Third Water Survey at Paxton Pits

Yesterday, we did the last of this year's three water fauna surveys at Paxton Pits - here are a few of the creatures we found. The IDs are tentative in some cases where the diagnostic features are difficult to see in a photo. Others, like the leeaches are easier where the species are separated by the numbers and positioning of the eyes.

Destruction of Local Wildlife Habitats

It took me several days before I could do my 'daily' walk around the footpath in Toft that goes along the Mill Lane Drift down the side of the allotments and back along the stream into Toft Wood as I had heard the large machinery at work earlier and feared for the worst. 

We no longer have a stream - just a V-shaped deep drainage ditch and the Badgers and hedgerow birds (including Whitethroats, Dunnocks, Wrens and Blackbirds) have lost a valuable breeding habitat. 

Full Spectrum Photography - Autumn Rain

I took my full spectrum Lumix camera for a walk in the rain and concentrated on flowers, berries and leaves. Rather too slow shutterspeeds as light was very poor but I like the colour palettes. There is some channel swapping of background colours in Lightroom but often as taken.

Welney at 'Sunset'

As often happens, a bank of cloud developed low down so we didn't see the sun actually set but, before it went behind the cloud, the colours were spectacular across the water, varying from golden to deep cyan. Not the best shots technically but it gives an idea of colours.

Bristol Abstracts

A few abstracts taken in Bristol on Thursday late afternoon before the rain stopped play. All handheld between 1/50th and 1/8th second just playing with movement, colour and shapes of the water features in Millenium Square etc