Slurp...

I've spent most of today dealing with piles of washing and a rampantly overgrown garden. This afternoon our computers underwent their regular service, including a complete back-up of all the photographs onto a desktop hard drive, which I always find comforting!

As usual on days like this, I really left it too late to think about a blip. Once again I ended up in the garden, though by six o'clock the light was failing and there was a tricksy little breeze, just to make things extra difficult. There had been loads of hoverflies around earlier, but only a few stragglers of the marmalade fly were to be seen on the wild parsnip flowers.

I managed a few passable shots, including one or two in mid-flight, but I chose this one because it clearly shows the hoverfly's sponge-like mouthparts slurping up the nectar. I also liked the contrast between the acid yellow of the parsnip flowers and the soft purplish-blue of the Russian sage in the background.

Thanks to everyone who welcomed me back yesterday - it was lovely to hear from you all again. Alex is fine after yesterday's incident - he managed to negotiate with the gang and was physically unscathed - unfortunately it was his friend who was on the receiving end of the violence.