Bumblebee Wash It had been raining heavily when I discovered this bumblebee sheltering beneath an aster flower. Bees can’t fly too well when they are wet, which provides an opportunity to shoot them while they are relatively motionless as they dry out. … Continue reading
Tag Archives: nature
I saw Bee Orchids for the first time last week, on a walk in the rain, around Sheepcote valley. There weren’t many of them, about 36 flowering stems in about an acre of grassland and only one of those stood … Continue reading
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
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
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
One of my favourite places for macro photography is Mill Hill Nature Reserve which overlooks the Adur valley just north of Shoreham in Sussex. It’s an unimproved chalk grassland, maintained by the South Downs Conservation Board – a rare and … 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