Royston Kite Festival

 A perfect day for Royston's Kite Festival with blue skies, puffy clouds and a good breeze. The displays of stunt flying were by the same guys as at Dunstable The area of the Heath where the public flew their kites attracted me with the minute people scattered around and some very large kites.

HextonPits and Chalkhill Blues

 On Thursday we visited Hexton pits on the hottest day of the year (34 degrees) and witnessed the mass flying of what has been estimated as 10,000 Chalkhill Blues. I tried all kinds of lenses to record the flocks of Blues as they flew or were blown over the ridge of the chalkpit. In the end the 100mm macro standing well back proved the best. The Chalkhills appear brown when in flight unless the sun catches them as the blue is from the iridescent hairs on the body and scales on the top surface of the wings. Also recorded Large and Small Whites (photo above - identified by horizontal black wing patch - in the Large White, the patch curves round to also have vertical element), Peacocks, Gatekeepers. All the stems of the plants were covered in aphids.

Wicken Fen

 A bit of catching up from last week's trips. We visited wicken Fen on a cooler rainy day and it was pretty devoid of wildlife though lots of Peacock butterflies and Large Skippers (dark curved tip antennae) were on the wing.

Cambridge Rock Festival

 We were given free tickets to the Cambridge Rock Festival and braved the hot humid conditions for a visit on Thursday evening. As this was the first night, it was not very crowded but still a great atmosphere with everyone very friendly as you see where Phil is engaging in a beard competition (he loses!). The Jimmy Hendrix and Pink floyd Tribute bands gave great opportunity for colourful shots for as long as I could stand the heat in the tent.

Anglesey Abbey

 A warm day last Friday visiting Anglesey Abbey. The couples walking on the lawns seem to be in a previous era and would certainly have been served well by the extensive range of bathrooms in the house.

Light and Shade at Gamlingay

 A few images taken in a sunlit clearing in Gamlingay Wood. The Large and Green-Veined Whites were attracted to the Purple Loosestrife in large numbers while the Speckled Woods rested in the shade.

Sharpenhoe Clappers Butterflies

 We visited Sharpenhoe Clappers on our way back from Dunstable and were rewarded with great numbers of Chalkhill Blues. I was pleased with the mating pair but really wanted to record them in flight. I managed one flight shot which has the feel of the still hot day on a chalk hillside. Sixspot Burnets also in great numbers  and Brimstone (bottom image), Painted Lady, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Large Whites and Meadow Browns.

Kite Festival Dunstable Downs

It was very hot at Dunstable Downs for the Kite Festival and not enough wind for many of the kites but, even so, the various teams put on some very impressive displays, including one man who flew 3 kites, one from each hand and one from the waist. There were also some bizarre individual kites.