Sharpenhoe Clappers Butterflies

 We visited Sharpenhoe Clappers on our way back from Dunstable and were rewarded with great numbers of Chalkhill Blues. I was pleased with the mating pair but really wanted to record them in flight. I managed one flight shot which has the feel of the still hot day on a chalk hillside. Sixspot Burnets also in great numbers  and Brimstone (bottom image), Painted Lady, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Large Whites and Meadow Browns.

Kite Festival Dunstable Downs

It was very hot at Dunstable Downs for the Kite Festival and not enough wind for many of the kites but, even so, the various teams put on some very impressive displays, including one man who flew 3 kites, one from each hand and one from the waist. There were also some bizarre individual kites.

Vegetable Patch

 As I download my blog at the end of eachyear and print it as a diary (courtesy of Blurb's wonderful Blog to Blurb facility), sometimes in my entries I like to have images of the garden etc to make comparisons from year to year. This year the vegetable patch is very productive with the broccoli just coming to an end, tons of peas and courgettes and the runner beans about to start cropping.

Southwark Cathedral

 It is many years since I visited Southwark Cathedral so took the opportunity while in the area on Saturday to take some interiors - all handheld. It was cloudy so the lighting was soft which suited the architecture.

Fritillary Hunt

 Gamlingay Woods felt more like a tropical rain forest yesterday with the temperature above 30 degrees and humidity very high. I had gone to see and photograph the Silver Washed Fritillaries. Certainly there were lots of them in every sunlit glade but they are an incredibly active butterfly - I managed just three images in as many hours but the other species made up for it. Brown Hawkers and other Dragonflies also patrolled the clearings - usually seen off by the Fritillaries. Lots of white butterflies - mainly Small and Large Whites (useful tip: no spot = small white male;one spot = large white male;two spots = small white female;two spots and streak = large white female but difficult to always see the spots), Gatekeeper, Small Skipper and Speckled Wood. I hope the images give the feel of being deep in a sunlit summer wood.

The Subway Movement

Quite a lot of the Southbank is boarded up as they as working on the buildings above so ample opportunity on our walk from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge to try some slow shutterspeed images. I like the way modern shorts and leggings and T-shirts are transformed into classy flowing skirts, barebacks and chiffon tops.

Southbank London

A cloudy cooler day for our trip to London was very welcome though not so good for photography. A few scenes to start with. Others to follow.

Grantchester River Walk

The  Cam at Grantchester was alive with Banded Demoiselles and Brown Hawkers this morning. After nearly three hours frustration, I ended up with some images that I like. The Banded males seem to take aggression a bit far and attack females as well as males. The females in contrast seem happy to lay together.

Burwash Sightings

 Visited Burwash Manor Farm on Wednesday afternoon. Very hot and all the same species in flight and egg laying including the Black-Tailed Skimmer seen coupled here. There was also a single Brown Hawker and lots of Green-Veined Whites congregating on the muddy patches.