Today winds were fresh; rain was absent; and the temperatures were cool.
The verbena bonarensis attracted butterflies like this Comma;
and this Small White,
examples of which flitted everywhere, seeming to use white blooms as camouflage. Can you spot any one of these which will benefit from enlargement on accessing their gallery with a click?
Jackie continued her care work on these cosmoses and clematis on the back drive;
these, elsewhere, needed rather less attention.
This somewhat rusty duck had allowed the recent rain to roll off its back.
These bidens are some of many self seeded from last year.
Jackie has successfully tied up Margery’s hollyhocks
with string.
It was quite a stretch for the Head Gardener to tidy the white everlasting sweet peas.
In the process she pointed to a glass robin, crying “there’s Nugget”.
So, now you’ve been given a clue can you answer where’s Jackie?
The real Nugget had come out to play the game. In order to help newer readers who may not be aware of what they are looking for, and to give others a bonus we have today, in order of difficulty:
Where’s Nugget? – 4a;
Where’s Nugget? – 4b:
and Where’s Nugget? – 4c.
Not far from our little friend the stumpery is bedding down nicely.
Late this afternoon, realising that this was expected to be our last dry, sunny day for some time, Jackie drove me round the Bisterne Scarecrow Trail. I have the makings of a photo story which I will save for tomorrow. This is because rain is expected all day then; because I will require considerable time to work on the post; and because I am knackered now.
While I focussed on one of the exhibits Jackie photographed a couple of chickens scratching in the gravel.
Their flamboyant male companion flexed his muscles on my return to the car.
This evening I watched the recorded highlights of what rain has made the first day of the second Ashes Test Match between England and Australia, before we dined on minty lamb burgers, new potatoes, cabbage and carrots with which Jackie drank Blue Moon and I drank Doom Bar.
I can’t find Nugget in 4c–I’m stumped!
Sorry, Pleasant. Centre of pic in shadow and out of focus – but bright red. Thanks very much.
SUCH Beautiful photos, Derrick…Jackie, Little Nugget, the butterflies, the flowers, the birds (real birds and decorative birds!) ALL BEAUTIFUL!!! 🙂
I found Jackie AND Little Nugget! I won’t say where…so others can have fun looking! 🙂 He sure can blend into his surroundings! 🙂
Love your Rusty Duck comment! 😀 I’m no spring chicken, but Jackie’s photos don’t ruffle any feathers 😉 😛 (Ha!), they are great photos!
HUGS!!! 🙂
Thank you very much, Carolyn. Glad you picked up Rusty Duck
Wonderful photos. The butterflies are wonderful. It took me awhile, but I finally found Nugget is all three photos. Such a wee cutie.
Well done, Leslie. Thanks very much
Oh, I found Jackie, as well.
🙂
Are you sure Nugget is in 4-C? My eyes aren’t well today. I am happy to see Jackie was able to shed the heavy coat today. The butterfly photos are gorgeous, Derrick!
Thanks very much, Jill. Hidden in undergrowth out of focus – centre of picture. Sorry about the eye test
The butterfly photos are my favorites as well!
I found Nugget in all! Great photos as usual. Not sure about you Derrick but I am becoming so tired of cool days and wet weather!
Thanks very much, Sue. Well done. I feel the same way about the weather, but yours, I think, is worse. Mind you, it might save us from another Test Match thrashing
?
In answer to your first question about biggifying white butterflies, the final pic can’t be done without biggifying (well, for my eyes anyway) and even then it took careful scanning, inch by inch to spy the tiny specimen ( Small White Butterfly on erigeron) As to finding Nugget three times s/he is really a chameleon in disguise and also presented a challenge. 4a is easy, but after that he takes to pretending he’s a leaf or a stone and tests both my eyesight and my sanity 😀 I’m pleased to say I found Jackie easily – whew!
Very well done, Pauline. Sorry to test your eyes so. Thanks very much
My eye-sight is rusty early in the mornings and I have to still enlarge the photos to find Nugget……
Bigification is the answer, Ivor. Thanks very much
I like that word Derrick… bigification…
From Pauline, thecontentedcrafter
Love the tiny clusters of flowers. As to Nugget, he’s great at staying out of harm’s way.
Thank you very much, Rosaliene
I think the weather is changing
Yummy dinner I love lamb myself
Thanks very much, More
You’re welcome
Those first few photos would be Macro Monday contenders – so clear and sharp.
Thank you very much, Sheree. A Sigma 105mm lens – quite substantial crops
They’re so sharp!
I use a Canon – but the Sigma lenses are the best
I have made a note.
I found all the Nuggets and Jackie too! Such a beautiful shot of the Comma!
Well done Clare. Thanks very much
I could spot Nugget in 4a and 4b near the glass bottle with a metal cap. Beyond that my eyes and the phone screen don’t go together.
Well done, Uma. I wouldn’t fancy my. chances on a phone screen. Many thanks
Love that Robin. We have a wren in the garden who is easily spooked and flies away but always comes back as soon as we are inside. Such a lovely bird the Wren.
Thanks a lot, Andrew. I had a brick built shed in Newark. A wren nested immediately over the entrance. We met eye to eye during the incubation period
I once wrote a post about the wren…
https://aipetcher.wordpress.com/2014/06/30/scrap-book-project-british-birds-the-wren/
Thanks for the link. I’ve left a comment
So many wonderful photos again to admire – and to challenge us. 😉
I seem to have an ‘unfair advantage’ being able to view your Butterfly and ‘Where’s Nugget?’ (TM) photos on a 20 inch All-in-one PC screen. 🙂 So i managed to spot every challenge today and even spotted the shadows of a small white, and of the flower, in the centre photo as it sat on the erigeron!
Love the photo of the white in flight – a rarity!
I could spot Jackie on the climatis and cosmos quite easily, but it was more difficult whilst she was with the sweet peas! 🙂
Are the bidens of the ‘Ex VP Joe’ variety?? 😀 Jackie’s photo of the flashy cockerel was also outstanding. 🙂
Hoping the rain holds off for the next 3 days… but i’ve a strong feeling i’m in the minority over there.
C’mon Aussies. 🙂
Thanks very much, Bob. Dammit – I had to look up Joe Biden. Never thought I’d ever pray for rain in August
😀 I thought the Ex VP might have been a clue? 😉
Not something that would register with me
I scrolled down a bit too quickly and thought the Nugget had regenerated into a chicken.
🙂 Thanks a lot, Geoff
In 4a & b, Nugget was visible, but in c I needed to enlarge the picture. He’s a cagey one!
Sorry Jackie, but I found you right away – maybe put some flowers in your hair next time?
🙂 Thanks a lot, GP
Splendid butterfly shots. I laughed at your rusty duck comment. 🙂 I found Jackie and Nugget, though I did have to bigify one photo. Jackie’s photo of the flexing rooster is wonderful.
Thanks very much, Merril
I have robin-spotting senses so can see nugget… front view, side view, back view (I expect non-Brits would have difficulty with the back view). Your butterflies are pretty, but oh those hollyhocks! I’ve never had a garden with any hollyhocks.
I wish this weather would make it’s mind up. Sorry you’re knackered, but I’m glad I’m not the only one who uses that word!
Many thanks, Val 🙂
Beautiful photos. I’ve found two butterflies, with one looks like artificial. I’m not good at findings!
Thanks for looking, Byung
Lovely photos, and I like the I Spy game 🙂
I’m pleased, Inese. Many thanks
First photo is my favourite, very beautiful
Thank you very much, Muresan
More fantastic photos Derrick. I was able to spot Nugget and Jackie. But how did I not know you had chickens. I hope my mind is not headed south on me.
They are not our chickens – your mind stays north. Thanks a lot, Jerry
Whew! That is a relief. Anyway, the photos were wonderful .
🙂
Gorgeous photos, Derrick. Nugget is quite well hidden. Blue Moon is also my beer of choice. ?
Thank you very much, Sylvia
I like how you have plants in the stumps. I must try that some time in my woodsy yard.
Thanks very much, JoAnna
Is Nugget only in 4c? I can see him there but not the others.
I hope you haven’t had too much rain since this post.
One day of heavy rain. Dry today. Nugget is in both the others. Enlarging should reveal him more easily than in 4C. Thanks very much, Helen.
Oh yes, I can see now. Thanks, Derrick
🙂 I appreciate your perseverance
Little Nugget does a nice job of blending in with his surroundings, but I think I found him in all the photos.
It is cool and dry here this week.
Thanks very much, Lavinia. Well spotted
Beautiful photos of the butterflies. We managed to spot Nugget in all except the last photo.
Thanks very much, LL/PS. He is in the centre out of focus
oooh! Those butterfly photos are excellent. I just love the mix of orange and purple.
Thank you very much, Crystal