Whilst Storm Clodagh blew through on Sunday, the best location in my mind was to be inside, and the bird hides at Blashford Lakes beckoned. With the adverse weather the light was low and so a higher than normal ISO was required to get a shootable speed. After the tern hide, and Ibsley hides provided nothing close by in relating to wildlife, a short visit to the Woodland hide provided
One of the major attractions of Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, is the ability to see Red Squirrels up close and personal. I had the pleasure of visiting the Dorset Wildlife Trust reserve there on the Island, twice in October, when the squirrels are actively feeding and hiding nuts for the winter ahead. They come very close to people, even sitting eating on the tables right next to you. Here
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 Cetti’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
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
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
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
Radipole Nature Reserve is an RSPB reservein the centre of Weymouth, Dorest. The reserve is a wetland with lots of reedbeds that provide shelter for a variety of birds, including Bearded Tits and Cetti Warblers. Recent improvements to the walkways and the Visitor Centre have been made in 2012. The walkways allow the photographer to overlook and access more of the reeds than in the past. A hide which is
