2015

Wensleydale

I visited the North Yorkshire Dales in September – and as well as taking some Red Grouse photos, I also shot some landscape views whilst doing some hiking in the Dales. These are my favourite four landscape images from the visit. First a view over Swaledale from near the place I was staying. Then a view over Wensleydale from a hillside near West Burton. West Burton is a pretty village,

Bald Eagle

During this week I visited the Cotswold Falconry Centre for the first time. The Falconry Centre is right next to the Batsford Arboretum and home to approx 60 different species of Birds of Prey. The centre opens at 10.30 and flying displays take place each day at 11.30am, 1.30pm, and 3pm, with each diplay using different birds. During British summer time, March 29th until October 26th, there is an extra

Great Crested Grebe

Ham Wall is a RSPB nature reserve within the Somerset Levels and Moors, in area called Avalon Marshes near Glastonbury. It is an internationally recognised wetland and reedbed habitat covering around 469 acres, attracting many different species of nesting birds, including Cettiā€™s warbler, great-crested grebes and bitterns, along with other wildlife such as water voles, otters, butterflies and dragonflies. The wildlife to be seen at this time of year will

Flying flock

Middlebere Heath ( and the nearby Hartland Moor ) are owned by the National Trust. Middlebere has a path from the parking spaces at the entrances that leads down to 3 hides, two of which are small wagon like hides ( They make a good picture on their own ), with the last a larger hide past the rented cottages overlooking the Middlebere end of Poole Harbour – opposite from

Starlings in flight over Farlington Marshes

Farlington Marshes is a Hampshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve, located just of the A27 between Portsmouth and Havant. It is a wetland nature reserve and overlooks Portsmouth Harbour. The reserve is a wild bird grazing marsh, with lagoons, and it attracts over wintering wildfowl, especially Brent or Brant Geese which can gather there in large numbers. The reserve has cattle that are grazed on it, and if you visit with

Puffins in flight

Handa Island is a Scottish Wildlife Trust nature reserve located in the far north west of Scotland, and is home in the height of summer to close to 100,000 seabirds gathering to breed including guillemots, razorbills great skua and puffins (Information as published on the Scottish Wildlife Trust site). The reserve is accessed by a pedestrian ferry service that runs from Tarbet on demand during the visitor season. Tarbet and

House Sparrow

RSPB Conwy is on the North Wales coast and is a fairly large nature reserve, with several hides and screens to go in, as well as providing views over the the Conwy Estuary, to Conwy Castle and Snowdonia. The reserve offers the photographer the chance to photograph a seasonally changing set of wild birds, and the RSPB reserve website has information and an updated blog to see what is available

Polecat (2)

The British Wildlife Centre advertises that it has the finest collection of native wildlife in Britain, with over forty different native species from tiny harvest mice to red deer. It offers good photo opportunities of the wildlife and interesting talks from the keepers at regular intervals during the day. The site is not large and offers good accessibility, and reasonable facilities including a coffee shop that sells selected food &

River Stour and Christchurch Priory ( Toned Infrared Image)

Tuckton and Wick at Christchurch offer good walks along the River Stour from Tuckton Bridge, towards Hengistbury Head. Views of Christchurch Priory can be seen as you walk along the River. Pathways are mostly good along the banks of the river, turning slightly rougher as you enter the Hengistbury Head Nature Reserve on the southern side of the river. There is a passenger only Ferry to cross from one side

Loch Torridon

Torridon is a village, estate and area on the North West Coast of Scotland. The mountains and views around the area are superb, providing vistas for budding landscape photographers. But that is not all, the Loch itself is home to wildlife such as Dolphins, Seals and Otters that can be occasionally seen an photographed. In the village there is a Deer Sanctuary, where Red Deer can be seen, along with