Final Summer Migrants Arrive at Paxton

While the Heron chicks are getting ready for fledging with short exploratory leaps, the final summer migrants have arrived with the sky full of Hobbies and Sand Martins while the Cuckoo was both seen and heard. More images of the Great Crested Grebe family to come  - fingers crossed the young survive the Cormorant attacks etc.

Entering Another World

I spend a lot of time trying to get sharp accurate images of insects etc for recording purposes so I decided for our CCC outing to Trumpington Meadows to try a softer approach with shallow depth of field and purposely using out-of-focus vegetation to further limit the amount of sharp details. I was lucky with the dull lighting which suited the technique. Taken on a Fuji X100V compact with Raynox close up filter at F2 to F5.6. The original idea was to photograph the buttercups but ran out of time other than the multiexposure and a couple of close ups

Toft Garden Early May

A catch up on the records for the last few days in my garden in Cambridgeshire. Lots of favourite species emerged over the last few days with the very warm weather, including the Speckled Bush Cricket  and also some species still around though past their zenith such as the Ashy Mining Bees. The bee hotels have been busy with the Red Mason Bees bringing in mud to seal their cells. They collect water at the edge of the pond but I am resisting photographing this as I have already got very wet once this year getting too engrossed in the task!! ID sheet at end

 

RSPB Fowlmere

Fowlmere reserve was aloud with Cuckoo Calls and Reed Warblers in full song but the best photo opportunity was this fledging Robin waiting to be fed by its parent.