Launde Abbey in the Rain

The journey to Launde Abbey (near Rutland Water) for a Nature Photographers convention involved a large number of flooded roads both near home in Cambridgeshire and around the Abbey itself. I took a paddle around the grounds before the first session started.

More Small Invertebrates

Pruning the Buddleias yesterday took a very long time as each branch needed to be beaten to dislodge any insects etc, some of which I photographed and most of which were minute like this exquisite Leafhopper and the Rough Woodlouse. The Spider and Centipede were dislodged from our low brick wall while tidying the ivy - wonderful brick coloration!

Insects in the Autumn Garden

Although the night-time temperatures dipped to near freezing the last two days, the sun has been warm and yesterday I recorded a large number of active insects including these very small Weevils on the hollyhocks, one of which appeared to be egg laying.

Brandon Country Park Afternoon

Still cold but with cloudless skies, we explored other areas of Brandon - first I did my annual visit to a colony of slime moulds on a rotten conifer trunk (Trichia decipiens) and then to the area of conifers and silver birch where there were abundant Fly Agarics. Various techniques tried from wide-angle single shots to 20-image stacks, mostly with Fuji X100V.

 

Brandon Country Park Morning

Yesterday was my annual visit to Brandon Country Park for fungi (accompanied by members of the RPS Nature Group) and we were so lucky with a beautiful sunny day and very abundant specimens. Here some from the morning session - I was concentrating on the smaller unusual species in the leaf litter etc and on back lighting in the early morning sun. The first image Spathularia flavida is not recorded on the NBN atlas for the area so one for i-record and was complemented by the Hare's Ear fungus. Afternoon finds next!!