2019 will go down as a mixed year. I have tried to limit myself to 1 image a month which I failed miserably at!
I’m going to do another post of the best freshwater photos too!
It started off slowly as my ‘dream job’ I had been working towards getting really started to turn into more of a nightmare, but I managed to get out on one day off in January and finally get some nice photos of fieldfare.
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Jan.jpg)
Scrolling through my photos from February, I didn’t really get an opportunity to get out with the camera for wildlife.
March wasn’t much better, I was exhausted and stressed, which meant I needed to get out, but my March trip to the Royal Parks was one of my least productive trips there and I was starting to work on my days off eating into the number days I could get out. I did however manage to get my mum up to Lackford Lakes and get her a good view of a kingfisher for the first time and her first ever nuthatch. Highlight for me was this wonderful marsh tit.
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/marsh-tit.jpg)
Then at the end of March I realised that the stress of the job was becoming detrimental to my health and despite my career aim having been to get a job with the organisation for over 10 years, I walked away. Not a great feeling and I still suffered the symptoms of stress for a few weeks after and lack of confidence for months (and perhaps even now a bit). I met some lovely people there, and I wouldn’t have lasted nearly as long there without them, but in the end it wasn”t even the job they offered me (on top of all the other issues…) and I figured my family would rather have a healthy poorer dad than something else.
Luckily I was still employed elsewhere so I picked up some part-time work over the summer to keep my head above water financially in the summer, and it meant I had more time to spend with the family and get some ‘nature therapy’ as its referred to.
First day out in April I headed to a well known adder site and spent a whole morning sitting on a (surprisingly busy) path watching and trying to photograph adders. At that time of year it is (even more) important to avoid disturbance, so I was pleasantly surprised when this adder (which was a good 4 metres away basking in a gap in the hedge) decided to move into a gap right in front of me, practically at minimum focus! Nature therapy indeed!
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/apr.jpg)
I finally had a bit of time to go and see the Oxslips. Only found (in the UK) in Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and my home county of Essex, it’s silly I hadn’t gone to see them, as I’m a big fan of cowslips, but they are found in the North West of the County, an area I’ve never quite made it too. But I finally did and they were wonderful flowers and I had the wood to myself!
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/apr-2.jpg)
April was turning out to be a good month (the 1 photo a month thing is now out the window). When a friend told me he had found some fox cubs in bluebells I cheekily asked him to take me. He very kindly did take me. I had never seen such young cubs and they were in bluebells. Never got THE shot but a privilege to see.
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/apr-3.jpg)
The the month got even better when a good friend took me on a smooth snake survey in Surrey, we did find one (a first for me), but highlight of the day was this stunning male sand lizard. I saw it in the corner of my eye midstep, froze, was sure it was going to go, but thankfully it didn’t as I moved slower than traffic after an accident at the Dartford Crossing, I got my camera pointing at it a fired of a number of shots. It was another new species (in the UK at least) for me and meant I have now seen all the native UK reptiles!
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/apr-4.jpg)
May was another productive month. Lots of family time and few trips out. In the garden the red mason bee colony was at least 50+ bees, I got this image of one in its bamboo tunnel.
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/may-3.jpg)
On a trip to Hanningfield I was pleasantly surprised when this garden warbler hopped up almost in front of me!
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/may-4.jpg)
A friend found some nightingales locally and I managed to get this video.
After a semi successful trip to Goring, where I got the orchids, but only one (damaged) club tailed dragonfly, I popped down to Thursley rather than sit in the traffic on the M25. Turned out to be a good move as I had the (in)famous Colin the cuckoo to myself! He came quite close!
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/may-6.jpg)
I even got some slow motion video of him, here is a quick montage of shots (i need to edit them a bit better on a future date!)
Towards the end of June I got selected for a place on a Olympus experience day at Croft race track in Yorkshire which was fun. On the way up I stopped at the top Marsh fritillary butterfly site in the UK. I had gone looking for this species and failed in Wales and in Cornwall, but it was third time lucky – there were over 1000 on the wing in the 2 large meadows!
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/jun-4.jpg)
I stayed with a friend in Yorkshire and ‘dragged’ him to the Farne Islands, where I photographed the usual suspects.
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/jun-5.jpg)
A poppy field appeared 10 minutes walk from my house, but a criminally long time to go see it! I did eventually get there though!
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/jun-6.jpg)
In July I visited the water voles and got a few nice shots, this was my pick of the bunch.
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/jul-6.jpg)
My daughter found this Drassodes sp. spider in my mum’s garden, and I took a stacked image.
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/jul-8.jpg)
In August I was busy with helping at events and visiting Birdfair. I did go up to see a friend in Norfolk to photograph neotonous newts (I’ll blog about it in my 2020 pond creature summary post). While doing this a little mouse came out and posed.
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/aug-4.jpg)
In September brought a new job, which is great and I finally got round to seeing the British scorpions in Kent.
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/sept.jpg)
I also found out about a lovely hornets nest locally.
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/sept-2.jpg)
In October I made a few log piles which proved good for the lizards.
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Oct-2.jpg)
November brought some wonderful Autumn colours.
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Nov-2.jpg)
I also saw a gull try to eat a pigeon!
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Nov.jpg)
In December there were some nice frosty mornings.
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Dec.jpg)
This goldfinch posed for a differently lit shot.
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Dec-2.jpg)
This Stonechat hung on in strong winds while I tested out my new 2x teleconvertor.
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Dec-3.jpg)
I set up a hide and some feeders and had some good luck with the long tailed tits.
I had a day in the local woodland bird hide and got lucky with a visiting sparrowhawk
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Dec-6.jpg)
Finally here is a couple of pheasants that I saw fighting many days, but it was just before Christmas before they did it on a sunny day.
![](http://www.uk-wildlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Dec-8.jpg)
I should also mention i teamed up with Victoria Hillman and started the UK Wildlife Podcast which is already on Episode 4 and approaching 500 downloads. Go check it out if you want to here fortnightly rambling on British Wildlife.
I will do a summary of the freshwater life photos soon, but for now I’ll just say Happy New Year