Showing posts with label Butterfly World. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Butterfly World. Show all posts

Thursday, 1 August 2013

Ryder discovers insects and butterflies!

Well what a fantastic day it is today after the beginning of the week which was wet, wet, wet!  The adults said it was good for the garden, but we prefer the sunshine.

I wanted to take Ryder to Butterfly World.  I know I've taken Pinny there, but it is such fun and I thought Ryder might like to explore a bit.


We enjoyed watching the fish in the pond



I played with the water as it was so tempting to get wet!


At another pond we saw quite a bit of wildlife.


Dragonflies, water boatmen and tadpoles!


Oh Rory would have loved to have seen these!



We enjoyed looking for creepy crawlies in all sorts of places.


Can you see anything?  I asked Ryder


Of course there is always time for some climbing, and this structure I am sure was made for just such climbing.


We could pretend we are Robin Hood & Little John  Ryder suggested.


Look this log is perfect!  All we need now are some sticks to fight with!

While looking for our ''weapons"  we got distracted....


Ryder looks like he is thinking....of what I'm not sure.  


Ah....he wanted a rest it was just sooo hot.



We get up to a little mischief...but kept away from the water.


Ryder enjoys a spot of climbing


I think he was after the bike.  I explained we have one at home that he can ride.


Have you found any yet?  I ask Ryder


I'm not sure.  What does a stag beetle look like?  Ryder replies.

Well I suppose it looks a bit like a stag?  It is black and has these horns.  I explain.


While looking for the stag beetle we come across a little gathering of gnomes.  Who explain just what a stag beetle looks like and what it does and how it helps the environment.


Uh Oh!


How do we get down from here?  Ryder asks rather shakily.

I'm not sure I'm looking to see if there is anyway to get down.  I reply.

Do you think if we jump it will be a soft landing?  asks Ryder.

I don't think so.  I tell him.


Indeed it really was a long way down...fortunately some big people rescued us from the giants plant pot.


Goodness, just look at that giant seed packet!  Exclaims Ryder.  We really have stumbled into the Land of the Giants.


Lets get out of here,  I suggest.


It was my turn to be lucky in the Butterfly House today when a butterfly landed on my hat.





Hey wow Henry, did you know you have a butterfly on your hat?  Ryder asks me.


Well yes Ryder I do! 

While wandering around the wild flower gardens we were lucky to see a number of interesting butterflies and insects.


I'm not sure what this one is called.  May be a Speckled Wood?


A Bumble Bee on the Echinacea


A Peacock Butterfly


A Small White butterfly


A Green-Veined White butterfly


A Six-spot Burnet moth and some bumble bees.






A caterpillar.

Inside the Ant House and Insect House we saw....


Leaf cutter ants


Locusts


A Giant Cockroach!


A large snail


A stick insect.  


Where to next I wonder?  

Dinosaur World hopefully!




Wednesday, 3 July 2013

We go to Butterfly World

Well what a fabulous way to spend the afternoon.

We had a trip to Butterfly World today and had a lovely time walking through the gardens admiring all the pretty flowers.


These red roses were so bright they matched my gillet and trainers!


Do you think we will see any butterflies?  Pinny asks me.


Well we didn't expect to see this!  I bet it looks great when it is all planted up with flowers.


Gives a new meaning to flower bed.


Behind us is a 'kitchen' garden



The bug gardens utilised all sorts of 'rubbish/junk'


Surely not a crayfish?!


Help I am caught in a spiders web!  Pinny calls out.




So am I!



We are both trapped!


Glad we didn't see the big spider that must have built these webs!



Time or was it 'Thyme' garden?


Watching the fish.



Reflections.


Having a little sit down and a chat.


The ginonminous flowerpot.



Humongous key!


Sunshine yellow flowers.

Shall we go into the Tropical Butterfly house now?  I ask Pinny

Oh yes lets!  Pinny replies.


Oh wow, look at the size of this butterfly!


Lots and lots of butterfly pictures coming up.

My Mum loves butterflies and we have one on the front of our house.






Hmm...not sure what these two are doing!



Stand still Pinny - there is a butterfly on your arm!  Once the butterfly had flown off, Pinny pulled her t-shirt down.





Feeding on some fruit.




Another drinking from the fruit.


A butterfly lands on Pinny's head.








There was a house with ants in - Leaf Cutter Ants - and we learnt all about them as there was a talk being given.  It was very interesting as they are so organised and kept busy all the time.  Apparently the Queen Ant, lives about 15 years and is the size of a baby mouse!  Isn't that incredible?!


This one looks a bit bigger than a baby mouse!


Thank goodness they are not this size in real life.