My photograph of the month for August

With the beautiful sunny weather of August and a new camera to play with, I had a lot of fun with photography this month. My only problem was when I came to do this blog, I had a lot of photos to chose from. In the end I settled on this photo.

I was photographing the Banded Demoiselles along the canal when this little beauty positioned itself perfectly on a stem of grass. Underneath, almost hidden, a patient spider waited. The demoiselle was only there for a moment and then off it flew, dancing in the gentle summer’s breeze.

#30DaysWild – highlights from 2019

Here are my highlights from #30DaysWild 2019. Moving house, while working full time and joining in with 30 Days Wild wasn’t easy, but it was very worth it!

One of the best things I have done all month is putting up the bird feeder in my new home. It didn’t take long for the birds to find it! I now have regular visits from Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Robins, Blackbirds, Sparrows. I also have Collared Doves and Wood Pigeons hovering up the dropped crumbs. Winding down from a day at work, I now find myself sitting with my cuppa and watching my new feathered friends!

#30DaysWild – Day 30 – Visited an old wild haunt!

Today I visited a nature reserve I hadn’t been for a few years, Avon Meadows Community Wetlands at the edge of Pershore. It was I place I use to regularly visit, so I wondered what changes I would see.

I have seen so many wild patches turned into housing estates. A small field becoming a cramped area of brick, mortar and tarmac. Nothing wild left or even welcome. So I was worried I would arrive to see this lovely wetlands gone. A forgotten memory of something green and good.

But I needn’t have worried. Not only was the place still there, but clearly there have been great efforts to enhance the area for wildlife. There was an area with no public access, a bird hide and a sculpture of a heron.

I was thrilled to see that this beautiful place had been embraced and was clearly cared about!

 

#30DaysWild – Day 27 – Life aquatic

Today I took a closer look at the life in, on and around water. I saw plenty of life, but nothing was more impressive than the stunningly colourful male sticklebacks I spotted making their nests.

 

#30DaysWild – Day 24 – Bug hunting

With it being the last day of National Insect Week, today I went on a bug hunt!

Taking a stroll around farmer’s field, I saw an amazing array of insects. A wonderfully relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

My photograph of the month for July

Here is my photograph for July,  a female Beautiful Demoiselle seen in my local nature reserve.

You can have a peek at my photograph for last month here.

Day 11 #30DaysWild – An Unexpected Urban Safari

Needing a trip to the supermarket today, I decided to shake my routine up a bit and head towards Tamworth retail estate. Once done, I could have headed straight home but decided to stretch my legs and follow the path into Tamworth town centre.

My first wild moment was the highlight of the day and could not have been more urban wild! Looking over towards the main road underpass, I had the unexpected delight to see an Oystercatcher dabbling in a large puddle!

I continued on along the path and came across what I now know is Borrow Pit Lake. Between the A5, the Snow Dome and a large retail estate, it really wasn’t what I expected to find! It was teeming with life! A short walk turned into an exploration of several hours!

Walking round the lake I passed a flotilla of Canada and Graylag Geese.

A little further on and I came across the Oystercatcher for a second time! I also greeted by the peep-peep-peeping of a family of Swans and a family of Mallards! All still very cute and fluffy! They were so lovely to see, they completely distracted me from the two elegant birds that stood so obviously before me. A Heron, a little way from me and a gorgeous Little Egret!

As I continued on, I encountered more wildlife and some gorgeous views! This is a wild haven I shall be visiting again very soon!

Day 8 & 9 #30DaysWild

Day 8
My day was mainly filled with (necessary) housework, not a particularly wild thing to do. Though short pause was needed to escort a Ground Beetle out the back door so I could continue vacuuming! I did take a break, stretch my legs and get some sun. I took a short walk around my neighbourhood wild patch. Not only was it nice to feel the warm summer air on my skin, but I also spotted my first, second and third Damselfly of the year!

Day 9
Today has been full of much needed rest and relaxation! This did include another walk around my neighbourhood wild patch and also a little further into the surround fields

Though I had only visited the wild patch 24 hours earlier, I knew that some things would have remained the same, but there’s always something different to see!

The bees that yesterday covered the invading gooseberry bushes, were still busily buzzing round the flowers today. The call of a Whitethroat filling the whole area with song was again singing loudly today! But the three Damselflies I spotted yesterday were now joined by an abundance of the little beauties! The Large White butterflies were fluttering in the sun just like yesterday, but now Speckled Wood butterflies also enjoying the warm sun light on the trees. The songs of the Chiffchaff and Great Tit of yesterday were now joined by the accompanying calls of their newly fledged chicks! And to cap off today’s visit, as I arrived the air was cut through with the piercing cries of a low flying Buzzard that flew just a feet about the meadow as it departed!

My walk into the fields did take me past an ice cream van. A FAB was bought and thoroughly enjoyed, as was the aerial display from the House Martins and Swallows!

As I relished a slow walk home I noticed a couple of Wolf Spiders stood proud over their egg sacks. I stopped to take a closer look. I started to count … I got to 20 and gave up as I noticed another group close-by. There must have been 40, possible even 50 individuals in a few square metres of the long grass! Quite a sight to see!

My New Neighbourhood: Part 2

One beautiful sunny day I decided to explore my direct local area. Investigate footpaths, local lanes, and wheat fields. What was meant to be a little wander did end up being a very long walk! It was worth it, I got to see and photograph some wonderful wildlife.

My 2014 in wildlife photographs: Part 1 – Butterflies & Moths, and other Bugs!

For one reason or another I haven’t had the opportunity to blog much this year. I still made sure that I seized every opportunity to photograph wildlife in all its beauty and glory!

I decided to have a look over my photos from 2014 today, I was reminded of some of the most incredible animals I had witnessed over the last 12 months. I thought I would put together a blog, which quickly became the 2 blogs that I am posting today and tomorrow!

Part 1 – Butterflies & Moth, and other Bugs!

Part 2 – Birds and Mammals

I’ve chosen 12 of my photographs of butterflies & moths from 2014, one for each month of the year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other Bugs!

This year I have encountered some truly intriguing and beautiful bugs, all sizes, shapes and colours! Such a rich diversity, picking out only 12 photographs of these incredible and essential creatures was rather difficult. Here, after much pondering, are 12 of my photographs of bugs I found 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which leaves me with only one last thing to do this New Years Eve, and that to wish you all a wonderful New Year!