Back in the Shire.

The move back to Herefordshire has been completed and I have quickly settled in to getting out and about with the camera. The new camera I hasten to add. Canon, of course, 5D mk 3. What a beauty it is. I haven't quite worked out all of its settings yet, nor have I tried video but I have a good working knowledge. I am impressed with the noise reduction at high ISO. I am mega impressed with the extra pixels. So much more detail in my shots than before.

Grasshopper:

and another:

A shield bug or two.

and a few other creepy crawlies.

A flesh fly and a Deraeocoris Ruber.

Also a few butterflies, starting with these lovely shots of a marbled white.

also a rather smart Painted Lady.

and a Small Copper.

Not a bad collection I hope you would agree. Come back soon and click on the pics for a larger image.

Long hot Fortnight

It has been incredibly hot hasn't it? The kind of weather that makes photography difficult. If you haven't done what you want by lunchtime you are better off waiting till early evening as the light is so harsh during the early afternoon.

On one day out this last week or so I took over 130 frames. With the exception of about 5 or 6 all were deleted on my return home due to not looking quite right.

It's been a few weeks of butterfly and dragonfly photography with a few other bits thrown in.

4 spotted Chaser,

Black Tailed Skimmer,

Banded Demoiselle,

and finally, Emperor.

On the butterfly front I added.

Small Skipper,

and Meadow Brown.

 

I have taken a few bird shots just recently too. I was at Burton Mere RSPB reserve hoping to do dragonflies when this little beaut popped up infront of the hide.

I was also out one evening with the dog, again looking for dragonflies which were none existent. But decided to have a go at the House Martins that were sweeping over the corn. I only had the 70-200mm lens with me but I'm quite pleased with the results.

The highlight of this posting though isn't wild birds, dragonflies or butterflies. Its captive birds. The village had its annual fete on sat 13th and this year there was a bird of prey display. Absolutely fabulous, I even got involved. I had the glove on and the Harris Hawk came to me. Its a fabulous experience the Harris Hawk is quite a large bird. Very intimidating.

The display involved getting the Harris to take food thrown to it in mid flight. I managed the two following shots.

I'm still not sure of the rights or wrongs of keeping such birds in captivity, but still a fabulous occurrence.

Lets hope the weather continues for a while yet.

On the personal front, I am on the move again. Hopefully on or very near to the 26th July. It's a move back to Hereford. At least for 6 months. So forgive me if there isn't a post for a couple of weeks now.

Click on the pics for larger versions.

Keeping up with the Insects

Its been another period of small photography. If creepy crawlies aren't your thing then you may want to stop here.

I like to try and find new stuff to photograph. Stuff I haven't done before, but this doesn't mean that I ignore stuff that I have had. I've tried to combine both.

The Scorpion Fly is a really interesting critter. I like getting them.

I also like Click beetles.

I have often tried to photo ants. I got one recently but I think its a work in progress. It's a red ant.

The majority of photography that I do is done within a few miles of my house. Occasionally I drive to more distant locations. I went to Prees Heath near Whitchurch in Shropshire yesterday (Weds 26th) to look for Silver studded Blue butterflies. The day didn't develop as I'd hoped because as the sun broke through the clouds the wind got up to a mighty bluster. Photography was very difficult.

Silver Studded.

Small Heath.

Prees Heath is a work in progress, the sight of a second world war airfield it is being managed to offer a heathland habitat for lots of species of birds and insects. I was amazed by some of the things I saw during this visit. Redstart, who'd have thought it? I could not believe when I heard a Redstart singing that it was what I was hearing. However, sure enough there it was and indeed there they were as it was joined by a female. My first of 2013.

A family of Green Woodpeckers. at least 4 juveniles and the two adults feeding all around me. A Skylark was seen along with Meadow Pipits, Yellowhammer, GSW, and a Buzzard.

On the insect front there were not as many offerings as I'd hoped. What there were however were quite impressive.

The first was a Garden Chafer, a cracking little critter. The second is a Gorse Shield Bug.

Back locally the bugs have been continuing to provide opportunities.

The first is a Common Green Capsid.

This is a Nursery Web Spider,

customarily carrying its egg sack around with it.

This Dung fly wanted to play hide and seek,

I am still trying to identify this character, i think it could be a member of the Tetragnathidae family.

The Wasp Beetle never fails to impress me.

Finally two caterpillar offerings.

The first is a Comma butterfly caterpillar, the second is a Yellow tailed moth caterpillar.

Well I hope you have enjoyed this offering. Its going to be wet for the next few days apparently so there may be a delay in the next post. Make sure you come back soon, and click on the pictures for a bigger version.

Sunshine came softly.

Well, what a week. Fabulous sunshine, great company, my little grandson and family on the door step and a couple of lifetime firsts to boot.

In a week where I drove best part of 800 miles you might think I wouldn't have had chance to do much photography, but I did squeeze in two complete days with the camera, one of which was a day with Mr Carey. I drove up to meet him in Silverdale, Lancashire. He was up there doing orchids and butterflies.

We met at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve but were soon on the road to a couple of locations for orchids, one of which produced lifetime firsts for me of, Ladys slipper Orchid and Duke of Burgundy butterfly.

Back at Leighton Moss and refreshed with a brew we watched the Avocets and their chicks. Mr Carey kindly treated me to tea at the Silverdale hotel and I left him at about 8pm and headed home, chuffed at both seeing him for the first time for ages and for having had a great day.

As previously mentioned, my daughter and her family were holidaying at Rhyl for the week. I went down to Hereford to collect them on the Monday and on Wednesday I went and spent a few hours with them. We went to the Welsh Mountain Zoo at Colwyn Bay. Now I'm not a great lover of zoos. I do appreciate that they do a lot of species protection but it pains me something awful to see tigers, bears and snow leopards stuck in tiny little enclosures, along with other stuff that although not so magnificent equally should be in their natural habitat. However that said I do feel that the Zoo has the animals interests at the forefront of their mind.

Back to photography a trip to Burton Mere RSPB reserve produced shots of a Red Eyed Damselfly,

and Azure Damselfly,

and a smashing Cardinal Beetle

Having returned my daughter and co to Hereford on friday I was determined to make the most of the weekend and a trip on Sunday was to prove to be an amazing day. I decided to got to Whixall Moss Nature Reserve in Shropshire. Its not far from Whitchurch and is managed by Natural England. Its a peat bog area full of all kinds of species of flora and fauna. High on my list of hopes, infact top of the list were White faced Darter. A very rare dragonfly which occur in good numbers at the site. I had hoped for others too, I was hoping to add to the chaser list as well. Curlew, Cuckoo, Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, and Meadow Pipit were seen or heard, Green veined white, Large white, Brimstone, and Speckled Wood were seen. Azure Blue, Large Red and Blue tailed Damselflies were seen. 4 Spot Chaser were seen and photographed.

The stars of the show though were indeed the White faced Darter.

Seen and photographed for the first time ever, I was so chuffed. Such a stunning little Dragonfly.

One other occurence made the day brilliant, whilst on my knees getting wet trying to photograph a 4 Spot, I happened to look up and saw a Hobby circling the pool I was knelt by, it came closer and closer until it flew directly overhead. I have never had such close up views of a Hobby, it took my breath away.

I will definately be going back in the near future.

Other insects I have photo'd this week.

Top to bottom, Dung Fly, False Oil Beetle, Leaf Beetle and a Saw fly and most unusual shot is this of an empty Dragonfly larva, probably 4 spot Chaser.

My dog helped me find this, I was calling her back from the waters edge of a local pond when I saw it.

Looks like variable weather this week but I'll be out when I can.