A beautiful day today, but for some reason there was very little wildlife about during the day. I could hear green woodpeckers in the distance, and the ubiquitous gulls were around. I did spot a couple of blackbirds and a chaffinch, and – the best sighting of the lot – a male orange-tipped butterfly. I missed the chance of a photo of that, but it's unmistakable. Bright orange wing tips on white butterfly. So instead of creatures, I turned the camera to the local flora.
We have abundant bluebells at work (and just about everywhere else round here).
That shot is taken just a few yards from my office. I have to wander about three or four minutes to the dew pond. I'd gone in search of dragonflies (or damsels), but it seems I'll have to be patient. None were in evidence. The pond (which is only 3 or 4 years old) is, however, sporting some native plant life. It's the first year I've seen these.
Finally a woodland shot. Nothing spectacular, but I liked the play of light on the delicate foliage.
One thing is certain and that's that I need to brush up on my flora identification. Apart from the bluebells, I've no idea what most of what I look at is called.
I was going to leave it at that, but in a recent post the question arose of whether the old dog fox had lost a canine (lower left). I think this shot shows that the tooth is still intact 😀 It's also a nice opportunity to provide some sort of scale. That's a garden chair he's tucked under.
Camera note: the pond plant was taken with the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG macro + Kenko Teleplus 1.4x Pro 300 DG teleconverter; the tree and bluebells were photographed with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. As for the fox, that was taken with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM.
Ukwildlife
7 May 2008reduced to photographing plants eh? Thats the sign of a quiet day for me! Mind you Ive just bought a couple of collins photo guides on trees and wildflowers for a fiver each so I might get a bit more into them.
I reckon the damsels will emerge this week, judging by the forecast.
And the final photo has reminded me I forgot to mention in my last bedfords park post that I finally saw a wild fox, my first for months (possibly first in 2008!)
Words
7 May 2008Neil, well I did take a few bird photos (and another peacock butterfly), but the plants outshone the animals for once. I've seen damsels in the garden, but the pond at work seems to spring to life a little bit later. It's much more exposed, but worth the wait once it gets started. I should have several months of dragonfly spotting.
Glad you saw a fox. I hardly think of these ones as wild anymore!
SittingFox
7 May 2008The bluebells are incredible this year. I see the daisies in the middle of that picture too 😉
I like the shadows in the woodland shot. It's a nice cool shot, really needed in today's wilting heat :ko:
Vulpes vulpes
7 May 2008Glad the tooth is still present! I like the scale shot – they really are small when put into perspective! Great bluebells.
thesamanyolu
8 May 2008Oh my god, you have very nice blog…. Thank you. photos very much wonder. :up:
Words
9 May 2008Thanks Thesamanyolu!
thesamanyolu
9 May 2008:love: :yes:
Words
9 May 2008Adele, Thanks. Everything seems to have burst into life all at once this year.
Words
9 May 2008Vulpes, thanks. I'm still suspicious about that tooth having taken more shots since then. It may have been chipped but I've not had a great view. I need a huge straight-on yawn from him to be sure.
chthoniid
9 May 2008If it helps at all, when I went out on Wednesday I also couldn't find anything much to shot- just a few snapshots.
Do you use filters for your plant shots? The bluebells look very pretty.
I'm wondering about trying my hand at the whole plant/fungi genre.
thesamanyolu
9 May 2008:happy:
Words
10 May 2008Brendan, I don't use any filters at all. I really should investigate a bit further and see what I need. Plants are tricky (well I find them tricky). I seem to do better photgraphing them at night!