Tattoodave

Just some of the problems faced while trying to identify plants, these are all parasitic, and it helps to identify the host plant mostly, but they still leave me foxed

I'm banned from the sorting office after a big bust up with one of the post office robbers (sorry employees, almost put workers, and that would have been wrong in his case, though not all), though strangely I've not had to pay import duty or handling fees since

I know it might sound a bit evil, but if the record then becomes negative equity, ie not worth enough to be worth paying the import duty, just ignore the C&E demand and they will ship it back to the seller, surface mail. You then tell ebay it never arrived and get a refund eventually. It sounds as if it was an expensive record to have cost $50 postage, unless you've been charged customs prepaid from the states and not got the service. I resent having to pay the Post Office £8 handling fee, having seen how they handle stuff, even when marked FRAGILE

They are similar but the Spanish has a cream band on the underwing, an easily overlooked detail, I had to look in a reference book.

Hi again Suz, never seen it here, but supposedly grows on Sierra Nevada in damp grassy places, there's a poster with an area full of them, it's a bit too warm here, it grows also in the Pyrenees and the Massif Central. Dave

Hello Suz, it's a different one, Gatekeeper is Pyronia tithonus, Spanish Gatekeeper is Pyronia bathseba. Dave

Wall Brown Small Skipper Grizzled Skipper Male Cleopatra (Cleopatrick lol) the only ones that stayed still long enough

You get Spanish Gatekeeper butterflies in Teesdale? Probably from the Armada if you do. Yellow rattle is here too, though red nettle not

Euphorbia serrata Common Centaury Leuzia Spanish flora is the most diverse in Europe, but some are very difficult to identify, when I post things it's because I'm pretty certain I've identified them, if you could see the file of unidentified plants you'd cry, and I have a degree in Botany

Strangely my only thought was "Keb had hair"

me neither, short attention span these days, I just can't cope with directions, instructions or even names. I'd sooner dance like a gurning knobhead anyway, and bytheway, I'm usually the only one with a beard doing it, so you can't miss me

Common Blue Dark Green Fritillary Spanish Gatekeeper Plant wise a fairly poor day but for the Epipactis, but the butterflies were in abundance, lots too busy to photograph or identify.

It raised a smile, but then anyone having a go at something I hold precious tends to, then I think how poor their quality of life must be without soul. The delusional masses will never understand, they need to listen from within, let them scoff, until they are ready to listen and understand.

Hope to be out plant hunting this weekend, too wet in England this last weekend to do much, so dug these out of my archive, just a few of a big family that are very difficult to sort out.

A bit of both maybe, especially with a tight budget, and it looks much nicer than the Outtasight or Goldmine 7's crap

It could be Suzanne, but it's wings were tiny. Scared the bejesus out of me as it wasn't prepared to move very far when I was trying to photograph the Prunus prostrata

Dark Red Helleborine Small Flowered Tongue Orchid I have no idea what this is, a very large grasshopper or a weird cricket, it was about 3" long.

That's sad, I rescued a little sparrow chick from the cat this morning, it was unhurt and I put him in a visible position for his parents to see him and they were feeding him within a couple of minutes. The cat brings in geckos, snakes, birds, all sorts, and comes out walking the dogs with me. Dave

I had a couple nest behind the branch of an espalier pear, but they fell victim to a squirrel, sadly. This one was in a Jacaranda, and looked beautiful, but decided to move when I tried to take a pic. Dave

I didn't realise I missed the British native plants so much, hope to see a few this weekend.

sideways again, but it's a Female Pied Flycatcher Peacock in Benalmadena Pseudobombax ellipticum flower, better known as the shaving brush tree. Sorry about them being on their sides, but I take photos with the camera on the side, despite revolving them they come on here in their original form, sickening!!

I don't get it either, if it's a birthday party what has it got to do with anyone else apart from the manager/ owner of the venue and the people hosting the party. The majority of the people who are going to be guests are unlikely to be regulars of the place.

We've waited long enough for the film, I guess I'll have to wait for the DVD as I won't be flying back until September, however the CD's have a few of my favourites on them so that's a start.

Ran out of likes again, beautiful pics Martyn, once had four Tawny Owl chicks on the end of my bed when in the army, most disturbing to wake up to

And you'll get to see storks at the end of it, maybe even a local with polydactylism or webbed feet too! Dave