RPS Nature Group at a Wet RSPB Lakenheath Fen

Somehow the weather knows when we are to hold an RPS Nature Group outing so for the third outing recently, after a fine week, Saturday was cool and wet. This was not good for those wanting birds in action - the Hobbies must have spent a hungry day and even the Bitterns, Kingfishers and Warblers , although present, were difficult to pick out from the foliage. I decided to go for the bird in the landscape! But for macro workers, the conditions were good with no wind or harsh lighting to contend with. Lots of  snails, spiders, flies and damselflies; my favourites of the day were the pair of Leaf Beetles and the Long-horned Moth. Thanks for the usual hospitality by the RSPB staff.

Toft Photogroup Cambridge Challenge

Our village has a small photogroup and on Friday we ventured into Cambridge for an evening's photography. We were set the challenge of illustrating 4 topics. With the help of Photoshop the first image combines all of them, Knockers, Red, 10 and Movement (felt it best not to knock repeatedly on the door to get movement!) 

Strange Insect Behaviour Revealed Among the Orchids

I visited two of our local meadows with friends from CCC as there are particularly good displays of Common Spotted, Bee, Man and Twayblade Orchids at the moment, including an albino Spotted  Orchid. I was fortunate to spot a Soldier Beetle visiting Twayblade flowers for the nectar and at the same time picking up the pollen sacs on its head. These club-shaped pollinia attach to the head of the insect with sticky pads and will pollinate other flowers the beetle visits. Deeper in the foliage, a crab spider female holds onto her lunch while the smaller male attaches itself around her abdomen. Similar scenario with a couple of Dance flies, the female clasping her Crane fly prey.

Changes in London's Skyline

One of the great things about keeping a blog with regular entries is to be able to look back at previous entries. The images are taken from different positions but show how the Gherkin and adjacent buildings are now dwarfed by the new tower blocks.

August 2007

December 2008

June 2015

London Salon Opening in Croydon.

Passed through King's Cross on the way to Croydon for the Opening of the London Salon. Looked positively continental in the summer sunshine and there were certainly some interesting installations to photograph. We stopped off at London Bridge on the way back and spent a bit of time in Borough Market - very crowded and vibrant but one lady found a peaceful corner to catch up on phone calls.

Ely Eventing - Part Three - BE90 Group on Sunday

Sarah couldn't join us on Friday due to the boring requirement to work so we met her at Little Downham on Sunday.  We spent a few hours photographing the young and not-so-young less-experienced eventers. Here a few shots - again lots of different shutterspeeds - the penultimate shot was taken at 1/60th and is just about acceptably sharp. Using a slow shutterspeed relies on the horse keeping its head pretty still. My favourite horse was the first one here - beautiful patterning and character.