Cyanotypes

Yesterday, I shared a day making Cyanotypes with members of Cambridge Camera club. Lots of fun was had doing both wet cyanotypes where various 'chemicals' can be added to the composition before exposing to the sun, and dry cyanotypes done on commercial precoated paper. As so often, it was the detail in some of the images before washing that took my eye.

Orchids, Moths etc at Buxton Heath

Buxton Heath outing was one of the highlights of this year for me with its wide variety of specialized heathland species many of which we managed to see. Here the Marsh Helleborine with its abundant  population of small insects, Southern Marsh Orchids, Beautiful Yellow Underwing caterpillar, Fox Moth caterpillar and Rusty Tussock moth flightless female egg laying. Final three Hoverfly Eristalinus sepulchre, Five-spot Burnet and the Bog Cricket

CCC Walk at Grantchester

Yesterday evening, we held our annual meet up and walk at Grantchester. Usually there are lots of Demoiselles, Mayflies etc to photograph in the reeds and long grass but this year has been so dry that insects were in very short supply but we our walk around the village produced plenty of photographic opportunities.

Norfolk Hawker and Waders at Winterton

There are several small ponds in the dunes at Winterton adn one had a very obliging Green-eyed (Norfolk) Hawker, shot here at 1/2000th with mechanical shutter. Along the shoreline were several dunlin and ringed Plover, the latter with young. Spiders and seals completed the wildlife parade.

 

Raptors and Little Terns Winterton

Winterton is a well-known site for winter raptors but yesterday they also put on a great summer show including this very tame kestrel and two appearances of a Hobby feasting on the Little Terns. In the third image here, the Hobby is at a distance being pursued by angry adult terns. In the fourth shot, one was much closer but I had 1/500th set for insect photography so unfortunately not sharp. It looks as if it is a fledging tern that it has captured - as the RSPB warden said ' better to scrifice one fledgling than an adult that has potential to produce many more young'.