The drag racing season is rapidly drawing to a close. For the second year running everything was so badly affected by the pandemic it’s a miracle that Santa Pod Raceway has managed to survive. This year everything up to June was cancelled, then meetings were held with strict controls in place limiting numbers attending. Most events that have taken place have suffered with bad weather at some point, it’s enough to make you weep!
Saturday the 18th promised to be warm, sunny and windless so I booked a last minute ticket on-line and headed out west to watch qualifying for the 33rd annual Hot Rod Drags. Four race classes were in action, the Outlaw Anglias, Wild Bunch, Gasser Circus and Supercharged Outlaws all with a high number of entrants. In between qualifying rounds there was a ‘run what you brung’ a mix of race cars and road cars, old school hot rods and customs, the only stipulation being they had to be pre-1973.
Getting into the spirit of the NSRA Hot Rod DragsKeith Bartlett is the owner of Santa Pod, here he is bringing his Gasser ‘Roarin’ Rat’ through the pitsSeeing double! Norm Wheeldon and his twin engined slingshot dragster ‘Too Much’Steve Clarke and the ‘Good Guys’ Supercharged Outlaw altered‘American Pie’ Wild Bunch slingshot warming up in the pitsPaul Hensher’s Outlaw Anglia ‘Gas Attack’ leaves the line with the front wheels upPlymouth Road Runner driven by John Davison in ‘run what ya brung’
Had a great day out including witnessing Europe’s first 6 second run by an Outlaw Anglia as Jedd Guy finally broke the record in the ‘Shorty’s Fabrication Shop’ car with a 6.97sec @193mph, at the other end of the scale Chris Simcock in his original 1950’s Ford Pop managed a 28.01sec @45mph! It was that kind of day.
After nearly two years we have finally made a return to the German capital Berlin to see our daughter the ‘Lemming’ along with partner Rob and their beautiful little rescue dog ‘Chilli’. The pandemic and ‘Brexit’ has made travelling difficult. No longer can you just buy a ticket and jump on a plane, so many forms to fill out and tests to take. Never mind, we made it.
Here are a few shots from the same area, the Oberbaumbrucke. Built in 1896 to replace the wooden original. The bridge spans the River Spree linking the once separate districts of Friedrichshain, which was in the post-war East Berlin, and Kreuzberg in the west. It was reconstructed in 1994 after suffering a lot of demolition in the ‘iron curtain’ days. The top deck carries the U-Bahn (subway).
Entering Friedrichshain under the U-Bahn. Nikon D5300, Nikkor vr 18-140mm @45mm, iso250, f11, 1/60sCityscape. The white wall in the centre is the largest surviving section of the the infamous Berlin Wall, now the East Side Gallery. Nikkor 18-140mm @52mm, iso400, f14, 1/400sBlue Hour. Nikkor 18-140mm @42mm, iso800, f10, 1/2.5sSunset. The Fernsehturm (old DDR tv tower) is a prominent feature of the Berlin skyline. Nikkor 18-140mm @35mm, iso200, f8, 1/10s
Midway through August already, where has the year gone? Soon we will be into autumn and my attention will be on different subjects. Gone will be the butterflies and dragonflies. Let’s face it, this year has been a very ‘mixed bag’, spring never got going and we have only had brief periods of real summer yet around the world others have literally baked and burned. Here are a few shots from recent weeks.
Summer is the time for brown butterflies. I do like this family, the Satyridae, you have to get close to see the beauty. This is a Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilius)The Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus) is not really that large, only an inch and a quarter acrossLate summer is the time for the Gatekeepers (Pyronia tithonus), they love bramble flowersThe second brood of Holly Blues (Celastrina argiolus) have been flitting aimlessly around the garden, nice to see one on a flowerThe Southern Hawkers (Aeshna cyanea) visit the garden. This female stuffed it’s face with flying ants (look closely, one is still in it’s mouth) and rested here under the Mahonia bushFlower photography is not my strong point. This is one of my Water Lilies, it was ‘rescued’ (with the owners permission) from an old water tank in the garden of a derelict cottage
Finally, after nearly two years, we are off to Berlin in a couple of weeks to see the ‘Lemming’, fingers crossed everything goes ok as booking flights has been rather traumatic and there are so many ‘hoops’ to leap through to enter Germany and return. Have a great weekend everyone!
It’s been a few weeks since I have subjected you, my dear readers, to a dragonfly post. It’s not that I have been ignoring these gorgeous aerial assassins, oh no far from it. I have been clicking away and recording my sightings so that on a wet, windy, Friday I can overload your senses with their varied beauty. Today is that wet, windy, Friday.
And to hold your attention and stop you dozing off, at the end of the post is something a little bit special. No cheating and skipping through the images so you can get on and do your daily chores, I may be asking questions so pay attention at the back!
At the start of July we visited the Pingo trail at Thompson Common in sth Norfolk to see these Scarce Emerald Damselflies (Lestes dryas). Now hands up those who can remember from last year what a pingo is?A female ‘common’ Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa) at Winterton Dunes. Almost impossible to tell apart from Scarce Emerald by eyesight in the field. The females of both species lack the blue powdery colouring known as pruinescenceAnax imperator, even the Latin name sounds formidable. This is the Emperor dragonfly, our largest odonata, patrolling a pool at WintertonOne of the latest species to appear is the Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta). Usually constantly on the move, nice to capture one hanging aroundEven in the garden it’s hard to avoid the attention of dragons. Mrs H trying to swat up on her German language had a Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) desperately trying to get in on the act!
Right we are nearly at the end so here is the first surprise. Yesterday (5th) I was pond watching when a damselfly landed on a lily pad. First glance and I thought it was a Blue-tailed. Second glance and it was not right as the blue was at the very tip of the abdomen and the eyes seemed reddish in colour. Quickly grabbed the camera and confirmation, a Small Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma viridulum). This damsel first colonised the UK in 1999 and have spread to many areas. I remember seeing some of the first and it was quite exciting for dragonfly watchers. They are not that common and I would never have expected one in the garden. This is the 13th species I have recorded at our pond in the year we have lived here.
Star of the pond, Small Red-eyed Damselfly
So we come to the end of the post and the BIG surprise. I know, the photo isn’t great lots of vegetation in the way but this is a bit special. A couple of days ago I was wandering around Winterton Dunes watching the dragonflies in a feeding frenzy and one caught my eye. I couldn’t place it but as it sped around I kept seeing a bright blue band and my mind went into overdrive. It had to be one of two species, both rare vagrants from Southern Europe. Then, by sheer luck, it settled for just a few seconds right close by just enough time for two shots. There we have it a Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope). Only first recorded in the UK in 1996, it has bred but is still a very rare beast. Even better. I returned the next morning and it was still there in the same area only now there was two! This time there was no photo opportunities but you should have seen the size of my smile!
It’s that time of the year when the UK’s most sought after butterfly is out and about. The Purple Emperor (Apatura iris) is not that rare but due to its habits and habitat not that easy see. The Emperor otherwise known as HIM (His Imperial Majesty) or Iris dwells in woodland. Not that unusual for a butterfly, however they spend most of their lives in the canopy. Unlike other species Iris does not nectar on flowers, no it prefers delicacies such as dead animals or poo! This is the second largest of our butterflies and the beautiful colour of the male is only seen when the light catches it just right, it’s called refraction.
Finger licking good! An Emperor with the taste for human flesh, mine!
On the 17th I headed out on a six hour round trip to their stronghold the legendary Fermyn Woods part of the ancient Rockingham Forest in Northamptonshire. It was hot, very hot, high 20’s C. Arrived early at 8am and spent the next four hours wandering the rides. I had ten sightings but few came to ground and if they did it was only for seconds. I found one feeding on moss and eased it onto my finger where it licked the sweat for several minutes.
Sadly I got no images of the open wings though to be fair I have had many in past years. One species that was quite noticeable was the tiny Purple Hairstreak (Favonius quercus). This butterfly lives almost it’s entire life in the tops of Oak trees and feeds on the honeydew produced by aphids. On Saturday many were at low level and some came and searched for minerals on the paths.
Not one I’ve featured before, Purple Hairstreak the purple prince
Today (19th) I again went in search of Emperors. This time it was local just 20 miles to Foxley Wood. For the past two years Iris has been reported, would I be lucky? You bet! Just a few yards along the main ride and I had my first sighting as one cruised around a big Oak. Further on and two more were searching Sallows for newly emerged females (the caterpillars eat Sallow leaves and pupates on the tree). As the temperatures rose to mid 20’s I saw a few more and then bingo! One came down on the ground to gather minerals. For several minutes it paraded around flashing off it’s regal sheen. This butterfly was last recorded in Norfolk in 1961. Then around five years ago a few sightings were reported a few miles away from Foxley. Now they are back and breeding and I no longer need to travel half way across the Country!
His Imperial Majesty alights at FoxleyAnd flashes it’s royal colours
At last a chance to get over to Santa Pod Raceway the home of European drag racing since 1966. Built on what was the former USAAF base, home of the 92nd bomb group, the track has improved immensely but still retains the charm. To re-live the ‘old days’ for the last ten years the Pod has held a meeting called ‘Dragstalgia’ where the vehicles racing are either originals from the time or modern reproductions.
Why ‘ish’? Well due to this pandemic things are not yet back to normal. The tickets had to be booked in advance as the crowd capacity is very restricted. Sadly as things stand we can no longer be treated to seeing competitors from across Europe who would have made the event even more memorable. Enough waffle, let me show you a variety of the classic machines that gave us a great day out. I guess this post will not be eveybody’s thing but hey I have been spoiling you with the wildlife and there is a clue in the blogs name!
Cannonball.The fastest cars on show. Nitromethane or methanol, three rounds of racing over two days the two cars with the lowest combined times contest the final.
Chris Manning’s ‘The Villain’. a short wheel base slingshot dragster which ran to just over 200mph A sad postscript I learned after I left the meeting that this car was badly damaged in a demo run. The driver is ok but the dragster is un-repairable c‘Venom’ The beautiful Camaro bodied nitro Funny Car driven by Tony Betts c
Supercharged Outlaws A real mixture of dragsters, altereds even street legal cars. They must run quicker than 9.90 seconds over the quarter mile.
Roy Wilding with ‘Chariots of Fire’ sco
The Wild Bunch Again dragsters, altereds and funny cars. These are a real taste of the early days. They race on a handicap basis so the slower vehicle has a head start.
‘Rough Diamond’ is one of the original race cars from the period, driven by Dave Gibbons wb
Outlaw Anglia Ford Pop, Anglia, Prefect or Fordson vans fitted with big v8 powerplants.
Jedd Guy ran a new record for the class of 7.01 secs. Underneath that body is a motor of 12,044cc injected with nitrous oxide oa
Nostalgia Super Stock Pre 1980 American v8s raced on a handicap (what we call dial in). There were 45 entries!
Guy King’s SS Chevelle nss
Willys Wars 1933 to 42 Willys coupes, sedans or pickups race for fun and ‘bragging rights’.
‘Redneck Gasser’ of Dave Hinson ww
Gasser Circus Nose high throwbacks to a popular class in ’60s America. They run on ordinary pump fuel.
‘Guzzler’ burns out across the start line. A ’56 Chevy driven by Tony Pearson gc
Old School Stockers Classic Pro Stock bikes of the ’70’s based on wickedly fast Japanese machines of the time.
A Kawasaki H2 750cc two stroke triple ridden by Rod Spry oss
NSABike Shootout Famous bikes brought out to play! Not quite as quick as they once were but a joy to see.
Gary Norman on his fathers bike ‘Conquest 2’ two 750cc Norton engines nsa
Well I have certainly had a few of these in June. Having managed to photograph three new species of dragon/damselflies so far I was greedy for more. For my next target I had to visit a site forty miles away. I’d had one trip with no luck but was only wearing my hiking boots. This fen was very wet so I returned with my wellies (rubber boots), now I could really get amongst it!
Small Red Damselfly (Ceriagrion tenellum) male. Scarning Fen, Norfolk
And there we have it, the Small Red Damselfly, I hope you are impressed. Put into context this is probably East Anglia’s rarest odonata. It only occurs at the one site, the nearest colonies are in the most south, south/west counties or west Wales! In these areas it is at it’s most northern range in Europe. The Small Red is typically found in acidic pools on heath and bog, hence the need for the rubber boots!
The lady of the species comes in three colour forms, this is intermedia with a red and black abdomen
I carefully and slowly squelched my way through the bog keeping my eyes peeled for any movement, the smell not the most pleasant. In recent years these damselflies have been in very low numbers and fears are that the colony may die out. Suddenly a weak fluttering ahead, careful approach, not this time, it was a Large Red one of our commonest damsels. Then another, a quick record shot, zoom in on the back of camera and YES! Red legs, all red body this was my target. It moved around low in the luxuriant plant growth, teasing me, and then it alighted on a lone reed stem as if to say “I give up, go on take your photos and leave me alone”. And that’s what I did and I couldn’t ask for a nicer set of shots. In all I found at least four Small Reds including a female. Another red-letter day.
Large Red Damselflies (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) gave several false alarms. They are not that much bigger than the Small Red but have all black legs and the males have black on the abdomen. When dealing with creatures only just over an inch (30mm) long not easy to see with my dodgy eyesight! This is a mating pair (the male above) forming a wheel, or heart for the romantics
Keeping to the red theme. Butterflies have been very thin on the ground recently. The changeable weather has not helped but when the sun has shone good numbers of Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta) have been in the garden and their flower of choice? Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber).
The start of June was glorious, now? not so much. I mentioned in my last posting that we had been out and about making the most of the summer sun so today I thought I’d share a few images (not a dragonfly in sight, I promise 😥, but maybe a butterfly 🙂)
Monet would be pleased! The first Lily flower to open in my pond the variety is ‘Xiafei’
Speaking of great artists I mentioned last time visiting ‘Constable Country’. The Constable being John (1776-1837) and the Country is the River Stour on the Suffolk/Essex border. It was here that JC painted his greatest landscapes such as ‘The Hay wain’. It was our first visit to the area and, well it’s ok but the paintings are better. Times change and I prefer the more romanticised view of the past to the reality of the modern scene, cafe/visitor centre/activity centre/paddle boarders/etc.
Willy Lott’s (house) Cottage. A feature in some of Constable’s works. Mr Lott was the tenant farmer at the time and apparently only spent four nights away from the property in his whole life! (oh, and you can’t go inside)The famous Flatford Mill. This is the best view I could find, there were a lot less trees about in Mr C’s dayThe Stour at Flatford. Looking through the lock gates toward the bridge. The length of time I waited ’till the bridge was clear of folk and no day-glo paddle boarders were in view!
I have spent a few mornings visiting Hickling Broad. As well as the usual suspects I have been keeping my eyes open for a very special wasp. Regarded as extinct in Britain the Fen Mason Wasp (Odynerus Simillimus) was re-discovered here in 1986. These very small wasps nest by burrowing in the ground and forming a ‘chimney’ style entrance. I was delighted to find some on my last visit.
Fen Mason Wasp, Hickling Broad, Norfolk, June’21
Of course no visit to Hickling would be complete without a shot or two of our Broadland beauty the Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon ssp britannicus). Thing is they have been few and far between due to the cold spring. However the day I saw the wasp six were on the wing.
June 2021. A very late start due to a prolonged cold spring. this one favoured the Ragged Robin
As I mentioned last week everything is bursting into life. So as not to rush around like a ‘headless chicken’ I tried to plan places to visit and species to see. Had to make the most of the heatwave as today it’s broken with heavy showers and thunder due. I have seen and photographed lots of interesting things in the last ten days but I thought I would treat you all to more odonata including a couple of first time sightings!
Standing guard over the garden pond. Male Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa). His manner with the visiting ladies leaves a lot to be desired!
My old buddy John came up from Hertfordshire for a couple of days. We visited Strumpshaw Fen primarily for Swallowtail butterflies. The butterflies were notable by their absence but the dragons put on a great display.
Love the orange colouration of newly emerged Scarce Chasers (Libellula fulva). The males turn blue with a powdery substance called pruinescence whilst the females are brownBanded Demoiselles (Calopteryx splendens) are gorgeous and always worth a photoAnother blue dragonfly on a stick? This is a male Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) which usually only rest on the ground! Seen at Hickling BroadRed-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas) usually rests on floating water weeds like lilies. There were hundreds on the Suffolk Stour
So what about these two lifers? I always like to have a target to aim for. If you fail to see what you travel a long way for this can leave an empty feeling. A successful trip and it’s big smiles for days. Damselflies are not the most ‘in your face’ creatures. Unlike their big, brash, colourful cousins the dragonflies, damsels keep low in the vegetation and go about their business in a slow, quiet way. Make no mistake these tiny insects are vicious predators in their own right. A day out to the Suffolk/Essex border produced the first and also a look at ‘Constable Country’.
White-legged Damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes) Flatford Suffolk. A very distinctive species, this is an immature male which will turn pale blue
The next target was going to be much more tricky. The species can be found only at one site in East Anglia, it is usually found in the south, south/west of the Country. I happened to meet an old friend who knew the exact spot for this tiny damselfly. The place is kept somewhat secret to protect this delicate species. I knew roughly the area but armed with a map, x marks the spot, I found them. Without my friends help I would still be searching now! Let me introduce…..
Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura pumillio) At just over one inch (27mm) long proof that good things come in small packages!
I still have one more rare species to see locally however it should soon be time for the summer butterflies so who knows what I will post next!
This last week has seen an explosion of activity on the odonata front. Not surprising really, after the awful spring we are now in full-on summer mode. Early morning and it’s emergence time at the pond. As the heat builds the damselflies are returning in numbers to mate and lay eggs. So much to see I’m struggling to decide where to venture to next.
“Oi! Get that thing out of my face!” Looks like Mr Grumpy got out of the wrong side of the pond this morning. Newly emerged Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella)A trip to Hickling Broad produced this pleasing shot of a female Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa)Also at Hickling this rather pretty damselfly. Female Blue-tailed (Ischnura elegans) colour form rufescensSpotted this immature female Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas) last week at the Cut-off Channel. Quite common but not a species I see that oftenThe Hairy Dragonfly (Brachytron pratense) is difficult to photograph as it’s always on the move in sunny weather. This lady caught a rather large lunch so had to settle to eat it nicely. Most dragons eat their prey in flightCircle of life. The Large Red Damselflies (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) are returning to my pond to mate and lay eggs
With most very rare species I find myself hitting the road and travelling for hours to see them. Not so with one dragonfly. In the County of Norfolk the Downy Emerald (Cordulia aenea) can only be found in two adjacent ponds and as luck would have it they are just ten minutes away. I won’t name the ponds due to the fragile nature of this species hanging on and limited access though most keen dragonfly enthusiasts know of them. Yesterday (7th) I managed to obtain my first half decent images. The males constantly patrol the pond margins and if they settle it’s high up on a leaf in the overhanging canopy. The lighting is not ideal as you are looking into the sun. No matter, I came home with a big grin on my face (just don’t ask how many shots I took to get six reasonable ones!).
A site reminiscing on the glory days of drag racing and hot rodding culture, the history of our sport and keeping old school traditions alive in the 21st Century.
I have been a huge fan of Drag Racing ever since my first visit to Santa Pod when I was 7-years-old. I love all Motor Sport but Drag Racing is still the one that gets me jumping around enthusiastically. Despite America having the larger NHRA Championships, which I also continuously follow, I have always preferred European and British Drag Racing. This is mainly because I have grown up with it - the first official FIA European Championships were held in 1996 and I haven't missed a big event at Santa Pod since 1997. When an event is on I get to the track, plonk myself down somewhere along the spectator banking and would very happily sit without moving for the entire weekend watching the racing.
