Strumpshaw Fen on a Warm but Windy Day

It was a bit too windy for insect photography today but managed to snap three of Strumpshaw's special species: Scarce Chaser, Norfolk Hawker and Swallowtail Butterfly. Also Red-eyed Damselfly, Marsh Orchid, Heliophilus pendulens, Eristalis species, Tortoiseshell feeding and Nursery Web Spider

Toft Church in Infrared

A clear evening with great cloud formations tempted me to use my infrared camera on an outing round Toft with our local Photogroup. We had for topics to illustrate: blue, old, closeup and glass; a picture of the stained glass window seemed to fulfil all these.  The Dryads Saddle fungus was in great condition -  a single one larger than a dinner plate and a whole cluster on the tree trunk.

Orchids at Kingston Reserve, Cambridgeshire

The orchids are at their best at the moment with dozens of Pyramidal and Common Spotted Orchids, some of them white. There are also a few Bee Orchids hiding in the longer vegetation together with Twayblades. Insects are a bit more numerous now; the Great Pied Hoverfly (Volucella pellucens) was the most common hoverfly and the smallest identified insect was a Picture-winged Fly, Chaetorellia jaceae. Orchids taken with either 100-400mm lens or the Zeiss 50mm at different apertures to try to get enough depth of field for the flower without too distracting background.

Raptor Portraits from Sunday's Photography Day

Forgot that when using an SLR rather than Compact system camera you don't get exposure simulation so had a whole series of overexposed Goshawk images but like the results so sharing them here with other portraits from the day.

Raptor Photography Day at English School of Falconry Bedfordshire

Members of CCC joined other Camera Clubs on a photography day at the new home of the Falconry School, previously at the Shuttleworth Collection. An enjoyable day though the new site leaves a lot to be desired in the surroundings - very small garden area, no wood or lake as previously. The static shots (to follow) were pretty uninteresting.  I was also disappointed in the birds that they flew - the following three, Red Kite, young Bald Eagle and Barn Owl (plus Eagle Owl) were the only ones that really did any sort of display. I think we suffered from being the last display of a busy week.