over the last couple of years 😀. It’s a food plant for the orange tip butterfly caterpillars.🐛