Wicken and Burwash

 A warmer day brought out a few insects at Wicken Fen today and an Emperor Dragonfly at Burwash Manor. The butterfly is a Large Skipper - hook-shaped black ends to antennae.

Easton Lodge Garden

 We visited Easton lodge Gardens on their July Open day and enjoyed the 23 acres. The gardens date back over 400 years. Their most renowned owner was the Countess of Warwick, mistress of Edward VII. In 1902 she commissioned leading designer Harold Peto to create stunning formal gardens. Abandoned in 1950 after the demolition of the house the gardens were forgotten for nearly 45 years. In 1993 an ambitious restoration programme was started and is still progressing though very slowly. Today some areas were cordonned off because of Giant hogweed. There is a photocompetition for images taken today in the categories Hidden Treasures, Famil and Fun and Flowers and Flora. Above some Hidden Treasures. Below a flower or two and some family fun - took our own model!!

Fly,Beetles and Moths

 This evening's haul of insects from Toft Wood:- a very hairy Dung Fly, Scathophaga species,  and his shadow, mating soldier beetles, mating Narrow-bordered Five-Spot Burnet moths and Cinnabar moth.

Flies

A Scorpion Fly and pair of Thick-headed Flies mating from Toft Wood today.

On a Summer's Evening

 It felt like summer this evening in Cambridgeshire and the butterflies certainly responded. There were large numbers of Small Skipper (orange clubshaped antennae), Meadow Brown, Marbled White and Narrow-Bordered Five-Spot Burnet. It is the firsttime I had recorded Marbled White in Toft Wood.

Aggressive Starlings

 A family of starlings have taken over our bird feeder at the moment and, as well as fighting with each other, they also take on the larger beak of the Greater Spotted Woodpecker.

Canon 100 mm IS Macro

 Definitely the best macro system for me - fast enough focussing to use 'on the hunt' and the image stabilisation allows a small enough aperture for a good depth of field. Thanks Bryan for letting me try your two lenses - really helps when wanting a lens for a specific task.  The last fly is one I haven't consciously seen before - will put it on the Wildlife About Britain forum and get an ID. Also I do not know the small spider. WB Forum took 3 minutes for the reply - The Tephritidae fly, Platystoma seminationis.

Green Woodpecker

 This chirpy fellow was pecking ants etc out of our lawn - not sure what caused him to leap in the air.

Paxton Pits

Trip to Paxton Pits today - not so many terns fishing but lots of Great Crested Grebes. I am still trying the 180 mm macro and pleased with the Hoverflies in flight. Great to see an oat field with cornflowers and corn marigolds.

180mm Macro Trial

Thanks for the loan of the 180mm Sigma Macro Bryan. Have done a few images with it. I like the shallow depth of field for the more pictorial shots like the Hoverfly but do find it limiting for general macro work - I tried all combinations of shutterspeed and ISO versus small aperture to try and get enough depth of field for the entire Speckled Bush Cricket..

Damselfly Eating Cranefly

 I was surprised to see a Large Red Damselfly catch and consume a Cranefly that was almost as big as itself. The three images above are taken with G12 compact in macro setting - pretty good effort for small camera. I then fetched my 5D with 50mm macro lens and flash. First taken without ring flash 180th sec f6.7; the second with ring flash 180th sec f19.

Bexhill in Monochrome

 Some monochrome images from Bexhill - as you gather, I like the architecture - almost imagine oneself in Santorini with the white walls!

The London Salon has Opened in London

The London Salon is now showing at the London Film Museum in Covent Garden. There are nearly 200 images in the exhibition, entry is free and there are other interesting exhibitions in the museum to visit. For full details go to The London Salon website. Venue details at The London Film Museum