Lophophorus impejanus. Adult male.
For one reason or another I had never managed to get a photo showing all the wonderful colours on this species. This male was benefiting from Exmoor's policy of letting the grass grow in their exhibits - he was feeding on carefully selected blades of grass. Does anyone know if this grass is the wonderfully named Yorkshire fog?
@Prochilodus246 Gosh! Did I really get it right? Thank you.
I am not alone in my bewilderment about grass species. There is a wonderful letter that Darwin wrote to his great friend Joseph Dalton Hooker (of Kew Gardens), celebrating his achievement in identifying a specimen of grass correctly for the first time.
That's amazing, I also go fanatical over grass species, so in the summer months I always note down plant species in my meadow and last year I discovered briza maxima had seeded its way into it.