Bird & Wildlife Macro Photography by Matt Latham

A morning at the marshes

2012-01-22T10:29:00.000Z

Living inland and a good hour from the coast is sometimes frustrating, especially when I spent my days growing up only a 10 minute's walk from a very productive section of Welsh coastline. The majority of my birding training was done on coastal habitats and it would be fair to say I sometimes struggle deciding on locations for inland wildlife watching. Therefore, when a friend of mine offered a tour around his local marshes on the Wash, Lincolnshire before xmas, I couldnt turn it down especially as there was the likelhood of some great winter sunshine. The weather didnt disappoint and we were soon watching flocks of Brent Geese, Shelduck, Golden Plover and lots of Lapwing aswell as many other bird species. From a photographic perspective, my aim was Brent Geese and I had two shots in mind; a skein coming across a morning sky in v-formation. Objective achieved:

My second Brent Goose objective was to capture a close-up flight shot showing the detail of this beautiful species. Second objective achieved:

There was a few Shelduck mixed in with the Brent Geese and because I havent many images of this lovely duck species, I thought I would give them a try. Unfortunately, they didnt really come close enough but they were still great to watch as they banked left and right before coming into land.

Last but certainly not least were the Lapwings. Again, this is a species which represents a rarity in my collection so when a winter plumage adult came walking across on frosty grass in front of the hide, bathed in low winter sunlight, I couldnt resist a flurry of images. This was my favourite as the light has really emphasised the intricate plumage colouration. If only hides were built so you could operate your camera at a lower angle to the subject.........

Meditteranean Gulls Part 2.....and a happy new year!

2012-01-07T16:09:00.000Z

Firstly, I hope everyone had a lovely xmas and are enjoying the early days of 2012.I have had a fortnight's break from work to recharge the batteries. Its been nice, which is more than I can say for the weather over here in the UK. Gales and rain have been the main theme; both weather conditions that are not conducive to photography so I have been limited to a single visit to some coastal marshes in mid December. Oh well, I am sure 2012 will bring some good photographic opportunities at some point.

Anyway getting back to the session with the Meditteranean Gulls at Scarborough in early December 2011, I have now finished editing the images and below is the final set along with the two photos shown in part 1 of this series. The first two images are of two different first winter birds; the remainder are of adults in winter plumage. I hope you enjoy and I hope to get back in March, before they depart, for when the adults have moulted into their striking summer plumage.

Meditteranean Gulls Part 1

2011-12-04T17:58:00.001Z

Wow, its been so long since I last ventured out in the field with the camera kit. So long in fact that I was actually worried that I wouldnt be able to use the gear anymore. Work and life in general has been a little hectic of late and sometimes you just realise that the hobby has to take 2nd place. A good friend of mine and I made a promise to ourselves this week that if the weather was good this weekend we would have a day out. So when Friday's forecast showed wall to wall sunshine, we picked our venue and headed out early yesterday morning. To steady myself back in to the swing of things I had chosen Scarborough in North Yorkshire as the destination of choice, and Meditteranean Gulls as the target species. We headed to a regular wintering spot for this gorgeous gull species and after a couple of hours had counted five different adults and at least three 1st winter birds. As usual the lure of a bit of food for them was exchanged with some very obliging posing and so the memory cards were filled once again. I will exhibit my best images over the next couple of posts but thought I would get things going with two images of a pristine adult winter against a background of bright blue sea. Lets hope it wont be another couple of months before my next piece of camera action!

Its Deer season

2011-10-22T18:23:00.001+01:00

I am hoping to get out in the next couple of weeks to capture some rutting Deer images. Lets hope time and weather is on my side. In the meantime here are some Fallow Deer images I captured a couple of months back whilst on a day trip to Norfolk.

Sabine's Gull

2011-10-15T18:03:00.000+01:00

Back in my main birding days, I used to really enjoy a good sea-watch and the two occasions I had previously seen this pelagic gull species were a highlight. On both occasions, the birds had been juveniles seen in flight at distance whilst I was perched on the edge of a cliff in north Wales in unpleasant weather condition. So when I became interested in photography there was a selection of species that I had always wanted to get some images. Sabine's Gull was one of those targets. I, therefore, could'nt resist a trip to see an adult at Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire, last month.The bird had been blown in as a result of severe weather a few days before, and was associating with a Grey Phalarope (images of which I showed in an earlier post). Unbelievably the bird was completely oblivious to human presence and was extremely obliging. It was a challenging subject; constantly on the move feeding on very choppy water in cloudy conditions but I am pleased with the results below, especially that they give the impression of being on open water rather than a reservoir. A fabulous bird and a fabulous encounter with this gull normally found in the open ocean. Click on the images to see a larger version.

The 2011 Summer macro catch up part 2

2011-10-08T16:44:00.000+01:00

Continuing the summer's macro catch up, I had a couple of sessions with some local Brown Argus (Aricia agestis) butterflies in late summer. I recorded larger numbers of these on a local reserve than in previous years and spent a little time in obtaining more images of this beautiful little butterfly.

One of my favourite local spots is Chambers Wood. Its a popular spot where you can see a variety of insects and other wildlife and the camera can be kept pretty busy with a number of different subjects. There has been some showy Common Lizards (Zootoca vivipara) there this year, and a number of images of these have been shown in earlier posts on this site. On one of my last visits there this year, I couldnt resist adding to the catalogue of lizard images with a close up on some nice lichen.

The same visit also produced my first ever image of Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) butterfly (top image below) and an opportunity to get an image of a Six-spotted Burnet (Zygaena filipendulae) moth (bottom image).

Norfolk waders

2011-10-03T19:25:00.003+01:00

In late August myself and a friend decided on a trip to north Norfolk to photograph some wader species. We decided on Titchwell RSPB reserve as our focus for the day as this would give us the options of both beach and lagoon habitat. Our first session of the day was with the enigmatic Sanderling (Calidris alba), which were running up and down the beach on the receding tideline. these are one of my favourite photographic subjects but on this occasion they proved a little frustrating. I eventually targeted a moulting adult and after a period of lying flat on my belly on the tide edge (yes, a very sandy and very wet experience!) it became confident enough to approach within suitable distance.

After a few hours on the beach with a low success rate and sand, well everywhere, we decided to head back to the comfort of one of the hides. I have found very few hides in the UK that provide good photographic conditions and the ones at Titchwell, in my opinion, are no different. However, on this occasion there was a lot of activity directly in front of it and one of the species on show was Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea), which was a new photo species for me. So whilst the angle was not one I like, I decided on some record shots of this great looking wader.

Last up in front of the camera that day were some Ruff (Philomachus pugnax). Again not a preferable viewing angle but nice to see these so close.

Grey Phalarope

2011-10-02T12:31:00.000+01:00

The weather in September in the UK has been characterised by heavy westerly winds; the aftermath of the hurricanes that hit USA's Eastern seaboard. These winds have displaced a number of rare American vagrants, which have turned up at rarity hotspots across the country, and also a number of pelagic bird species normally expected to be migrating at sea at this time of year. One of those latter species is the Grey Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) and after missing one in Lincolnshire in early September, I couldnt resist trying my new Canon 500mm L IS lens on these normally confiding birds. Whilst the weather was'nt ideal with cloud cover and wind making the reservoir very choppy and thus making difficult photographic conditions, the new lens was impressive and I managed a series of new images for the portfolio. The bird on some occasions came as close as a metre to me rendering any telephoto lens useless due to focusing distance - oh well, you can't win them all. I hope you like the set below.

The 2011 summer macro catch up part 1

2011-09-25T17:09:00.001+01:00

Admittedly, I have been poor at updating this website so after nothing for a couple of months, here's two posts in two days! I have not been as active with the macro lens this year as I would have liked but I have got a few new images during the summer months and I will share these over the next few posts.

Four Spotted Chaser - this was one of the targets this year but I still have that annoying feeling that I am still yet to get the image of this species that I want. I will now have to wait until next year.....

Black Tailed Skimmer - again these are a subject I have'nt done justice to and whilst I saw a few this summer, each one proved very elusive for the camera. I ended up crawling through soil to get this low angle close-up.....

Green Tiger Beetle - this species is normally elusive and rarely allows close approach. So I was very surprised when this individual jumped on to my foot when trying to photograph some damselflies. It quickly jumped off into vegetation but amazingly posed for me to snap a few frames.

Blue Tailed Damselfly (top image below) and Common Blue Damselfly (bottom image below) are always worth some camera time.....

Welsh Highlights

2011-09-24T23:08:00.000+01:00

After much procrastination, I have actually decided to keep this site as my main one. To mark this occasion, I have decided to start catching up and this is the first of a few posts doing just that. I am going to start with exhibiting the highlights from a July visit to North Wales. There was a few sites visited during the week; each with some target photographic subjects.

First up was a trip to the tern colony at Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey. Light was good with very thin whispy white cloud so conditions for capturing flight shots of white birds appeared promising. After studying the bird's movements as they left the colony, headed out to sea and returned with fish, I positioned myself in a suitable position to capture returning individuals with food. The session produced a number of images; of which this one was my favourite.

Later in the week, with an excellent weather forecast, we decided to try our luck with a bird of prey that has long been on my wanted list; the Red Kite. The site we decided to visit was Bwlch Nant Yr Arian reserve near Aberystwyth. Whilst Gigrin Farm is the more famous Kite feeding site, Bwlch Nant Yr Arian provided a more rounded prospect for some other birds and potential macro subjects in an area of mid Wales I have rarely visited. All the birds there are wild but they are fed at 2pm or 3pm (dependant on the time of year) every day and this provides a fabulous opportunity to watch these birds at close range. The weather was glorious; wall to wall sunshine, however, this provided a photographic nightmare; in fact it was probably the hardest session to expose I have encountered as a photographer. It might be just me but I thought black and white birds in strong sunlight were hard, however, no subject has ever received such a wide range of camera settings and frowns of disappointment than the Kites did on that afternoon. The birds are also in moult in mid-summer and not in the best of condition so choosing the better conditioned individuals added to the challenge. After shear perseverance, I had a handful of new images for my collection plus a little bit of sunburn thrown in for free.

Last but certainly not least was the ability to capture a few new macro images including two brand new species and one new species for me in the UK. During the mid Wales trip, I found Small Red Damselfly (top image below) and Black Darter (middle image below). The last trip of the break offered the opportunity to photograph Grayling on the Great Orme, north Wales (bottom image below).

Damselflies at dinnertime

2011-07-24T18:55:00.003+01:00

Damselflies are such a dainty insect it is hard to believe that they are lethal carnivorous predators who can hunt and kill prey of considerable relative size. Over the past couple of years I have managed to capture a couple of images of these insects whilst they are eating so thought I would share them with you. The first 3 images are of Blue-tailed Damselflies (Ischnura elegans). The final image is of a Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum). Click on any of the images to see a large version.

An evening with Marbled Whites

2011-07-22T20:13:00.004+01:00

I have had a couple of key macro targets this summer. I posted recently some images of one of those target species; the White Admiral. One of my other targets was another beautiful butterfly; the Marbled White (Melanargia galathea). Although there are a couple of sites in Lincolnshire for these stunning insects, I have managed to fail to secure any images in previous years. Therefore, one bright evening in mid June, I decided to head to one of the sites close to work to see what I could find. After a fruitless search for almost an hour, I came across an area which held up to 15 individuals and after a bit of patience I managed to capture some pleasing images whilst listening to a Quail calling almost continuously in the warm evening sunshine. What a great way to end a tough day at the office!

Back to the Gannets part 2

2011-07-17T19:19:00.016+01:00

I thought I would finish the series of images from last month's trip to Bempton Cliffs RSPB on the how I started it; with some Gannets. Below is a varied selection of flight and portrait images of this majestic bird, including an experiment in black and white. I hope you enjoyed the series and if I dont get up there agin this year, I can guarantee Spring next year will see me once again photographing at what is possibly my favourite site in the UK.

1/1250s, f6.3, ISO 200 @ 300mm, -2/3 exposure bias

1/1600s, f5.6, ISO 200 @ 300mm, converted to B&W in Photoshop

1/2000s, f6.3, ISO 200 @ 420mm, -1/3 exposure bias

I have just got back from a few days in Wales which has included some camera time with a tern colony, Red Kites and some new dragonfly species for me...........new images to appear here soon.

Back to the Gannets part 1

2011-07-15T12:22:00.001+01:00

Different wildlife photographers adopt different methods of photography; even those who target the same subjects. Some set up short and long term projects with a specific species; others simply go out in the field to a regular set of sites and capture what they can. I would say I am one of the latter and the reason why is the limited time I get to indulge in this wonderful hobby. When I do get out in the field and target a specific location for a specific species, I will normally have a pre-prepared plan for capturing a particular type of image. I did have such a plan for my recent trip to Bempton Cliffs RSPB in Yorkshire, which consisted of capturing a series of images of Gannets in their pre-landing mode. I am pretty happy with the results from one opportunity when they were within perfect distance in good light. All the images below are full frame, at 18 megapixels, or near full frame; click on each image to see a large version.

1/1600s, f5.6, ISO 200 @ 420mm

The Admiral

2011-07-10T08:57:00.006+01:00

I have a few macro subject targets for this summer and one of those targets was the White Admiral (Limenitis camilla). After joining fellow photographers Neil and Geoff at a local spot that they do a lot of their photography at, but to be honest I rarely visit, I was involved in the White Admiral project sooner than I thought I would be. After walking down one of the woodland rides, I suddenly spotted a very fresh individual, probably newly emerged, sitting on the track floor. I alerted Neil and we approached very carefully. As usual with these stunning but very active butterflies, it flew up before we got close enough for any images. What we weren't expecting was that it would land nearby and pose very happily for the next hour! What an experience with a butterfly that I have only really ever seen gliding around woodland rides and landing at distance in the woodland shadows. A number of images from the session are posted below and if my other macro projects prove this fruitful, I will have a big smile on my face at the end of the summer. Click on the image to see large versions.

Bempton's supporting cast

2011-07-02T10:35:00.000+01:00

As well as Gannets (for which more images will come soon) and Fulmars, there is a variety of other birds at Bempton Cliffs RSPB to keep you entertained and the shutter button pressed. The cliffs provide a home to thousands of breeding pairs of Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) and one of the characteristic features of this great site is the smell and sound of this endearing gull species. Auk species present on the cliffs include Puffin (not photographed this year), Guillemot (Uria aalge) and Razorbill (Alca torda). Whilst these tend to be difficult to photograph at the site, there is always a handful of opportunities including flight shots as the fly past at great speed.

Kittiwakes fighting

1/1250s, f6.3, ISO 200 @ 420mm

Guillemot preening

1/640s, f5.6, ISO 200 @ 420mm

Guillemot in flight

1/1250s, f5.6, ISO 200 @ 420mm

Razorbill in flight

1/1600s, f5.6, ISO 200 @ 300mm

The other common birds at the site that will almost certainly offer photographic opportunities are Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus), which nest in the visitor centre at the entrance to the reserve (my images this year were some young birds at the feeding station next to the centre), Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) which can be seen everywhere from the cliff side to eating picnic leftovers in the reserve car park and Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), which patrol the cliff top in search of easy pickings.

Tree Sparrow

1/1000s, f5, ISO 200 @ 420mm

Tree Sparrow

1/1000s, f5, ISO 200 @ 420mm

Tree Sparrow

1/800s, f5, ISO 200 @ 420mm

Jackdaw

1/1000s, f6.3, ISO 200 @ 420mm, - 2/3 exposure bias

Herring Gull

1/1250s, f6.3, ISO 200 @ 420mm, - 2/3 exposure bias

The aerial master with the big nostrils

2011-06-25T12:12:00.000+01:00

One of my main photographic targets at Bempton Cliffs RSPB reserve this year was the Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis). These birds look a little like gulls but are actually related to the albatrosses. Fulmars are unique in that they have very distinct nasal passages at the top of their bill, which are clearly seen on the images below. They are also able produce a stomach oil, which they are able to excrete from their nose, which is used as a repellant against predators as well as an energy rich food source for chicks and for the adults during their long flights.

These really are fascinating birds and I could spend a day simply watching their masterful flight. They fly low over the sea on stiff wings, with shallow wingbeats, gliding and banking, and at their breeding sites like Bempton RSPB, fly high up the cliff face, riding the updraughts.

1/1600s, f5.6, ISO200 @ 420mm, -0.3 exposure bias

1/1000s, f5.6, ISO200 @ 300mm, -1.0 exposure bias

At times these birds fly past you on the clifftop at eye level and at touching distance away. It really is a spectacular sight and one I always find frustratingly difficult to photograph and I think thats because its always difficult to judge the speed these birds are flying at. Below is my favourite close encounter image from the recent session.

1/2500s, f5.6, ISO200 @ 420mm

Close encounter with the Gannet kind

2011-06-18T17:31:00.002+01:00

A few days ago I had two days off work so having not been to my favourite UK reserve; Bempton Cliffs RSPB in East Yorkshire, this year, I decided to follow the annual pilgrimage to this fantastic seabird spectacle. The day produced a number of different images of the seabirds that grace the sea cliffs and reserve environs, and there will be a number of future posts to cover all the images take on the day. There are a few historic posts on this website about the location and its star bird is the Gannet (Morus bassanus). A beautiful species with a six foot wingspan; the adults are black and white with a diffuse yellow colour on the head, a menacing ivory coloured bill and a bright blue eyering. You can often get very close views of these majestic birds at this site but it depends on their nesting locations, which can vary from year to year (they have a lot of available cliff space!) and also the weather. I will start the Bempton exhibition with the images below captured during a very close encounter with an adult Gannet.

These three images show a standard close up portrait aimed at showing the detail of the head plumage, a preening individual and a slightly different crop showing an inquisitive expression. Click on the images to see the large versions.

1/1600s, f5.6, ISO 200 @ 300mm, -1.0 exposure bias

1/2000s, f5.6, ISO 200 @ 300mm, -1.0 exposure bias

1/1000s, f5.6, ISO 200 @ 300mm, -0.66 exposure bias

More BBBHM's

2011-06-12T13:07:00.002+01:00

BBBHM - thats quite an acronym! But I guess its quite an insect! After finding these a couple of weeks back (see post on the 28th May) I have been back on several occassions to just watch these stunning moths. It would be fair to say I have also tried to capture more images, got very frustrated at the amount of 'nearly' shots but got a couple more to show here. Click on the images to see a large version.

1/1000s, f5, ISO 400 @ 100mm

1/1250s, f5, ISO 400 @ 100mm

And finally - a flight shot! Its not the best image but I really wanted to capture one mid flight and this is the only one that has turned remotely near to sharp!!

1/1600s, f5, ISO 400 @ 100mm

I have had a couple of days off and headed to Bempton Cliffs RSPB reserve in Yorkshire with my good friend Neil Smith so there are a few new bird images appearing here soon.....

Tatty Argus

2011-06-08T21:03:00.000+01:00

I only recently got round to processing and posting last year's images from a session with some local Brown Argus (Aricia agestis). So when I happened to be looking back at those images a few days ago, I realised that they were taken in the first week of June which meant I ought to try and get back and have a look if they were present again this year. Therefore, I packed the camera in the car everyday last week and managed to get an hour at the site on the way back from work one sunny evening.

Butterflies across the UK seem to be about 2 weeks ahead of what they were last year. The influence of global climate change....perhaps but that is a debate for another day. What this meant was, that whilst last year I found some very fresh individuals, this year I could find only two worn specimens. Nonetheless, I always feel that you should try and improve on existing images or get something a little different for your collection and after a little perseverence I was pleased to capture these two new images; both virtually full frame at 18 megapixels.

1/1600s, f5.6, ISO 400 @ 100mm

1/640s, f5.6, ISO 400 @ 100mm

Banded Demoiselles

2011-06-03T23:02:00.000+01:00

We are blessed in the UK to have some stunning wildlife and I always look forward to the spring when our dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies are starting to establish themselves for our warmer summer months. One species of damselfly I particularly look forward to finding each spring is the Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) so I paid a post visit work earlier this week to a spot I photographed them last year. Once again, they were back in the same spot. I only had a short time with them on this occasion and plan future visits soon. Here are my favourites from the session (Please click on the image for a large original version).

1/250s, F5.6, ISO 400 @ 100mm. Full frame image @ 18mpx

1/320s, F5.6, ISO 400 @ 100mm. Full frame image @ 18mpx

1/400s, F5.6, ISO 400 @ 100mm. Full frame image @ 18mpx

1/500s, F5, ISO 400 @ 100mm. Full frame image @ 18mpx

Bee Hawk-moths & Supporting Cast

2011-05-28T11:46:00.001+01:00

My latest short outing with the camera produced a very nice surprise find of three Broad Bordered Bee Hawk-moths (Hemaris fuciformis). For those of who have seen this day flying moth, I would challenge you not to be impressed. They are like mini hummingbirds; about an inch long and constantly on the wing hovering next to their food plant moving quickly from flower to flower collecting nectar. Oh yeh.....and as a result they are a photographer's and an auto focus system's nightmare! They were, therefore, going to really test the auto focus capabilities of the Canon 7d and my new Canon 100mm F 2.8 L IS lens and my photography skills.

Macro lenses are not the quickest focussing lenses due to their construction (having to achieve 1:1 magnification and therefore having a large focussing range and manual focussing being the technical preference for macro photography) but from this short session I was suitably impressed with the Canon; it certainly excels against any other macro lens I have tried. I was very chuffed to get some images of this superb insect and have posted what I consider my best below. Please click on the images to see larger versions.

1/1000s, f5.6, ISO 400 @ 100mm

1/1600s, f5.6, ISO 400 @ 100mm

1/2500s, f5.6, ISO 400 @ 100mm

During the short session, a supporting cast of a well marked Common Lizard (Zootoca vivipara), which allowed a very close approach, and a Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) that posed allowing a pleasing uncluttered background, also gave some nice photographic opportunities.

1/400s, f5.6, ISO 400 @ 100mm

1/640s, f7.1, ISO 400 @ 100mm

The year's first Butts

2011-05-25T21:34:00.003+01:00

Some new images of a couple of our common butterflies, including my favourite UK species; the Orange Tip.This particular individual is a female so, therefore, doesn't have the characteristic orange coloration on the upperwing but does still have the distinctive underwing pattern. Click on the images for the large, original version of each.

Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines)

Small White (Pieris rapae)

Hairy Dragonflies & Red-eyed Damselflies

2011-05-23T15:02:00.002+01:00

May is the time when a local nature reserve, Messingham Sand Quarries, starts to come into its own for macro photography and the two early May specialities that frequent this superb reserve are the Hairy Dragonfly (Brachytron pratense) and the Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas). Although I have images of the former species from two years ago, the latter was a new photographic target for for me.

I've had only the one opportunity to pay the reserve a visit, on 1st May, and was pleased to come out with a few images of my target species. It was a sunny warm day, however, it was very windy, which always represents a big difficulty for macro photography. These were my favourites from the productive but challenging session. Click on the images for the large, original version of each.

I'll start with the Hairy Dragonflies; the first two images are of a male (the second one of which shows a resting male covered in pollen). The final two of a female of which the first image shows a resting individual with prey.

Finally, below is my first ever image of a Red-eyed Damselfly. This teneral individual was found sheltering low in the grass in a small meadow and spent the entire time in this vertical downwards position.

Blast from the Past - Red Necked Grebe

2011-05-19T13:47:00.004+01:00

I have begun a project re-processing some old images and I will be displaying them on this site in the future inbetween new photography sessions. As the latter are difficult to come by at present, especially when you take a week off for photography and a chest infection prevents you from getting anywhere (just typical!), I thought I would start the series off.

I love Grebes and two years ago, a stunning summer plumaged Red Necked Grebe showed well for a few days in Derbyshire. After a four hour wait, the bird eventually ventured close enough for some nice images. These were shown on this site at the time but I have removed the old post following the revamped processing as I feel these versions are far better than the originals. Photography is about evolving and one of the marked areas for improving in this digital era is undoubtedly post processing. It is about field craft, photographic skills but there is also the IT skills that make the best of an image.

These were taken using the Canon 40d, Canon 300mm F 2.8 L IS and 2x converter. Please click on the images below to see their large, original version.

Moustached (Vagrant) Darters

2011-05-18T17:25:00.004+01:00

I feel like this site is becoming like a time machine - one minute I'm in real time then the next I'm skipping back 12 months to show newly processed old images from last summer. Again, its one of those journeys back in time as I have only just processed some Moustached (Vagrant) Darters (Sympetrum vulgatum) taken last July on the Aland islands, Finland.

This is a species very similar to our familiar Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) but can be told apart from the larger extent of black on the face (which forms a drooping moustache, hence the name) and the distinctive perpendicularly protruding vulvar scale at right angles to the abdomen (this can be seen on the images below, near to the end of the abdomen) on females of the species.The two bottom images are of this individual adopting the 'obelisk' position, in which they can position themselves almost vertically to their perch.

Thanks for all the comments and emails on my previous post about how best to show images here. I have decided to try uploading images to the site at 1000px (along the images' longest length) so please don't forget to click on the images below to see the larger original versions.

What's the best way to show images....??

2011-05-17T11:39:00.013+01:00

Here are a couple of images of two of our commoner species of dragonfly and damselfly, taken last year but not shown here previously, and a Mallard in flight taken last month.

I am currently experimenting on the best way to show images on this site. In this case, I have downloaded an 800px image (long side) into the blogger engine and choosing the 'x-large' option in the image editor. You will need to click on the image to see the larger, original version. Let me know what you think and how it compares for viewing purposes to those linked directly from my main image collection at Flickr (as earlier posts). Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula)

Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

The pre-season butterfly catch up Part 2

2011-05-16T12:13:00.001+01:00

This collection is the final set of last year's backlog of butterfly images and just includes some images of the commoner species that I will hopefully get further opportunities to photograph this year.

I now have a week off work to get some photography done, however, its not started well. Not only is it raining with a poor weather forecast for the majority of the week but I have been in bed all weekend with a throat infection and am feeling pretty rough. Oh well, hope you like these and I promise to get some up to date images on here sooner rather than later.

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)

Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)

Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)

The pre-season butterfly catch up Part 1

2011-05-14T11:25:00.001+01:00

Prior to the Butterfly season coming into full swing, I just have a few images of our commoner butterfly species from last year's macro season to show on here before any new images are exhibited. All these were taken at local spots around Lincoln.

Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)

Comma (Polygonia c-album)

Peacock (Inachis io)

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Macro Photography on the Aland Islands, Finland - Skippers

2011-05-13T19:16:00.001+01:00

Last year, I ran a series of posts on the macro photography possibilities on the Aland Islands, Finland; a place we visit every year for a couple of weeks in July. I never finished that series for one reason or another so before this year's macro season gets into full swing, I thought I would post some images I'd forgotten about.

One of the commonest families of butterflies on the islands are the Skippers. The commonest species where we stay is the Essex Skipper (Thymelicus lineola). This species can be identified by the black tips to its antennae.

One of the highlights of last year's trip was finding Silver Spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma); a brand new species for me and I eventually found two different locations which held a small number of this striking butterfly. At first they proved a difficult species to photograph but after some continued effort, I managed a few pleasing images.

Macro Photography in the Algarve

2011-05-11T18:48:00.002+01:00

One of the things I was looking forward to in Portugal was photographing some new insect species as well as the potential opportunity for some new reptiles. Whilst some new insect species were seen including Spanish Marbled White and Spanish Festoon butterflies, and some new dragonflies and damselflies including Green-eyed (Norfolk) Hawker and Scarce Blue-tailed and Southern Damselflies, the photographic opportunities were almost non existent due to the constant strong wind and the low numbers of insect species.

One new insect species that was present in small numbers around the villa was the Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria). This is a stunning insect with one specimen seen egg laying in the same position, on a dirt road, on two consecutive days. This individual was around 8cm in length - thats one big grasshopper and posed nicely for the camera in nice light.

Whilst butterfly numbers were generally low, Clouded Yellows were relatively common and Green Striped Whites (Euchloe belemia) were present in good numbers at coastal locations. After unsuccessful attempts chasing a number of the latter species I eventually found a mating pair seeking shelter low down in some marshland grasses. This allowed me to capture some images of a new species for me. The species is very distinctive with a similar underwing pattern to that of our familiar Orange Tip butterfly; one of my favourite butterfly species.

Last but not least the final photograph to be exhibited from the Portugal trip (hope readers enjoyed the Portugal collection) is that of a lizard species; the Large Psammodromous (Psammodromous algirus), which was basking on a wall one late sunny evening.

Bird Photography in the Algarve, Portugal, Part 9 - The best of the rest

2011-05-08T17:19:00.003+01:00

Well, it was a great week's bird photography in Portugal despite the temperamental weather. I managed to secure a number of new species for the camera. A good friend suggested it would be a success if I managed pleasing images of just a handful of species - I agree and think I achieved that. Camera aside, there was some very memorable birding moments. The ultimate highlight for me was the day spent in the Alentejo Plains with Montagu's Harriers everywhere, five Griffon Vultures, stunning views of Lesser Kestrel and obviously the great views of Great Bustards. Its certainly an area I want to go back to, perhaps in mid May next time, and this last post includes species where I had very brief encounters with the camera and which could perhaps be the focus of future visits. Apart from Montagu's Harriers, Black Kite (Milvus migrans) was the most numerous bird of prey in the area.

The most common warblers on the trip were Sardinian and Fan Tailed (Zitting Cisticola). Good views of any length in time of these proved difficult due to the near constant windy conditions. However, the chattering of the Sardinian Warbler, and the very distinctive call and display flight of the Fan Tailed Warbler always gave their presence away.

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

Fan-tailed Warbler or Zitting Cisticola (Euthlypis lachrymosa)

Spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia) were seen regularly in coastal areas; predominantly feeding out on the tidal marshes at distance. One individual did fly past quite close. These are striking birds with their amazing shaped bills.

Finally, one of the commoner waders seen during the week was the Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus). I would have liked to have found an obliging individual but in the locations where close approach was possible, there was so much disturbance that my efforts proved futile. I opted instead for an 'environment' shot.

This is the last set of bird images from the Portugal trip but I have one remaining post to exhibit the limited macro photography undertaken during the week.

Bird Photography in the Algarve, Portugal, Part 8 - Red-rumped Swallow & Corn Bunting

2011-05-06T22:27:00.005+01:00

These two species were seen regulalrly through the week in Portugal. After the major high of watching 16 Great Bustards, we came across two Red-rumped Swallows sitting on the roadside fence. We went through the usual routine of slowing the car down, opening the window and creeping towards the birds. I was absolutely sure that they would fly but they allowed close enough approach to capture a number of images of which these were my favourites. I love this species but yet to catch up with one in the UK so this was a very welcome opportunity.

Corn Buntings were extremely common in the Alentejo and in coastal marshland. During our day in the Alentejo plains, there was a near constant background noise of singing individuals. At one point we passed five roadside posts in a row, each with one of these superb buntings singing its heart out! Getting near with the camera proved a little frustrating, however, one eventually gave up the fight and duly obliged.

This series is almost coming to an end and I would just like to take the opportunity to thank my folks for their kindness in treating me to this holiday, and for putting up with direction and moaning at times; especially when it came to the driving!

Bird Photography in the Algarve, Portugal, Part 7 - Bee-eater & Crested Lark

2011-05-04T19:56:00.003+01:00

One of the places we visited the most during the recent week in Portugal was Pera Marshes. Given the weather, our first visit was the most productive from a photography perspective and allowed me an opportunity to photograph a much wanted species - the Bee-eater. We found a pair of these stunning birds hawking over some bee hives. We sat patiently in the car and eventually they gave us a close fly by. A few frames on the memory card saw me frantically looking at the screen to see whether any were sharp........the image below was the best result of the brief but fantastic close encounter.

Another bird that was common in suitable habitat in Portugal was the Crested lark. Pera Marshes proved to be the best option for capturing images of this large lark and the car proved to be an effective hide once again with individuals sitting up on the roadside earth bunds. The two images below show just how different brown tones can look in different light.

A Spring Whooper

2011-05-02T19:05:00.005+01:00

I think one of our most amazing winter spectacles is large gatherings of our winter swans and thats why every year since I started photography I have wanted to make the trip to several sites across the country that host Whooper and Bewick's Swans in big numbers from November to March. However, dissapointingly, yet another winter had passed when this trip didnt materialise (I actually do blame the weather this year!) so I was very surprised to hear that a Whooper Swan had taken up residence at a local reservoir for the past few days (a somehwat late occurrence for a species that should be back on its wintering grounds in northern Europe by now). Although clearly, this didnt represent an opportunity to photograph this species in a manner that a large winter flock would offer, its a species that I havent got on camera so it was an opportunity I didnt want to miss. The thing about a 'swan on a concrete reservoir' scenario is that its difficult to add interest to the images! These were my favourite results.

I thought I would offer a break from my Portugal series but dont worry for those enjoying it, the series will continue very shortly with Corn Bunting, Red-rumped Swallow and Bee-eater on the agenda.

Bird Photography in the Algarve, Portugal, Part 5 - White Storks

2011-05-01T19:29:00.003+01:00

White Storks were to prove one of the highlights of the holiday for me. I have never before seen these in their breeding grounds and they proved to be everywhere from coastal sites to big numbers in the inland plains. Whether it was watching them on their huge nests on the top of telegraph poles (including rows of these nests on the roadside at some locations) or observing groups soaring on the thermals, they never failed to impress. Therefore, I have no idea why they got such little camera time!

The first session with these majestic birds was photographing them visiting and leaving a nest site in the Alentejo plains. This particular session was notable also for the supporting cast around the nest site which included Little Bustard, Roller, Spanish Sparrow, Montagu's Harrier, Black Kite, Calandra Lark, Corn Bunting and Red Rumped Swallow.

The only other opportunity I took to photograph this majestic bird was on its nest one late stormy afternoon in Vilamoura.

Bird Photography in the Algarve, Portugal, Part 4 - Black Winged Stilt

2011-04-29T12:24:00.003+01:00

Without doubt, these have to be my favourite wader species. Those long bubble gum coloured legs, black and white plumage and long thin bill combine to make a truly elegant bird. I was, therefore, very pleased to eventually find a spot on the Algarve coast where these proved obliging enough to spend some camera time with them. Again, as in most spots in the area you could get very little privacy. There was a lot of public walking by at the only time ofl the day when light was suitable, which was probably the reason why they were somewhat tolerant of people, however, this also meant constant disturbance to the birds. I should'nt really complain though as these are my first ever images of this species and I'm quite pleased with my first efforts. I long for the day when I get the opportunity to capture some low angle images of this stunning species.

Bird Photography in the Algarve, Portugal, Part 3 - Cattle Egret

2011-04-28T18:31:00.009+01:00

One of the most prominent birds during the week's holiday were Cattle Egrets. They seemed to be present everywhere including in the mountains and plains. They proved to be reasonably obliging at one of the sites we visited frequently, Pera Marshes, and in the morning prior to the bulk of traffic movements to the nearby beach, they could be approached using the car as a hide. At this particular site they favoured feeding in the meadows which added a splash of colour to the images.

Bird Photography in the Algarve, Portugal, Part 2 - Hoopoe

2011-04-25T17:55:00.005+01:00

Prior to my Portugal trip I had dreamed of capturing an image of a Hoopoe against a diffuse green background. After seeing a number of individuals in the first couple of days of the holiday, I had decided that some effort had to go into capturing any image of this superb looking species.

After realising quickly that they were going to be tough to get close to, I was amazed to find one feeding close by on the 17th tee at Quinta do Lago golf course late one afternoon. Given the presence of golfers nearby, I figured that the birds must have developed some tolerance to humans so knew this could be my chance.

Putting aside any golf etiquette which I should have probably been showing, I watched the bird as it fed on the edge of the manicured playing area. On approach it flew a few feet away so I lay flat on my belly near its original feeding position, and with some luck the bird flew back to its favoured feeding spot and gave me the opportunity to photograph it. Unfortunately, the clouds had rolled in by this point so I had to up the ISO to 400 to give me sufficient shutter speed to capture its very rapid feeding action and movement, but I was pleased with the results below.

Bird Photography in the Algarve, Portugal, Part 1 - Little Egrets

2011-04-24T13:36:00.006+01:00

During last week's trip to the Algarve, Portugal, we stayed in the area near Villamoura approximately 25km west of Faro. The whole stretch of coastline here comprised tidal mudflats and marshland, in particular the Rio Formosa. One of the characteristic birds of this habitat was the Little Egret. Whilst this species has established itself very well in the UK over the last 20 years I have never managed to get close enough to capture images I'm happy with.

The area around Quinta Do Lago had good numbers of these and the coastal walk between this resort and faro hosted a couple of reasonably obliging individuals. Now then, although my luck was in with the how close you could approach the birds, there were two problems; one was the angle for photography as you were looking down on them (not a perspective I particualrly like) and the second was they only seemed obliging when the sun was shining right onto them.....typical! Any photographer knows that photographing white birds is difficult but doubly so when bright sunshine is involved. Two or three sessions during the week produced the collection of images below.

Owls and Wagtails

2011-04-10T08:45:00.003+01:00

After a disappointing start to yesterday, when the trip to North Lincolnshire proved a day too late as the Slavonian Grebe had disappeared from Water's Edge country Park, the decision to spend a few hours around Toft Newton Reservoir proved a better one. I managed to find my first Yellow Wagtails of the year and spent a good couple of hours trying to photograph them on the fence posts surrounding the reservoir.

On my way back home, I decided to call in on a reliable Little Owl site. On cue, there was one sitting in his old tree stump so I pulled up the car and took a few images through the window. I only spent a few minutes at the site to ensure there was no disturbance. A great finish to a good afternoon's photography in stunning weather......at last!!

More Common Lizards

2011-04-08T21:34:00.003+01:00

Back to real time and I am having fun with the new Canon macro lens. I am becoming more and more impressed with it and a big thanks again to the folks for their kindness. Last weekend I thought I would have another go at the local Common Lizards. I set out with the idea of getting close-ups on a mossy log and for once I actually managed to get something near to what I had pictured in my mind before the session. The light wasnt great but these were taken handheld and the lens' image stabilisation system worked amicably.

Aswell as getting an obliging individual on a mossy log, I also managed to get this vertical portrait of an inidvidual basking on an old railway sleeper.

To top off a nice couple of hours, I was surprised to see two European Hares settled in the grass on the roadside. I was even more surprised that they hung around long enough for me to capture a couple of images!

I really can't wait until spring properly kicks in

2011-04-04T20:27:00.001+01:00

I am almost at the end of processing last year's macro images. Woohoo! I have made myself a promise this year to process as many as I can after the field session. I feel a little silly posting images that are almost a year old but its been quite exciting processing images of species that will be with us again very soon.

One of those species is the Brown Argus butterfly (Aricia agestis). This is a very small insect but is one of my favourite butterflies. Fresh individuals are so well marked and so energetic they represent a real photographic challenge, which is probably the reason that I have never been pleased with my efforts until one evening last June when I managed to find an obliging pair on a local meadow. My favourite images from the session are posted below.

I managed another couple of hours out with the camera yesterday and had another session with the local Common Lizards; images to follow soon........

They come in great, blue and coal varieties

2011-04-01T22:06:00.003+01:00

I have been looking at my image portfolio closely lately and looking for realistic photographic targets for the limited time I currently have with the camera. One of the main gaps that stood out was the lack of Tit shots given that they are common birds in the UK and can be obliging at many local sites. They are also a family of birds very well known to people who don't perhaps have a strong interest in our avian creatures but who may feed our friends through the winter.

Therefore, last weekend, even though the weather was poor yet again from a photography perspective, I decided to head down to a local woodland to see if I could add to the existing image collection.

The vast majority of visitors to the feeding station were Great Tits; the largest of our UK Tit species, they are easily recognised by a thick black stripe, which varies in thickness between sexes, down their yellow underparts.

The feeding station was also being visited regularly by Coal Tits; these are our smallest Tit species and probably the most energetic. These have a very distinctive white stripe down the back of the heads and are, personally, my favourite of the family.

Last but not least, one of the most familiar British birds, the Blue Tit, managed to get in on the act but strangely proved the most elusive during the afternoon session and resisted on most occasions to pose for the camera.

Macro Photography on the Aland Islands, Finland - Silver-studded Blue

2011-03-27T20:59:00.002+01:00

After returning from the Aland Islands, Finland last summer I started a series of posts on macro photography on the islands. I have only just got around to starting processing the backlog of images from that holiday so thought I would re-ignite the series.

Having visited the islands every year for the past 8 years, one butterfly that has been consistently present throughout is the Silver-studded Blue. The numbers vary greatly from year to year. I have attributed this to climate as I have been visiting at approximately the same time each year, but the emergence of heather, which seems to be the main food plant, varies depending upon temperature and rainfall. For example, 2010 was very dry on the islands and even in late July, there was little heather flowering and as a consequence very few Silver-studded Blue's were present.

However, I had made it a specific project to add to my existing collection of images of this beautiful species and a bit of perseverence meant I managed a few different shots to add to my collection.

Although the weather has again been dull (its getting frustrating now!) I have actually been out today photographing Tits at a local feeding station so some new bird images to appear here soon.......

Lizards & The New Macro

2011-03-23T20:29:00.004Z

I was lucky enough last week to get my hands on a new macro lens (big thanks to the folks) ready for the upcoming macro season. The new toy was in the form of Canon's 100mm L IS lens. What a beautiful looking piece of equipment, which feels solid, well balanced and tactile. Its definitely a significant upgrade from my tried, tested and trusted Tamron 90mm. Upon first use, it focusses quickly for a macro lens and the internal focus barrel will hopefully make a big difference when approaching and locking onto subjects. The obvious and main difference from my previous macro lenses is the addition of image stablisation. This will likely negate my use of a monopod and will definitely add some versatility to my photography. To christen the new lens, I headed out to see if I could find any reptiles at a local woodland. I found seven Grass Snakes but not one proved obliging unlike two of the five Common Lizards I found, which were happy to pose in the early morning spring sunshine. I cant wait to use the new lens on further macro subjects this year.

Short-eared Owl....at last

2011-03-19T21:41:00.000Z

North Lincolnshire has hosted a number of Short-eared Owls this winter and they have to be amongst the most photographed birds in the UK for the past few months. As a Lincolnshire based photographer it has, therefore, been a little embarrasing that I had'nt connected with them, until this afternoon. With some decent light at last, I decided to spend oa few hours at the site where they have been seen. Unfortunately, views were limited but one individual did make a close, but far too brief, show and I managed to get a couple of portrait images I liked. Those yellow eyes are something else!

2010's Macro Catch Up Part 3 - Banded Demoiselles

2011-03-08T21:42:00.000Z

The Banded Demoiselle has to be up there amongst the UK's most impressive insects......well it is in my opinion and last summer this species formed one of my main macro projects. The images below are of males and I found good numbers along a watercourse on the outskirts of Lincoln last May and the odd one at a couple of my other favoured insect sites.

The image I had in my head was of a male, with their metallic green colouring and coloured wings, against a plain green background, which I managed to achieve. I cant wait to again welcome warm early summer evenings along our watercourses to get more images of these stunning damselflies.

For those interested, the main habitat of this species is slow-flowing lowland streams and rivers, particulary those with muddy bottoms. They can be easily spotted flying along these waters with their butterfly like flight on bicoloured wings.

Lost Birds

2011-03-05T19:27:00.002Z

I am still yet to total more than 3 hours photographic time in 2011 so its a good job I still have images to process from sessions last year. Here is a random assortment of some newly processed photographs taken on both the Farne Islands last June and a sunny November trip to North Wales.

Herring Gulls....

Lesser Black Backed Gull....

Arctic Tern....

Puffin in flight with sand eels....

Little Egret hunting a tidal creek....

Frozen Rails

2011-02-19T20:56:00.001Z

The weather is getting a little silly over in the UK. I say silly but what I actually mean is very annoying as every weekend seems to be dull, dull and duller. We are now 7 weeks into 2011 and the camera has been out twice! Oh well, lets stop moaning and look forward to spring. Whilst I'm not getting out I want to maintain showing images here so I thought I would continue with the backlog, starting with a few Moorhen and Coot images that I took in a short session last month where a mixture of brief sunshine and partly frozen water resulted in a couple of interesting images. The first image is a Coot in low inter sunshine; the 2nd two are of Coot on ice.

Snow Buntings and Light.....Part 2

2011-02-13T14:56:00.000Z

For once, I have managed to edit the images I have taken within a few days (okay a couple of weeks!), so I thought I would follow up Part 1 of this series quite quickly with my second and final batch of Snow Bunting images from the recent North Wales trip.

At one point, these birds would approach as close as a few feet. I love Snow Buntings and to get them so close and showing for the camera is a bit special. To think that in a few weeks these birds will be on their breeding grounds in Northern Europe and may make it as far as the Arctic Circle. Amazing. For reference, these are only very slightly processed i.e. some minor cropping for composition purposes, a little sharpening and obvious resizing.

Snow Buntings and Light.....Part 1

2011-02-11T21:35:00.000Z

Firstly, I would like to pass a big thanks to Neil Smith, a good friend and fellow photographer, for designing my new site logo. Check out his brilliant photography here.

Right onto the subject of this post.....as any followers of my work will know I posted some Snow Bunting images from a trip to North Wales before xmas. On that occassion, the weather was awful and I was pleased to get what I got. Oh what a difference light can make so when I paid my parents a quick visit two weeks ago, and the sun was shining, I couldnt help but have another short session with these delightful birds. Here is the first batch of may favourite images from the session.

The birds proved very obliging and it was nice to capture some images of them feeding or perching on large pieces of beach driftwood.

2010's Macro Catch Up Part 2 - BBC

2011-02-08T20:25:00.001Z

One dragonfly that I wanted to capture more images than I had in my collection already was that of the Broad Bodied Chaser. Both males and females of this species are stunning looking insects and when I was very kindly offered the chance to photograph emerging and fresh specimens at a pond on the Lincolnshire coast, it was too good an opportunity to miss. Before, I go on I would like to thank the persons (you know who you are) for their very kind hospitality and Neil Smith for setting the session up for me.

It was an amazing wildlife experience, seeing tens of these insects emerge from their nymph state and developing, in front of my eyes. They would emerge from the water and settle low down in the grass. Exposure to air causes the larva to begin breathing. The skin splits at a weak spot behind the head and the adult dragonfly crawls out of its old larval skin, pumps up its wings, and flies off. A truly remarkable process. I have included a small number of images below highlighting each stage of the process, however, photographs really dont do this spectacle justice.

Emerging from its nymph state....

Newly emerged, its crawled to the top of a stem....

A fresh male in its adult colouration....

A Hiding Hare

2011-02-06T10:34:00.001Z

The European Hare is a beautiful animal and although it doesnt fit into the 'Bird & Wildlife Macro' category, I couldnt resist attempting to capture some images of an individual last spring. Whilst scoping a rookery, I noticed a few Hares playing in a roadside field. I got back in the car, coasted slowly until I had a break in the roadside hedge and was fortunate to reel of a couple of images of one that had remained close to the road, perhaps thinking it was hidden in the long grass. Five seconds later, the individual had leaped off following the rest.

I am not sure which crop I prefer; landscape or portrait so have posted both alternatives below for viewers to decide.

2010's Macro Catch Up Part 1

2011-02-05T18:44:00.001Z

It would be fair to say I have a large backlog of macro images from last summer, which I am yet to touch let alone show here. A combination of very poor weekend weather and a very busy work life has meant very little new photography (although I have some new Snow Bunting images coming soon). I have, therefore, started to process some of the macro backlog and my first catch up post is of some Common Blue butterflies taken during an evening session last May (the same evening that I captured the Barn Owl images on a recent post). I have tried to capture a few different images of these lovely butterflies and my favourites are below.

Its all about the goose c***

2011-01-15T16:25:00.001Z

The first outing of the year saw myself and a friend, fellow photographer Neil Smith, in North Lincolnshire hunting for some winter sunshine and hopefully some obliging birds he could try his new Canon 7d on. During a short half hour spell with some waterbirds, conditions proved good and we were both able to capture some new images of Coot, Tufted Duck & Pochard. As regular readers and viewers of my work will know, I prefer adopting a low angle for my photography. I did so on this occasion but after getting up out of position, I realised that I had underestimated the amount of Goose 'leftovers' there were on the lakeside and I was simply covered. Hopefully, the images made up for some of the mess!! Please visit http://www.mattlathamphotography.com for more images.

Happy new year with some Snow Buntings

2010-12-31T20:53:00.002Z

First of all, I want to wish you all a belated merry xmas. I have not been able to get onto my sites lately due to family commitments. Better late than never I suppose! Secondly, a very happy new year to all and please keep track of my work in 2011. Thanks to all those that have supported my photography throughout 2010;).

I thought I would see the new year in with some new Snow Bunting images, which I managed to capture earlier this week whilst visiting family in North Wales. Conditions werent ideal, weather wise, but these are always great birds to observe and photograph.

The Waxwing influx arrives on the doorstep

2010-12-10T11:09:00.001Z

This winter, the UK has seen a large influx of Waxwings. These have to be one of my favourite birds, with their distinctive plumage, call and the fact that they are very often obliging and willing to pose for the camera. After seeing several fly over flocks at various sites over the past few weeks, a flock of around 25 individuals have now settled in an an area in Lincoln city centre. Its interesting that there are a lot of berry filled bushes across the city, which have looked very enticing for a Waxwing. However, the flock has chosen to feed on two ornamental rowan bushes at a traditional site where these birds have appeared in 3 of the last 4 winters.

I have had two sessions with them this week; on Sunday and a short session during a very sunny (but freezing) lunchtime on Monday and below are my favourites.

Tyto Alba - cant believe I forgot about these!

2010-12-04T15:31:00.001Z

There is one species that I have wanted to photograph for a long time - The Barn Owl (Tyto Alba). Now, I have a huge backlog from the spring and summer, which I have'nt even looked at so it was a great surprise, and at the same time a bit worrying, when I remembered that I had in fact captured some Barn owl images in the spring this year.

On my way back from a session with the macro lens in May, I was driving home through the fens in Lincolnshire when I spotted this individual hunting the field ditches. I pulled the car over on the roadside verge and prayed it would pass by the roadside ditch - my wishes were answered and I managed to secure a couple of close images.

The bird never came that close again but it did continue to hunt at a distance allowing a different image.

Better than a distant speck on a winter seawatch!

2010-11-22T19:15:00.001Z

Strange title I know but actually relevant to the bird that appears in the images below; a Long tailed Duck. A female type of this species was showing very well at Covenham reservoir , Lincolnshire at the end of October (and may actually still be present) so when I had a day off and some good weather I couldnt resist. These birds are mostly seen at distance off the shores of the tUK in the winter months so when I heard news that this individual was showing down to less than 20 feet, it seemed too good an opportunity to miss to photograph this sea-duck.

Hen Harrier

2010-11-10T21:13:00.000Z

It would be fair to say, you don't often get the chance to photograph Hen Harrier in the UK unless you are legally permitted to do so on their breeding grounds or are lucky enough to encounter them on their wintering grounds.

In the last few weeks, a couple of individuals have taken up residence in North Lincolnshire so on a recent day off, I decided to head up there to try my luck. A couple of hours after arriving, a juv male had passed by close to where I was stood on four separate occasions.

I was using the 2x converter on the 300mm lens and with the addition of the converter and trying to lock on a moving brown subject against a largely brown background, I did'nt have quite the success rate I wanted but was pleased with the results when I did connect with the bird. My favourites are shown below.

Sanderlings

2010-10-31T09:49:00.001Z

A couple of weeks back whilst the fiancee and her friend took advantage of some autumn sunshine, I decided to try and take advantage of an opportunity to photograph one of my favourite photographic subjects; the Sanderling. These are such energetic subjects; constantly feeding on the tide line and sprinting along the beach.

I have photographed Sanderling many times before but never got a particular image I wanted so I had a specific typ of shot in mind and 2 hours later, I had managed to capture something not far off that idea. These birds show impressive speed when running along the beach and I really wanted to capture them at the moment when they are mid sprint with both feet off the ground. This was the result:

During the session, I also wanted to capture a more traditional portrait with a sandy beach setting and also tried something a little different.

A very obliging Dunlin Part 2

2010-10-23T12:02:00.000+01:00

Here are some more of the very obliging Dunlin found in North Norfolk last month. Higher resolution images of Dunlin can be found at http://www.mattlathamphotography.com. Click on any of the images to take you to my main website where I am happy to receive feedback on my work; good or bad!

Coming soon are new images of Sanderling and a first for the camera; Long-tailed Duck.

A very obliging Dunlin Part 1

2010-10-10T19:46:00.000+01:00

If someone asked me where I wanted to live in the UK, the answer would almost always be north Norfolk. Why? Well, there is so much of my preferred habitat and so many of my favourite sites that its a no brainer really. As it stands, my favourite stretch of Salthouse and Cley is a two and a half hour drive from my house but it is always worth it.

I recently took a trip down in the hope of finding some obliging waders and although the numbers were limited, a Dunlin really sealed the day as it allowed an approach to less than 1 metre! It was a first winter bird and clearly had only recently arrived on its migration. Anyway, two hours later in superb weather and in a superb natural setting for a wild wader, I had managed over 20gb of images of the individual and I will exhibit my favourites over two posts. Higher resolution versions can be seen on my main site at http://www.mattlathamphotography.com

Some Norfolk Gulls

2010-10-02T20:00:00.000+01:00

As a break from the continuing catch up with my macro photography from the summer, I thought I would post some images of Common and Black Headed Gulls I took during a trip to Norfol with friends Neil and Geoff in early September. I was trying to capture something a little different and adopted my usual low angle; lying flat on my belly for that eye level perspective that I think works so well with birds. I hope you enjoy.

Black Headed Gulls.........

Common Gulls..........

More images can be seen at http://www.mattlathamphotography.com

Macro Photography on the Aland Islands, Finland - Black-tailed Skimmer

2010-09-26T14:59:00.000+01:00

This is another species of dragonfly that can vary significantly in number from year to year on the islands of Aland. This year there were luckily large numbers and it was by far the most common species of odonata present. Having seen lots of these but with none in my image library, I was keen to capture a variety of images.

More images can be found on my main site: http://www.mattlathamphotography.com

Macro Photography on the Aland Islands, Finland - Grayling

2010-09-15T19:23:00.001+01:00

One of my favourite butterflies is the Grayling. On Aland, they are mostly found in the rocky habitats composed of a mosaic of grassland and red granite outcrops. They generally allow a close approach and adopting a low angle allows photography of this species to render images of the butterfly and the multicoloured lichen act as a perfect backdrop.

And on the odd occasion, they adopt a more typical butterfly pose on a flower.

Macro Photography on the Aland Islands, Finland - Silver-washed Fritillary, Part 2

2010-09-12T17:43:00.001+01:00

Back to the 2nd part of the series on Silver Washed Fritillary, here is some more images of this fantastic species.

Please visit my portfolio site at http://www.mattlathamphotography.com

Macro Photography on the Aland Islands, Finland - Bedstraw Hawk-moth

2010-09-05T13:15:00.000+01:00

I personally think that all Hawk-moths are impressive insects so I was very pleased to find this Bedstraw Hawk-moth nectaring in the middle of the day and then was really feeling the luck when it landed. I didnt have the camera and was responsible for preparing dinner...........lets say a quick dash back to the house for the camera and half hour later no dinner landed me in a whole heap of trouble. The results were worth it though!

Macro Photography on the Aland Islands, Finland - Four-spotted Chaser

2010-08-29T18:33:00.003+01:00

Another dragonfly photographed on Aland this summer; this time its a Four-spotted Chaser and the first image I've taken of this species this year. I prefer to capture subjects against a clean background but I quite like the complex pattern in this image.

Macro Photography on the Aland Islands, Finland - Yellow-winged Darter

2010-08-28T13:41:00.001+01:00

Taking a brief break from the series on Fritillary butterflies, I thought I would post some of the first dragonfly images taken on Aland this year. The images below are of Yellow Winged Darters (Sympetrum flaveolum); the first two photos being of a teneral/adult female type; the third is of a mature male. I have only seen this species on one previous occasion; a couple of years back in the same place as I found them this year. They are a migrant species to the islands; appearing in large numbers some years but can be completely absent in others.

Macro Photography on the Aland Islands, Finland - Silver-washed Fritillary, Part 1

2010-08-25T21:25:00.002+01:00

I mentioned in my previous post that there were good numbers of fritillaries on Aland this year. By far the most numerous species around where we were staying was Silver-washed Fritillary. This is a large, majestic species of butterfly that spends a lot of its time gliding on open wings along woodland glades. I have seen this species on Aland before but never in the numbers that were present this year. One theory around the abundance of this species was the potential for a late emergence season due to the very hard and extended winter the islands have experienced. There has also been a large movement north from southern Europe, which could have increased the numbers. Whatever resulted in the increase, it certainly made enjoyable watching of what is one of my favourite butterflies. I managed a large number of images as a result of the amount of time spent with them so thought I would split the exhibition of my favourites across a few posts, of which this is part 1.

Macro Photography on the Aland Islands, Finland - Pearl-bordered Fritillary

2010-08-22T19:11:00.001+01:00

One of the real highlights of this year on Aland was the shear number of fritillaries on show. I managed to find eight different species, most of which I photographed. I thought I would start the fritillary series with images of Pearl-bordered Fritillary, a new species for me.

Macro Photography on the Aland Islands, Finland - A Mixed Bag

2010-08-15T19:00:00.001+01:00

During the fantastic 10 days spent recently on the Aland, Islands there were a number of insects I came across only very briefly and, therefore, managed only a very few images.

One of those brief encounters was with a Warbiter Cricket (Decticus verrucivorus). I found this individual in my fiancee's grandmother's garden. What a superb insect; approximately 1 and a half inches a long; a real beast of a cricket. The challenge was to get it to stay still, get a clean background and try and fit those very long antennae in the frame! This species occurs throughout continental Europe but is restricted to only five sites in the UK. It was certainly a new species for me and thanks to Steve Routledge for his help in identifying it.

Next is a species I saw a few of but for some reason, unbeknown to me, I didnt spend much effort in trying to get images of this superb little butterfly. The Mountain Argus (Agrodiaetus aroaniensis) is similar to Brown Argus but with a more strongly defined white triangle on the hind underwing and less distinct underwing spots.

Last, but certainly not least was a butterfly I had never seen before on the islands, the Large Wall Brown (Lasiommata maera), and to be honest, one I had to identify once I had photographed it. Its great that this year I managed to find new species for me and for my visits to the island and it highlights that each year, the fauna, particularly insects and birds, seems to vary. I am a qualified ecologist by profession and am intrigued by the changes to the wildlife I observe every year; perhaps its seasonal variations, climate change or changes in species distribution; I will probably never know but it certainly makes things interesting! Here are my two favourite Large Wall Brown images.

Macro Photography on the Aland Islands, Finland - Scarce Copper

2010-08-08T20:32:00.000+01:00

I have just returned from 10 days holiday in the Aland Islands, an archipelago situated equi-distant between Sweden and Finland. Its a place I go every year for a family holiday as my fiancee's grandmother is from the islands and we have a number of summer houses which we can use. I will dedicate a post soon on more information about the island itself and its beauty.

This year, I decided to take only my macro lens and dedicate the photographic time I would get to taking images of butterflies, dragonflies and any other macro subjects that took my fancy. This didnt stop me from doing some birding aswell and I managed to see many superb birds including White Tailed Eage, Common Crane, Caspian Tern, Velvet Scoter, Wryneck, Common Rosefinch, Black Woodpecker, Icterine Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Parrot Crossbill, Slavonian Grebe and Black Guillemot, amongst others.

Back to the photography, this is going to be the first of many posts exhibiting images of the island's many insect species. I clearly cannot go into all of them and to be honest, my posts will only scratch the surface but hope you enjoy the series and the insect I life I managed to capture on film during the holiday.

Lets start with some images of one of the brightest small butterflies I found; the Scarce Copper Lycaena virgaureae, which has to be one of the most strikingly coloured Butterflies in Europe. All the images I captured were of the underwing and on one shot you can just catch a glimpse of the bright orange upperwing, which stands out at quite a distance. The species lives preferably on flower-rich, dry and damp meadows in Central Europe and extends as far north as the Arctic Circle. The species, is, however, completely absent from the British Isles.

The Magic of the Farnes - More Puffins, Terns and Other Farne's Birds

2010-08-07T13:51:00.004+01:00

I promise there will be more variety coming soon but whilst I try and fit some editing in with the manic workload at present, I thought I would post some more Puffins and Arctic Tern images yet to be shown followed by some other species you can see on the Farne Islands. These are all taken from the recent trip to the Farne Islands.

Puffins......

Arctic Tern in flight........

As well as the bird species I have exhibited over the last few posts there are a number of other additional species resident in the summer months on the Farne Islands. These include Rock Pipits, Lesser Black Backed Gulls and Eider. Gulls are opportunistic species at the best of time and are on constant patrol on the islands. They sit in prominent positions where they can view the movements and feeding of other birds and can be ruthless on their pursuit of Puffins as they fly into their burrows to feed their young. I liked this image of a Lesser Black Backed Gull looking at the action from its perch.

Last but certainly not least there are large numbers of Eider around the islands. Females and eclipse males blend in very well to the patterns created by the lichen covered rocks. Unfortunately, the last 2 visits to the islands have been too late in the year for males to be in their pristine black and white plumage......thats a photographic target for another day. Here is one of the Eider images taken this year.

The Magic of the Farnes - Sandwich Terns

2010-08-01T17:26:00.001+01:00

I managed to capture two species of tern in flight this year; both on Inner Farne. My main target was Sandwich Tern as I didnt have any images in my collection until this year's trip. These are a smart looking tern, with their yellow tipped black bills, and are very vocal. They were nesting closer to the main path this year and were constantly bringing in fish for their offspring.

As well as getting flight shots against a sky and sea background, it was also pleasing to capture action shots as the birds came into land at their nests.

The Magic of the Farnes - Puffins Part 3

2010-07-31T11:34:00.001+01:00

I thought this Puffin post would include the limited few flight shots of Puffins I captured this year on the Farnes. For the majority, the weather wasnt quite up to scratch for flight shots this year but there was a window of blue sky when we were on Inner Farne, which helped.

The first image in this series is possibly one of my favourite flight shots I have ever taken. At full resolution, approximately 13mpx (this is about a 25% crop from full frame) its very sharp and I look forward to print it off on A4. Its quite interesting to see that the majority of Puffins will collect a number of small fish and pack them tightly in their large bill........this one, however, looks like it caught more than it could handle!!

I tried on a few occasions to capture shots against the blue sea and liked this effort.

Both the above images were taken on Inner Farne, which in my opinion is the best island for Puffin flight shots. However, as I posted earlier, I did walk around the whole of Staple Island this year and found a spot where Puffins were coming to land in several areas around me. Although the skies were a little grey at that point, I liked the three images below.

The Magic of the Farnes - Arctic Terns in Portrait

2010-07-30T12:05:00.003+01:00

During last year's visit to the Farnes, I didnt account for how close you would actually get to these beautiful terns and spent most of my time capturing just head shots. Head shots of these elegant birds do not capture, in my opinion, what makes a tern a tern.

This year, I aimed to get images of the whole bird and capture their long elegant profile, including their long wings and tail streamers. I also wanted to capture more images of them on a wall where I got my favourite image from last year. I achieved both aims and my favourites are shown below.

The Magic of the Farnes - Razorbills

2010-07-29T15:47:00.003+01:00

As much as I like Puffins, I must admit that Razorbills are my favourite of the Auk species. I think they look really chunky and tough and their head and bill pattern is so intricate, including a bright orange mouth and gape.

I do, however, find them an utter nightmare to expose properly. After various poor efforts I have managed to get some resting shots I am pleased with, see below. For those interested, these are taken using matrix metering, with an aperture of 5.6 or 6.3 and I have underexposed by a full stop to preserve detail in the white. The dark parts of the plumage are rendered very dark but I have just managed to get the balance right here with sufficient detail in both the black and white areas of the bird's plumage.

The Magic of the Farnes - Puffins Part 2

2010-07-28T10:16:00.002+01:00

I have just returned from a fantastic 10 day family holiday to the Aland Islands in Finland......more on that coming soon. Before I left 2 weeks ago, I posted some Puffin images from the recent Farne Islands trip. Thanks for all those that commented on them whilst I was away and I thought I would continue exhibiting more Puffin shots in my first post back on line. I am yet to decide whether I will post all my Farne Island images before posting any from my holiday.....watch this space. For larger versions, just click on the image itself.

The Magic of the Farnes - Puffins Part 1

2010-07-14T19:50:00.004+01:00

During last year's visit to the Farne Islands, I concentrated most of time on capturing Puffin images. I thought to myself this year that I would only spend a small time on Puffin photography. I was kidding myself! These birds are so addictive that they cannot be ignored. I therefore finished the day with over 60% of the day's images including a Puffin in them. They are stunning birds; so obliging on the islands and so charismatic. This is the first of many forthcoming posts that will exhibit the best of the Puffin images from the day.

The Magic of the Farnes - Guillemots

2010-07-10T17:17:00.000+01:00

Last year, I made it no further than the landing jetty on Staple Island due to the number of Puffins in front of me. I made it one of my goals this year to actually see the rest of the island. In walking around, one of the first photo opportunities I looked at was two Guillemots and a youngster. The bird on the left was trying to attack the young bird with presumably its parent fighting off any approach.

The Magic of the Farnes - Shags

2010-07-07T20:05:00.002+01:00

This time around was my 2nd visit to the Farnes in as many years. Last year was magical as it was my first ever visit. This year was equally as magical. Although I knew what to expect this year, the shear spectacle of so many seabirds in such close proximity to you and the lens,still managed to put a huge smile on my face.

The same crew made the long journey (approximately 4 hours with a 3am start) this year with the addition of a friend, Geoff, who was unable to make it last year due to ill health. Again, Richard proved his stamina with the drive there and back in the day. That left myself and Neil to talk photography all the way there and all the way back; oh yes with the addition of the journey there comprising everyone having to listen to me contemplating all potential weather scenarios!

In the end, the weather was good; not quite the constant blue skies we had last year, but still plenty good enough to rack up over 2000 images. The trip was a week and a half ago now but I have finally started to get through some image editing and will start with presenting images of the Shags.

Shags are commonly mistaken for an all black bird. Look closely and their plumage is far from black; instead being a glossy green and purple colour that can be seen easily in the right light. Again, I failed to get anything other than head shots but did get those portraits against a green and brown background, which was my objective with this species this time around.

There will be a number of forthcoming posts covering the day on the Farnes, which will include images of Puffins (I apologise now, for Puffin fever will soon set in!), Razorbills, Guillemots and various gull and tern species. Watch this space.......

Muddy Martins

2010-07-04T18:13:00.000+01:00

After leaving the Avocets with a huge smile on our faces, we decided to check the various quays along the North Norfolk coast. One area I particularly wanted to have a look at was Morston. I had heard that it was a good spot for waders but after a good search around, it wasnt to prove productive.....or was it?

On driving into the final section of quay we hadnt yet checked out we noticed a number of House Martins circling around and landing on the interface between wet and dry mud on the edge of the tidal channels. I decided to try and maneouvre the car so that we could use it as a hide but couldnt manage to get it into position.

I then noticed that the birds were landing directly in front of a small boat. This was my chance! When the birds left I moved from the car and laid down in this boat with my lens resting on a cut section at the boat's stern. The angle was perfect; being about a foot of the ground and if the birds landed where they had done on their previous circuit, they would be within 12 feet of me. 15 minutes later, I was in luck.......

They would land, pause momentarily before driving their heads straight into the wet mud; emerging with a beak full to return to continue the maintenance of their nest. It was pretty dirty work and amazing to see at such close range. The boat acted as a great hide and they continued with their behaviour completely oblivious of my presence. Amazing though how they kept their legs so pristinely white!

A brilliant encounter with a bird seldom seen on the ground.

North Norfolk Avocets Part 3

2010-07-02T20:12:00.002+01:00

I left the last post on this fabulous experience with the bird seemingly happy to sit in front of me and ponder its next move. Just as I thought, it would head off, I was to be privileged by the bird turning around and doing a return pass right in front of me. The bird was feeding now no more than 2 to 3 metres away and at times, it was so close my lens could not focus down to the subject. It was an unbelievable experience and one of my most memorable photographic moments to date.

Avocets feed in water by swaying their bill left and right to collect small inverterbrates. Although I failed to capture that feeding behaviour, I liked the image below with the droplet of water on the end of the bill with a droplet just having fallen into the water causing a small ripple wave.

After a while feeding so close, it decided that it had had enough posing for the camera and walked away to feed on the shingle ridge. It then fed at a distance that allowed me to capture some more images of the whole bird; these really are beautiful with their pied plumage, blue legs and up-curved bill. I feel the brown background to these also compliments the subject.

North Norfolk Avocets Part 2

2010-06-30T20:18:00.002+01:00

Once the Avocet had woken up and stretched, it began to walk around the pool and feed. It gradually made its way from left to right, getting closer and closer as it fed; seemingly completely oblivious to my presence and calling on occasions.

As it came closer, the only option available was to capture head shots of this stunning looking species.

Was this the end to this fantastic experience? Find out in part 3!

North Norfolk Avocets Part 1

2010-06-28T19:18:00.003+01:00

Before I exhibit the Farne Island photos I must be disciplined and show some images I captured on a trip to North Norfolk about 3 weeks ago.

The day started very early, leaving the house at 4:30am, picking some friends up a but later and we were at our first destination by 6:30am. On occasions when I have visited the North Norfolk coast, it has been so cold that photography is very difficult as your fingers are numb. Unbelievably, this time around, I was getting the gear ready at the car in a t-shirt. I knew the day had to be good!

The first target of the day was Avocet. A truly elegant wader and one of my favourite british birds but a bird I had never photographed before. As you can see, its also black and white and, therefore, presents its exposure challenges to the photographer.

I had been told by a very kind Norfolk photographer (you know who you are - thanks!) about a site where, if patient, close views could be had. After 45 minutes of observing the birds and getting into position, I was overwhelmed by a single Avocet coming to within 6 feet of me as I laid motionless on my belly, camera on a beanbag, trying to slowly move the lens and follow the birds movements.

Within that 45 minutes, we adopted a move and stop approach to assess how vulnerable the bird was to our presence and a lot of the time it just sat with its head tucked in, occasionally looking up at what was going on. Once in my final position, I decided to just wait, motionless. The bird soon woke up and it was time for it to walk around and begin to walk straight towards me.

It soon began to head in my direction and soon it would be walking across right in front of me.......more coming soon in Part 2.

Mute Swan Art

2010-06-27T15:02:00.003+01:00

Some experimental images of local Mute Swans.

I'm spending the day recovering from a day trip to the Farne islands yesterday. A fantastic trip with Neil, Geoff and Richard (who put in another mammoth driving effort). We saw lots of Puffins, terns, Shags etc and I have the unenviable task of now processing the day's images. They will be appearing here soon.......

Sedge Warbler in Hawthorn

2010-06-25T18:58:00.000+01:00

I took this image recently at Frampton Marsh RSPB in Lincolnshire. Its my first ever image of a Sedge Warbler and its been chosen to be blown up to A1 Poster size for mounting in one of the main meeting rooms in the Environment Agency's north Lincolnshire headquarters in Lincoln. It will be a little odd having meetings with my own photo hanging over my head!

Marsh Fritillaries

2010-06-22T16:30:00.001+01:00

The emergence of Marsh Fritillaries at Chambers Wood in Lincolnshire is a real highlight of mid to late May. Many visitors are attracted to Little Scrubs Meadow to see and photograph this rare butterfly during its short 3 to 4 week flight period. In some beautiful weather during my week off in the third week of May, I managed several visits to this great little site and developed a small portfolio of pleasing images. These butterflies get photographed to death so it was my intention to get the classic portrait shots, some underwing images but also try for something a little different.

First of all then, the classic open upper wing shots.......

This species quite often sits with open wings drooped down. In the image below, I had to find a compromise between the amount of the subject I wanted to keep in focus and the detail in the background. I decided to choose an aperture that would actually show that the individual's wings were being held in a downward position so I could throw the background out and achieve a cleaner image.

Most butterflies have an equally well patterned underwing and this species is no exception........

And for my efforts at something a little different......

Not so Dingy Skipper

2010-06-21T18:26:00.004+01:00

I have spent many hours over the past 3 or 4 weeks trying to capture images of this tiny butterfly. Slightly hard done by in my opinion as fresh individuals of this species certainly arent dingy with a complex patterning of browns and greys. As fresh individuals, they also move at some pace and stay still very little. I have found that these are possibly one of the least obliging butterfly species and so I was pleased with some of the images I captured; the three below being my favourites. Please don't ask what the ratio of keepers was though!!

The last Bempton post

2010-06-19T12:45:00.001+01:00

It really was a great day at the fantastic spectacle that is Bempton Cliffs RSPB. Its taken me a month to sort my images and I am currently so behind in post processing other images I have taken over the last four weeks due to work and other personal commitments. To round off, I thought I would post some new flight shots from the day. Please continue to visit the site as I work through my backlog; coming soon will be new images of Avocet, House Martin, Bearded Tit, Marsh Fritillary and lots more insect macro.

Another Slender Ground Hopper

2010-06-17T19:23:00.002+01:00

Sun Flies

2010-06-14T21:14:00.000+01:00

Apologies for the adult content of the image below ;)

Small Copper-lation

2010-06-13T13:26:00.000+01:00

Whilst photographing Green Hairstreaks at Gibraltar Point a couple of weeks ago, I came across my first Small Coppers of the year. Luckily, there was a pair of them and its the first time I've witnessed this species mating.

When they split, one of the individuals remained and opened its wings in the afternoon sunshine. These are great looking little butterflies.

Gannet landing

2010-06-12T10:31:00.003+01:00

Green Hairstreak

2010-06-07T20:38:00.004+01:00

It has been a fantastic spring and early summer for Green Hairstreak butterflies on the Lincolnshire coast. Gibraltar Point NNR, just south of Skegness, has been a particularly good site to see this stunning looking little butterfly.

One day during my recent week off work I headed to Gibraltar Point and managed to find approximately 30 individuals within a short distance from the beach car park. In 3 hours, I ventured only a short distance as many individuals gave me the opportunity to get my first pleasing shots of this species.

Below is a selection of images from the session and hopefully I have done them justice.....before anybody asks, fresh individuals really are this green!

They favour Sea Buckthorn, Elm and Hawthorn at this site so I was surprised when one landed in the path in front of me. Although a rather worn individual, I thought this was a different shot to the norm.

Gannet Portraits Part 3

2010-06-06T13:15:00.002+01:00

Kittiwakes on the wing

2010-06-05T14:19:00.003+01:00

One of the species taking full advantage of the wind and updraft at Bempton on my recent visit was the Kittiwakes. These are my favourite member of the Gull family, with their red gape often visible even when their bright yellow/green bill is closed, dark eye and red orbital ring and all black wing tips like they have been dipped in ink.

Approximately 10% of the UK's population of Kittiwakes live at Bempton. As you approach the cliffs from the landward entrance to the reserve, the first thing you can hear is these birds calling and the sight of 1000's of individuals performing their air acrobatics.

I already had a number of Kittiwake images in my portfolio prior to this visit, but I managed my most pleasing shots to date. A selection of flight shots is included below.

A casual glide by.....

Performing some 'air paddling'.....

Carrying some nest material.....

In the middle of a mid air twist.....

Screaming out at some unwanted visitors.....