One of the major attractions of Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, is the ability to see Red Squirrels up close and personal. I had the pleasure of visiting the Dorset Wildlife Trust reserve there on the Island, twice in October, when the squirrels are actively feeding and hiding nuts for the winter ahead. They come very close to people, even sitting eating on the tables right next to you. Here
I visited the North Yorkshire Dales in September – and as well as taking some Red Grouse photos, I also shot some landscape views whilst doing some hiking in the Dales. These are my favourite four landscape images from the visit. First a view over Swaledale from near the place I was staying. Then a view over Wensleydale from a hillside near West Burton. West Burton is a pretty village,
On a recent trip to the Yorkshire Dales, I spent a day wandering up and down and over a Yorkshire Moor. This heather and grass environment was a great place to see and hear Red Grouse in the wild. The day gave me lots of pictures, and I have kept many. This selection, I feel are the best of the keepers from the grouse shoot. On several of these I
I spent a couple of afternoons at Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve on the late August Bank Holiday, one in reasonably sunny weather, the other far more overcast. On the first afternoon there were good views of a Common Sandpiper outside the Tern Hide. Further around the reserve, at the aptly named Lapwing Hide, there were a number of lapwings nearby. Finally from the first day was this flying gull. On
On a recent visit to Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve, I had the pleasure to watch and photograph some Common Terns feeding their youngsters at close range. Viewing them from the aptly named Tern Hide overlooking Ibsley Water, the young terns perched on posts only a few feet from the windows. Here is a profile picture of one of the juvenilles sitting on one of said posts. I was also fortunate
Summer is a time of colour for birds – with the adults in their breeding plummage – and the youngsters adding to is as they start to fledge. Perhaps one of the more startling transformations that is viewable in the UK is that of the Turnstone. From a drab white and brown winter birds – the adult breeding plumage is a bright orange. I was lucky enough to see one
Nature is amazing, and often amusing, like this young Starling that today, whilst pulling of an impressive Balancing act – see the video for this, managed to pull of some great expressions that could certainly make it a contender for inclusion in the popular game Angry Birds.
A freezing cold end of January afternoon called for a walk around somewhere coastal & exposed. The place to do that nearby, was chosen to be Normandy Marsh, part of the Keyhaven – Lymington Nature Reserve, where it is really exposed. Armed with a folding seat and my 300mm lens and 1.4x converter, I set off on a hunt for some wading winter birds. As the tide was out, but
As a visitor to Radipole Nature Reserve on occassions, I have only once before seen any of the Bearded Tits that are resident there. This afternoon was my second fortunate occassion to see and photograph these pretty birds. The only downside being the light was not the best – however seeing these birds is a treat whatever the weather. Here are my best three shots of them. Of course they
A bright but very windy Sunday afternoon, helped slow the gulls down in flight as I walked around the headland to Mudeford Quay. These gulls – juvenille herring gulls I first spotted overhead. This first one was almost directly over me. Before lowering a bit – unfortunately the wing is slightly chopped off. I need more practice at it 🙂 And this one is just not quite there again –
