Poppies and Dragons at Burwash Farm Cambridgeshire

Lucky to have caught a bee in flight on my first poppy shot. Lovely display in the fields leading to the dragonfly pools. Plenty of Four-spot chasers, Emperor Dragonflies and Black-Tailed Skimmers. There were also hundreds of small long-legged bright metallic green flies on the mud and some Whirligig beetles on the water surface.

Marbled Whites are Emerging

 A handful of Marbled Whites were on the wing in Toft Wood this afternoon along with Ringlets, Small Heaths, Meadow Browns and Narrow-Bordered five-Spot Burnet Moths

Last Post from Northumberland

We are back from Northumberland after a rather cool cloudy week overall so my last post is from sunset last Saturday, the only real clear evening. If you look closely you can see members of our party, Barry, Sue, Sarah, Lynne and Shelagh making the most of the beautiful lighting and location. Thanks for your company - a very enjoyable week.

Birds from Northumberland Coast

A miscellany of birds seen during our week in Beadnell area (excluding Farne Islands), including Eider ducks, Little, Arctic, Common and Sandwich Terns, Fulmar, Herring Gull, Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting, Ringe Plover and Kittiwakes. The weather has not been great for bird photography as generally needed iso 800.

Sea Creatures at Seahouses, Northumberland

Dabbling in rock pools searching out the strange variety of life that exists there brought back many happy childhood memories. The first creature is Botryllus schlosseri a colonial sea squirt. Each of the 'stars' comprises several individual sea squirts which share a central spout. This is repeated over the whole colony. They are all genetically identical repoducing by budding though they also have a motile sexual stage. Next comes a Sea Slug species with wonderful fluorescent blue tips to the tentacles. Also starring  Sea Anemones, Jelly fish, Sand Hoppers and Shrimps.