Please the read introduction text on this post first HERE (which also has some other useful info) What a difference a few days make. On Wednesday I was thinking the southern migrant (or blue eyed) hawkers might have been having a brief early(ish) emergence and numbers reducing, then Thursday and Friday resulted in plenty of…
DetailsPlease the read introduction text on this post first HERE (which also has some other useful info) First of all sorry for the lack of updates, I’ve heard through the grapevines of reports being posted elsewhere in the last week, but until today I haven’t had a decent view since Saturday, due to the weather…
DetailsPLEASE READ THIS FIRST – if you share any Southern migrant hawker sightings from Wat Tyler CP please link/post the text in bold on this link Can everyone please keep to the paths and boardwalks and avoid trampling any surrounding pond vegetation, as the park is an SSSI. If similar trampling/damage is caused in this year as was…
DetailsPlease the read introduction text on this post first HERE (which also has some other useful info) Weather was patchy sun and cloud with a strong wind, turning completely cloudy before 2.30pm when I saw it and it apparently is disappeared not too long after . I saw 1 male on 2 brief visits on…
DetailsPLEASE READ THIS FIRST – if you share any Southern migrant hawker sightings from Wat Tyler CP please link/post the bold text below Please forgive the possibly lecturing tone to the below, it is hard to write something, like this without it coming out that way! 🙂 In 2013 after sighting this dragonfly species in…
DetailsMy letter to my MP regarding the proposed amendments to the fox hunting act: Dear Stephen Metcalfe, As you are no doubt aware on Wednesday there will be a vote for amending the Hunting Act. These amendments seem to be purposely aimed and undermining the act to make it unenforceable, effectively legalising this outdated and…
DetailsA few weeks ago I was showing some fellow great crested newt eDNA surveyors around Wat Tyler CP when we spotted a grass snake in one of the ponds. I went in for a closer shot and it dived under water and into some blanket weed for a short while. It came up backwards, which…
DetailsBack in March I was up in the Cairngorms, which is famous for its Caledonian Forest habitat with pine martens, wildcats and capercaillie. The ponds there also hold wildlife unique to this habitat in Britain, including the Northern damselfly, Coenagrion hastulatum. Of course in March it is too cold for the adult to be on…
DetailsRecently I have been using the new Pentax 1.4x Teleconvertor with my Pentax DA*300mm for a lot of shots. I was previous not fully convinced it was sharp enough, but a few weeks ago this pied wagtail perched up on a fence and I got away a few shots with the above combo. They were…
DetailsSaturday was a busy day for me, with an early start to scout and set up for my Dragonfly, butterfly and other invertebrate photography workshop at Wat Tyler Country Park. It was fully booked, but all seemed to enjoy it. The weather wasn’t bad considering the forecast, with patches of cloud slowly thinning to a…
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