Lakenheath Landscapes, Robin and Rats

A final few from our visit to Lakenheath RSPB reserve last week. I always enjoy the wide open vistas - hard to believe it was Poplar woodland (Bryant and May matches) and carrot fields when we first visited in the 1970s. The young rats in final image were intriguing in the way they wrapped themselves around the bird feeder.

St Albans Nest Building Underway

I called in at the park in St Albans on my way back from talking in Tring the night before. Great to talk to a 'live' audience. The sun had just come above the trees giving beautiful but harsh light on the incoming Grey Heron as it went back and forth bringing twigs to the nest site. Only this one Heron was evident - hopefully there are others. The clouds then came up so the light was poor for the Magpie collecting nest material and the Coot guarding its nest site from a passing Moorhen.

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,