Treecreeper

Another attempt at the speedy and elusive Treecreeper.

(Scheduled Post)

Scenes From a Cycle Ride (3)

The final part of my scenes from my latest cycle ride.

More images of the flock of sheep already mentioned.

This lonely Bluebell was shooting up amongst masses of Wood Anemones.

Lumix GX1. 12-35mm f2.8 lens. 1/320 at f5 - 35mm(70). ISO160.

Oilseed Rape plants below already reaching a fair height. 

The white bags hanging on poles in the field are meant to keep Woodpigeons away.

Scenes From a Cycle Ride (2)

The second part of scenes from my latest cycle ride.

Straw Bales left outside of some farm buildings.

There are lots of buds of various trees and bushes shooting in the hedgerows.

Lunch was taken at the familiar tree trunk which is used to block a field entrance.

I watched these two blokes out in the field below (from where I was taking lunch) and they never moved all the time I was there for some reason.{:))

Yet another gate.

Lumix GX1. 12-35mm f2.8 lens. 1/2000 at f2.8. - 35mm(70). ISO160

Scenes From a Cycle Ride (1)

A very sunny day for my latest cycle ride out into the countryside.

Wild Daffodils are a feature along much of the road side in the area.

Primroses are also plentiful now that the warmer weather has arrived.

Wood Violets. I found a large patch on a flat grass area adjacent to the road side

The Wood Anemone covers the floor of two patches of woodland on the route that I travelled.

Lumix GX1. 12-35mm f2.8 lens. 1/800 at f7.1. - 35mm(70). ISO160

Lesser Celandines can be found everywhere as well.

I took a number of images of this flock of sheep, which I think are quite close to lambing.

The Comma Butterfly

The Comma Butterfly is another one of the hibernating over winter species. Its usually the first butterfly sighting I make in Spring, but this year was beaten into third place.

The book says that this species hibernates in woodland and in Spring the males will establish a territory in open sunny spots along the woodland edge. 

This is exactly where I found three different Commas which are my first sighting of the species this Spring.

Lumix GH3. 100-300mm lens. 1/500 at f5.6 - 300mm(600). ISO250

Lumix GH3. 35-100mm f2.8lens. 1/640 at f4 - 100mm(200). ISO200

Welcome Back Chatterbox

The Whitethroat

Yes welcome back indeed all the way from Africa (the Southern edge of the Sahara in the semi-arid Sahel zone).

One of my favourite little species. Although it is a challenge to photograph as it moves about mostly undercover of bush. In fact it can be quite infuriating as it will sit almost out of sight chattering away and you get the distinct impression its laughing at you trying to get a photograph. The only way is firstly be aware through regular observation of the territories that it frequents each Spring on its return. You then have to wait unobtrusively for it to show which can be some time.

The first one below moved backwards and forwards along a 50 metre stretch of low undergrowth consisting of mainly brambles. On reaching one end it luckily moved up into a taller Hawthorn bush which was quite open. Although I was some distance away, that was my opportunity to get some shots.

This second Whitethroat below is a 'Good News' story really. Two years ago I was able to pinpoint an area in which two pair of Whitethroats nested. Then the Parkland Staff decided to clear the area removing trees and undergrowth leaving hardly anything above ground. Of course this decimated the nesting grounds for the Whitethroats and I have no idea where they nested for two years. Now the undergrowth has started to grow and there is sufficient bramble bush etc for nesting and plenty of cover. The images below is of a Whitethroat that I found frequenting the area now. So its possible that there will be nesting activity this year.