Two shots of a Barn Owl getting airborn in beautiful evening light.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Dragon Boat Racing
A few pictures from the Dragon boat racing on the Cam yesterday. The crew featured here are the Viking Queens in case you couldn't guess!
It was a showery and blustery start to the day. This did not deter the participants but did result in a capsize
after one of the races. Visibility was very poor by then with the rain.
It was a showery and blustery start to the day. This did not deter the participants but did result in a capsize
after one of the races. Visibility was very poor by then with the rain.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Leaf-cutter ants
Spent some time studying and photographing these leaf-cutter ants. They cut and carry the leaf pieces back to the nest as fodder for the fungi that then feed the young. I was intrigued by the presence on many of the leaf fragments of 'passenger' ants - always smaller than the ant carrying the leaf.
Update from Web
This is a known behaviour - the smaller ants climb on to guard the larger ant carrying the leaf
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Saturday afternoon
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Toy Museum
Friday, September 3, 2010
Sunrise In Tynemouth
Some images of this morning's dawn at Tynemouth. The sky was completely clear at sunrise
Evening Light at Tynemouth
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Off to Tynemouth
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
A Sunny Afternoon
On a warm sunny afternoon, the dragonfly pools beckoned and provided some fascinating subjects. The blue damselfly in the first image shared its twig with a spider, a red-eyed fly and a snail. The spider seemed more frightened by the damsefly than vice versa.
The Emerald Damselfly is a very attractive insect with a beautiful emerald green thorax.
The Red Darters were busy egg laying on the surface of the pond - I loved the silhouettes against the reflected sky.
The Emerald Damselfly is a very attractive insect with a beautiful emerald green thorax.
The Red Darters were busy egg laying on the surface of the pond - I loved the silhouettes against the reflected sky.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Still Trying Flying Dragons and Damsels
I have borrowed a 300mm 2.8 lens as I have been wondering whether the faster lens would perform better than my 100-400mm lens when trying to follow flying dragonflies (anyway my 100-400 is away having the friction ring repaired). The answer is yes though, as it was mostly cloudy this afternoon, there weren't any dragonflies only a few damsels to fully test the theory.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Therfield Fields
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Foraging for Nectar
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Paxton Pits Dragonflies
I wanted to get a good image of a flying Brown Hawker but failed dismally to get any in focus. I felt a bit of compensation with this image of a blue damselfly feeding off another insect - looks like a mayfly but not sure.
The trio of Blue Damselflies with their reflections also was surprisingly sharp.
Red Darters flying in tandem worked reasonably well but I prefer the pair in the tree with one coyly looking round a leaf.
Finally a Water Boatman - difficult to portray the fact that it is hanging on the underside of the water surface.
The trio of Blue Damselflies with their reflections also was surprisingly sharp.
Red Darters flying in tandem worked reasonably well but I prefer the pair in the tree with one coyly looking round a leaf.
Finally a Water Boatman - difficult to portray the fact that it is hanging on the underside of the water surface.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Bye Bye to the Swallows
Our garage is full of roosting swallows each evening at the moment (presumably young from the two broods that were raised in the garage this year). They are making an awful mess but it is a privilidge to be ab le to get so close to them. They will soon be off to Africa - not sure if the adults go first as with cuckoos or whether the families go together.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
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