Hardwick Wood

 A very enjoyable walk right round Hardwick Wood this afternoon with Ann and Mike. Quite a lot of Bird song including Cuckoo, ChiffChaff, Nuthatch, Gt Spotted Woodpecker etc and all the expected spring flowers - here a selection of shots (Bluebell,Wood Anemone, Primrose, Oxlip, Celandine). The area that was coppiced this year and then fenced off has wonderful large Oxlips while many in the open wood have been nibbled off, presumably by Muntjac Deer. Quite a few large White and Speckled Wood butterflies on the wing. 

Both Species Bee Flies at Stowe NT Gardens

I had my lunch break at Stowe national Trust Gardens on may way back from Bristol. There were lots of Bee Flies including my first opportunity to photograph the Dotted Bee Fly (Left, Bombyllius discolor) and well as the Dark-Edged Bee Fly (Right, Bombyllius major). Left I also enjoyed capturing spring lambs and spring flowers!

Hardwick Wood Focus on Flowers

I spent a morning in Hardwick Wood last week trying to perfect my technique for focus bracketing  using Fuji X100V  i.e. aperture, focus point, number of shots, distance lens moves between shots etc (images 1-4,6 are stacks) . Not sure I am a lot further forward as still a degree of hit and miss as regards the different parameters including light on the subject - the sun made a brief appearance during the second image plus an LED front light. Other images employed shallow depth of field