Return To Lackford Lakes

Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve run by Suffolk Wildlife Trust is open to visitors though not the Visitor Centre or the Hides. It was good to visit yesterday - our first for 2020 - and to meet up with Sarah. There was a great deal of insect and spider life around. Here is a small selection.

 

 

Banded Demoiselles Enjoying the Sunshine

Several male Banded Demoiselles chased around waiting for passing females in the bright sunshine at Byron's Pool in Grantchester.

Roosting Marbled Whites and Meadow Brown

I have been recording first sightings of Marbled Whites in Toft since their first sighting in 2012; this year a few days earlier than previous records and a month earlier than the early year. Unfortunately there are not many this year so far (8 in yesterday morning's count) - a reflection of the shorter grass or perhaps the very enthusiastic and early summer mowing last year since they are a species that lays their eggs in long undisturbed grass. Bonus yesterday was the dew on the wings - especially impressive on the Meadow Browns. I hadn't taken a tripod so not able to focus bracket successfully but they give the feel of an early morning meadow as the sun came up (5-7 am).

 

My Latest Project - the Toilet-Tent Hide

I had long planned to set up a hide in the garden to photograph birds at our feeder but couldn't afford the prices of professional hides, so here we introduce you to the budget hide - a pop-up toilet tent (£18) with some old camouflage netting to cover the lens window. The birds are amazingly tolerant of its presence - even the very wary young Jackdaws. 

 

 

Introducing the Hosebaby for Clean Images

Those following my blog will know that I have been building a variety of experimental lenses and set-ups over our period of confinement from reversed lenses for macro, coupled lenses for ultramacro to pinholes for that softer look. Here I introduce you to a clean (and very much cheaper!) version of the Lensbaby. It feature a small length of hose from a dead vacuum cleaner and an old 50 mm plastic kit lens from Canon. The kit is shown at the end (as the hose is transparent it needs a black cloth sleeve to keep out extraneous light. The hose allows variable extension of the lens but, as it can also move sideways or up and down, you can get some interesting effects, especially with wildlife - hence the speeding snail! I don't promise but this is probably the last of the contraptions (unless another household gadgets dies!)