I've taken a few short walks recently, partly to
enjoy the Autumn colours and partly to check
for Summer stragglers, whether animal or plant.
Of the photo's here only the top few have any real photographic value to my mind. After that the photo's are nothing special. But I think there is more than one type of useful photography when it comes to natural subjects.
There is the 'Wildlife Photographer of the Year' type shot which may be technically perfect, have a striking composition, moody atmosphere, or hint at power or speed or stillness or colour or majesty or whatever. They are great to look at and difficult to take - usually on kit far beyond the financial dreams of many 'wildlife photographers'.
There is also the ability to record a species, perhaps not perfectly lit or composed or with a pleasantly out of focus back drop, but accurately enough to be able to take the image home and identify it, or show it to someone who has never seen that species before and allow them to get enough of an idea of what it looks like that they will hopefully recognise it in the future.
That's what I was going for here - a good enough image that I could identify the specimen when I got home. I've never been one of these incredible naturalists who have ID guides memorised, so I frequently need to check when I get home what it is I've actually seen!
Anyway, photographic philosophy aside, onto what I actually saw! As I'd taken the photo's I thought I may as well put them up here too.
Devils-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis) - For those of you who have also read my first blog post I make no apology for re-using this picture, because I like it! And I don't 'like' many of my own photographs. This was a beautifully bright morning and the low level light really lent itself to photographing the autumnal colours. Of very few remaining flowers these were particularly subtle, alongside a small stream over at Coyney Woods.
These next couple of photo's were both taken on the same flower head, a large umbellifer perfectly placed to soak up the evening light above the canyon at Park Hall country park. With the distraction of Hover flies (which I am currently trying to learn more about, early days) I didn't actually pay any attention to what species of flower it was while I was there! - it could be Wild Angelica (Angelica sylvestris), but that's only an educated guess.
Above we have a male Helophilus pendulus, and below an Eristalis tenax. No common names that I am aware of.
Both of these identifications come with 'I think' attached. I am very much learning when it comes to hover fly identification and while I have a comprehensive guide it all depends on having the correct identifying feature accurately and clearly captured in the photograph; I am as sure as I can be with H. pendulus, and fairly confident on E. tenax.
I think this (above) is Wood Vetch (Vicia sylvatica), I can't be 100% sure, in theory it flowers until September while this was taken at the end of October, but as in all things nature doesn't read the books!
Michaelmas-daisies (Aster novi-belgii agg), a non-native group of closely related flowers introduced through gardens, most closely related to the native Sea Aster (Aster tripolium), but found in very different habitats.
... Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica), two closely related species here, both from the Dead nettle (Lamiaceae) family. A distinctive feature of this family, which is one I do remember, is a square stem cross-section. While this feature on its own won't identify species it can narrow down the searching you have to do when you get back to your ID guide.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
On my various walks while looking for the last tell tale signs of summer I have noticed various other species still just about in flower, common species such as (in no particular order) Hedge Bindweed (Calystegia sepium), Daisy (Bellis perennis), Autumn Hawkbit (Leontodon autumnalis), Dandelion (Taraxacum agg), Great Willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum), Buttercup's (probably both Creeping, Ranunculus repens, & Meadow, R. acris), Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris), Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) and the odd Bramble bush (Rubus fructicosus).
Keener and more observant botanists than me could doubtless name many others which are not done flowering yet; horticulturists try very hard to keep something flowering all year round! But for me that is a) sort of cheating and b) not the point (don't tell my father-in-law though, a professional gardener his entire career!).
For me flowers have their purpose in the ecosystem, as does everything else. The purpose is of course to reproduce, to increase, to sustain the species - or to be specific, to attract the help of other species in these tasks. Autumn is the ideal time of year to keep an eye on the next phase of a plants strategy and I have a post brewing on that subject for some future date - Fruits and Seeds.
Richard
No comments:
Post a Comment