Desktop Background Photos

Some of the bugs we photographed were so photogenic that we used them as desktop background images. If you'd like to do the same, you'll find them here.

Computer monitors all used to be 4:3 width:height ratio, but many are now "widescreen", and have a 8:5 ratio. You'll need to download the appropriate version of the image you want. When you set the image as the desktop background, select the "fit to screen" or "stretch to fit" option.

To download the images below, left-click on the links to open them in your web browser, then select "Save" in the "File" menu to save them to disk. Alternatively, right-click on the link, and select "save image as" from the menu which appears.

We'll try to add more photos to this section in future - but, if you particularly like any of the other photos on our pages, and think they'd do well as desktop backgrounds, please contact us.

As with the other photographs and information on this website, these images are all available unter the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence. Follow the link for full details but, briefly, this means that you may use them for any purpose provided that you continue to make them (or resulting works) available under the same terms and that you credit this website as the source.

Creative Commons License
Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) This painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) was one of about twenty which landed on the flowers on our chives in May 2009. An unusually large migration had resulted from good rains in North Africa over the previous months. Click on the image to the left, or here to open the regular (4:3 ratio) version, or here for the widescreen version.
Lesser stag beetle (Dorcus parallelopipedus The lesser stag beetle (Dorcus parallelopipedus) isn't a species we see very regularly. Its larvae feed on rotting wood, so we hope that it has been encouraged by the old logs we have left at the end of the garden for wildlife. This one was so active that it was difficult to get a decent photo. You can see that it has picked up a bit of cobweb on one of its mandibles and antennae. Click for regular (4:3) or widescreen versions.
Trametes versicolor, Turkey tail fungus or Many-zoned polypore Trametes versicolor, the Turkey tail fungus, or many-zoned polypore is very common. This growth appeared on an old piece of ash which had been felled and cut into logs and blocks for firewood some years previously. The flat surface of the wood resulted in this beautifully patterned growth. regular or widescreen.
A piece of sky Yes, we know that you've got sky of your own, but this bit has been usefully cut into 1024x768 and 1680x1050 pixel chunks to fit your computer screen. Sit back and enjoy.
Blood vein moth (Timandra comae) The Blood Vein moth (Timandra comae). This one took a bit of chasing to photograph - as you may have read on our "down the garden" page, I disturbed it among the herbs from where it flew onto the greenhouse. Before I could photograph it there, it flew back to a rosemary bush where I got a couple of shots. It then moved again, and landed on the developing seedpods of an honesty plant where I took this photo. The match between the colours on the moth and the plant made the image particularly attractive. Follow links for 1024x768 and 1680x1050 versions.
Common Frog (Rana temporaria) We found this young common frog among the plants in the herbaceous border whilst weeding (you can see how urgent this job was). 1024x768 and 1680x1050 versions.
Large white butterfly caterpillar (Pieris brassicae) A large white butterfly caterpillar (Pieris brassicae) might not be everyone's idea of an favourite desktop background image - particularly not for vegetable growers - but, in the depths of winter, it may be a reminder of summer (or of things to come next year).1024x768 and 1280x800 (widescreen).
corroded surface of old glass buried in soil A rather abstract image for a desktop background, but this is a photograph of sunlight reflecting from the surface of a piece of old glass we dug up in the vegetable plot. The colours are a result of corrosion of the surface of the glass by water in the soil. It would be nice to know how old it is. 2048x1536 and 1680x1050 versions
Yellow Shell moth (Camptogramma bilineata) A yellow shell moth, photographed on a golden yew bush. 2048x1536 and 1680x1050 versions