Still no hornets.

[Toddy]

If there's lots to see though the last thing I mind is to take a photo.....

Have you seen this report on the BBC ? it's about a hornet colony in America though.

'Murder hornet' nest eradicated in US

A nest of the giant, invasive insects was the first destroyed in Washington this year.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[PoppyD]

If there's lots to see though the last thing I mind is to take a photo.....

Have you seen this report on the BBC ? it's about a hornet colony in America though.

'Murder hornet' nest eradicated in US

A nest of the giant, invasive insects was the first destroyed in Washington this year.

www.bbc.co.uk

Yes, that is what happens. It is really difficult to take pictures when you see something exiting, because then you have to either mess with your camera and zoom in which doesnt show the animals as well as you can see them, and then they go and you can’t find them, or you don’t get to see all of the details you would have seen if you had just used your binocularity glasses And watched in the first place. And if I am watching them and remember to take a picture, then I don’t want to as they might see me move. It’s annoying. And they should make binocularities with cameras built in. That would solve all problems.

I haven’t seen that about the hornets, but I will watch that now. Thank you.

 

[Toddy]

I want a pair of those binos

 

[Nice65]

I want a pair of those binos

Me too. It’s kind of why I use my phone camera rather than the more capable Canon S95 which I ended up selling because I was missing the target for fiddling with the settings or trying to get closer. That and Bluetooth connectivity would smooth the process. A decent zoom and macro without lenses is what we need. If nothing else, it would help us amateurs not go stomping in and alarming the general wildlife.

 

[Broch]

Her you go - there are plenty with 'night-vision' as well. However, I think you'd have to spend a fair amount to get something that wasn't too much of a compromise one way or the other.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dreamy-Binoculars-Recorder-Telescope-Watching/dp/B07146ZMV6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1523028243&sr=8-5&keywords=binoculars+with+camera&linkCode=sl1&tag=bbinocular-21&linkId=97d6cb058361cb17f2b55038606f0efa

 

[JonathanD]

I think Pops is thinking more Zeiss/Swarovski quality

 

[Broch]

I think Pops is thinking more Zeiss/Swarovski quality

Good tastes - maybe with Dad's plastic though

 

[PoppyD]

My grandad left me some really high end nocularities. Swarovski and Leica. They are amazing. The Swarovski are heavy though.

 

[Nice65]

Good tastes - maybe with Dad's plastic though

He could part with a couple of knives maybe, he’s got loads?

 

[JonathanD]

He could part with a couple of knives maybe, he’s got loads?

But still not nearly enough.

 

[Broch]

Rather than start a new thread I thought I'd post here.

I know hornets take bark (and wood pulp) to build nests but I've never seen them doing it at this time of year. I'm presuming that these two are actually getting some sweet sap from this Ash twig but I've never seen this behaviour before.

I've seen more hornets this year than I think I've seen in my lifetime

 

[slowworm]

Our hornet nest is still increasing in size so they could be getting pulp.

 

[swyn]

We have planted white and purple buddhlia bushes in assorted places. These are great insect attractors.
Sitting out by one particular bush in the summer time watching hornets trying to catch humming bird moths as they visited the flowers was interesting.
I love hornets but my favourite insect in this size has to be the wood wasp, scary looking with its oversized egg laying device which looks like a huge stinger.
S

 

[swyn]

Ah, @PoppyD found my pic of a wood-wasp. They are common in Chilterns woodland. Thought you'd like to see this. They can smell a Larch tree for miles!
The ovipositor is the black thing slightly ahead of its rear set of leggies, usually shielded by the sheath that us lads mistook for a 'stinger'.
S

 

[slowworm]

Nice to see a queen hornet about the garden again, she's been around for just over a week and I've already had to gently remove her from the greenhouse. This one seems very inquisitive and has given me a good going over a couple of times to check theres nothing edible on me.

 

[Ystranc]

We have an area of willow that attracts aphids which in turn attract wasps that are predated by hornets. It may be a little early to see them here in any numbers but I have seen a couple of queens. While most people find them unnerving I have never been stung by one and find them fascinating.

 

[Marcus2]

Spotted a Hornet today at Lanhydrock in Cornwall.Seemed to be a pale brown colour with no stripes.No mistaking it,it was about 2 inches long.

 

[Ystranc]

We’re seeing plenty of European hornets now (2+ each day) but thankfully no Asian hornets.

 

[gg012]

Spotted a Hornet today at Lanhydrock in Cornwall.Seemed to be a pale brown colour with no stripes.No mistaking it,it was about 2 inches long.

That sounds like the ones we used to have in Türkiye, they scared the bejesus out of me. Vespa Orientalis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_hornet

Sent from underground

 

[slowworm]

Spotted a Hornet today at Lanhydrock in Cornwall.Seemed to be a pale brown colour with no stripes.No mistaking it,it was about 2 inches long.

That sounds like the ones we used to have in Türkiye, they scared the bejesus out of me. Vespa Orientalis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_hornet

No, that sounds just like a queen european hornet which is native to the UK and in my experience something to look forward to seeing and not at all aggressive. I was watering the garden last night with one hunting around my plants for a few minutes, lovely to watch and listen to.