British Blue Butterflies Castle Hill, on the edge of the city of Brighton & Hove, is a Nature Reserve within the South Downs National Park. The habitat of chalk grassland and mixed scrub has been designated a Site of Special … Continue reading
Category Archives: Nature
Shield Bug Prey I was lying down in grass on Ditchling Common in Sussex when out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something happening which grabbed my attention. A Spiked Shieldbug, Picromerus bidens was dragging this Pale Tussock … Continue reading
This is a very small insect, 6-9 mm in length, with the female being considerably larger than the darker-coloured male. It isn’t an insect I go out specifically looking for but one which I might photograph if I come across … Continue reading
I came across this Drinker moth caterpillar when wandering around in the rain last week at Woods Mill nature reserve in West Sussex. It took some time before I found much insect activity as many insects were sheltering beneath leaves … Continue reading
I hadn’t been to Ditchling Common in December before and was surprised to see frost and ice on the ground on a day when it must have been about 10 degrees warmer in Brighton and which still hadn’t melted by … Continue reading
Being thoroughly fed up with the chilly weather conditions last month which precluded my excursions into the country for macro photography, I made the decision to go out on 22 June whatever the weather. When I set out, it was … Continue reading
Whilst ‘Runner-up‘ doesn’t have anything like the cachet of ‘Winner’, I’m pleased that ‘Euphorbia‘ was thus placed in Outdoor Photography’s competition this month. Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 100mm f2.8 USM macro lens, ISO 200, 1/400sec at f3.2, tripod, … Continue reading
There’s so much photographic subject matter at Kew Gardens that my visit lasting just one day left me feeling frustrated that I couldn’t stay longer. The gardens open at 9.30 am and close at 7.30 pm at weekends during Spring … Continue reading
I’ve neglected my blog, there’s no denying it as my posts have dwindled to almost zilch this year. I’ve been packing suitcases since February starting with a trip to Austria then the Philippines, France and Wales. I shouldn’t be too … Continue reading
This is where I learned to do scientific reef checking with Coral Cay Conservation last month in an Marine Protected Area. The coral was growing close to the surface of the water, right up to the low water mark and … Continue reading