Lakenheath 2: Reed Buntings

With the recent rains, the water levels at Lakenheath are high enough to flood the feeding station giving great opportunity for reflection images. I also tried to capture some of the Reed Buntings in flight.

Early Insects Cambridge Botanic Gardens

Insects recorded at Botnaic Gardens cambridge on the 8th March Eristalis tenax, Episyrphus balteatus, Buff-tailed and Red-Tailed Bumblebees

Lakenheath birds I

Great to visit Lakenheath yesterday on a chilly but mostly sunny day and to meet up with John and Christine. We were greeted in the car park by the sound of bugling Cranes and had two different sightings of pairs of Cranes. The Coots were definitely paired with no squabbling but the very pristine Great Crested Grebe did not appear to have a mate. More passerines to follow.

Toft Wood Lichens

The high winds have brought down lots of branches from the trees in the wood, many encrusted with Lichens. Here some focus-stacked images first under normal white light and then under UV light. The first twig has a number of different species including Xanthoria parietina (bright orange under UV), Parmelia sp (grey green), Lecanora chlarotera etc. The second pair of images demonstrates how the UV fluorescence shows the margins between the species: here Lecanora chlarotera (brown caps),   Lecanora albella (pale cups), Lecidella elaeochroma black fruits and margin, 

Cambridge Railway Cycle Bridge

The Tony Carter covered cycle bridge over the railway just north of Cambridge railway station opened in 1989. It was listed at the time in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's longest covered cycle bridge. It is named after a Labour councillor of the era. It is certainly in need of a good clean (2nd image shows it in 2006 with clear views.

Wet Evening on Riverside

Only  Malcom (with a very clever tripod umbrella clamp), Paul (with his fancy torch), and I braved the fairly heavy rain for last night's Wednesday workshop at Riverside in Cambridge. Certainly no chance of star trails!! I used a fish eye and then a 18-55mm lens (different star burst effects), neither of which have an adequate hood but here are a few shots that I liked including one of several boats exercising up and down the river.