Wakehurst Place re-visited

The weather turned out quite reasonable today. Breezy, but bright. And Wakehurst Place was relatively quiet, and beginning to show some wonderful autumn colour. I've put a dozen of today's photos in the Wakehurst Place 2008 album, but here are a few of my personal favourites from the day.

Kingfisher seen from the hide over Loder Valley

Migrant hawker

Mushroom. I think this is called 'The Blusher'.

White baneberry. The berries are highly toxic.

On the fox front the nicked-ear vixen is around, but very flighty at the moment and almost impossible to photograph. I've only managed a couple of snatched shots from a distance. Her behaviour is quite typical of the foxes when the weather turns windy. The noise impacts on their ability to distinguish sounds with the result that they jump at every sound! There's been no sign of the dog fox or the bold vixen. I assume they are somewhere in the general vicinity, but I'm used to the changing patterns during the autumn so their absence isn't anything to be concerned about. It would be nice to see them though!

Camera note: The kingfisher was photographed with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. All the others were taken with with the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG macro lens.

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This Post Has 19 Comments

  1. zetorres

    4 Sep 2008

    I see that he have very bright colors in his back! :up:

  2. Words

    4 Sep 2008

    Nature can be strange at times. But I was really pleased with the kingfisher 🙂

  3. zetorres

    4 Sep 2008

    All fantastic photos…it seems we are in some other strange planet! :up: :star::star::star::star::star:

  4. Ukwildlife

    4 Sep 2008

    great photos as ever. I think I might make an effort with the fungi this year

  5. chthoniid

    4 Sep 2008

    Nice- you did well with the hawker also.

    I'm still trying to get a decent kingfisher photo- have many 'snap shots' of mediocre quality but nothing that really expresses the subject well.

  6. Dudley

    4 Sep 2008

    Dandy closeups :up:

  7. CedarFox

    4 Sep 2008

    Nice spotting of the kingfisher!

    I saw those white baneberries not too long ago. I was wondering why they were so colorful, but I know now 🙂

  8. gdare

    4 Sep 2008

    Baneberries look unrealistic 🙂

  9. SittingFox

    4 Sep 2008

    The berries indeed look very :alien: and congrats on the kingfisher! They're so beautiful.

    I think this is the worst time of year for foxwatching…

  10. Words

    4 Sep 2008

    Thanks Andy!

  11. Words

    4 Sep 2008

    Brendan, I'd love to get near enough to get a 'proper' shot of a kingfisher. I suspect it will take a lot of patience and a fair chunk of luck. The hawker was much easier… perfectly content for me to change lenses and then move in really close. Once settled they are about the easiest insect to work with.

  12. Words

    4 Sep 2008

    Neil, I'm hopeless at identifying fungi but they do make excellent photographic subjects.

  13. Words

    4 Sep 2008

    Darko, yes the berries are very odd. They look like something out of a chemistry lab!

  14. Words

    4 Sep 2008

    Adele, the berries were very eyecatching, but are not only poisonous to eat but apparently can cause rashes just by touching them 🙁

    I'm impatient for the winds to drop, but it looks we've got a few more wet 'n windy days to come.

  15. SittingFox

    4 Sep 2008

    Sure does. I think I'll dig out my Vancouver Island waterproofs just in case tomorrow lives up the forecast :right:

  16. gdare

    4 Sep 2008

    Or made of plastic 🙂

  17. gdare

    4 Sep 2008

    Exactly 😀

  18. Words

    4 Sep 2008

    Or maybe one of these…

  19. zetorres

    4 Sep 2008

    :lol::lol:

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