Spring Markers 2022

 Each year on this date, I record what is out in the garden, partly because it is the Spring Equinox but also because it was my first husband, James Chase's birthday and he loved gardening and nature (he would have been 80 today but unfortunately he only lived for 30 of those years). Spring is fairly well advance this year particularly after the last few days warm sunshine with Japonica, plum blossom, Anemone blanda, Spurge, cowslips, aubretia, celandine, violet, daffodil, comfrey etc in bloom

Stanwick Lakes - Landscapes and Birds

The sky was ideal for a bit of landscape photography on Monday at Stanwick Lakes and even the commoner birds made attractive subjects in the sunshine.

Insects Toft Churchyard March 15th

A project for this year is to record the wildlife, especially the insects, throughout the year in Toft churchyard. Here is the record from Tuesday's visit. I will attempt to repeat at regular intervals in equivalent sunny conditions. The stars were these minute mating Weevils on Daffodil. There were 5 species of bee: Red- and Buff-tailed bumblebees,  Hairy-footed Flower Bee, Honey Bee and male Andrena bicolor, plus Rove Beetle and various flies. Last image a Sawfly I think!

Grebes, Goosanders and Gadwall

Really beautiful light for the Grebes early on Monday morning at Stanwick Lakes. Great to see a pair of Goosanders on the lake at Stanwick with the Grebes. They were a bit distance when they decided to fly as were the Gadwalls and Grebe eating a Perch.

Sunrise in the Nene Valley

I was out early on Sunday to witness the sunrise through the mists in the Nene Valley - a magical experience shared with a Great Crested Grebe pair, Geese, Swans and a Grey Heron. The landscape panorama (23mm lens) and the telephoto closeup (400mm) were taken at the same time and show different aspects of the lighting.