Out in the sunshine

When the sun is very strong, you have to get out early to catch the 'good' light.

The first four images were taken at Arne, Dorset, in late July.

Raft Spider (Dolomedes plantarius)

Linnet ♀

Linnet ♂

Already the light was getting too bright – and it was seriously hot on a Dorset heath with scarcely a breath of wind.


The remainder were taken at an even earlier hour on Shapwick Heath, Somerset Levels.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

There was a sub-plot to this idyllic posing.  Keeping a 360° outlook was very easy and, if a Great Crested Grebe or a Cormorant succeeded in catching a fish within a 100m of this spot, one would take off to see what the chances of a successful mugging might be.  I have to report, dear reader, that they had no positive result whatsoever in the 4h30 that I watched them.  Still, I suppose it's a low-energy strategy.

On a more serene note ...

Mute Swan

This Grey Heron was being pestered by two full-size juveniles and seems to have worked out that, if s/he perched on the branch, there would be no room for them.  They 'flopped' themselves into nearby reedbeds.

"Just what are those kids up to now?"

Time for a bit of a change

I was pushing my luck with the distance for this Great Crested Grebe:

Yes.  This meant another failure by the LB-BG mentioned above.

Greylag Geese

When I started to point the camera at the back-ends of geese, I thought it was perhaps time to move on.  I staggered out of Noah's Hide before I lost the use of my legs!


After refreshments at Shapwick, I went to check out one of the remoter parts of Westhay Heath.  You can get some shade there under the willows.  I didn't expect much.  The temperature had climbed alarmingly.

Tending the garden (Coot)

Back-lit beauties (Mute Swan)

A Mixed Bag

The first images were taken at Stourhead, Wiltshire, early one morning last month.

The Mallard were just starting to wake up, but were not eager to get moving.

I guess this chap and his mates were sufficient security ...

Canada Goose

... and they're used to people wandering around.

I watched this (depleted?) Coot family for a while.  There seemed a possible story-line in there somewhere.

"She'll get over it, son."

"Come on.  Get your bed made."

"Are they watching me?"

"Yes!  They are."

"Do we have to do this every day?"

"I'm bored."

(Anthropomorphism lives on!)

Workmen were getting as much done as they could before serious numbers of visitors started arriving.  They were resurfacing the path after the ravages of recent rain.

The temperature was starting to rise now.  There was little bird activity.

Foxglove

Hydrangea

Time to go back home.

The remaining photographs were taken at the London Wetlands Centre at Barnes.  I met up with a friend who lives in Greater London for a foray into that part of the capital before the Olympic Games started.

Bewick's Swan

This bird is part of a collection at the centre.  I thought that in the first image it looked rather pensive – dreaming perhaps of Siberia?

Coot

"You're joking?"

"Mum?"

"That's more like it."

Black-necked Swan

Chiloe Wigeon

Common Lizard

... and then he was gone.  I didn't have time to retake and get the tail in focus, too.


This Grey Heron was just taking life easy.  It was quite hot, so you can't blame it.

Finally, a young Mute Swan with plenty greens left to eat up.

Visitors wearing sandals suffered.  The cob pecked toes!  (There was no netting at the base of the barred fence.)

Come rain, come shine

The images in this posting are a collection from two days on the Somerset Levels.  On each day, rain and sunshine were due at some time.  My aim was to be there whlst it was still raining and be waiting for the sunshine to arrive!  The plan worked – more or less.

These are the young Mute Swans that I posted recently with their mother.  Numbers are down by one.  Otters are the prime suspect.

... and here's a parent nearby.

Then the rain became quite heavy.

Reed Mace

Thistle

There was a report on TV last week about how well flowers like this thistle were doing in the weather we've been having.

I was alone in the hide.  Suddenly, something flashed past my nose and ear.  I was joined in the hide by a Wren.

Giving me 'the eye'?

The rain eased and I moved on from Greylake to a site called Canada Lake.  Access here involved a long(ish) walk through woodland.  (I haven't looked at the species of trees closely, but the woodland could perhaps be technically carr.  There is certainly a very, very high water-table and some of the necessary species.)

The rain stopped and the wind blew.

This male Kingfisher must have been feeding a family.  Each fish he caught from this perch was taken off out of my sight.

A Cormorant sat in a dead tree.

Over at Ham Wall ...

A Mute Swan gliding along the Glastonbury Canal

Little Grebe

Any Great White Egret?

"I spy ..."

The best I got that day (see Blog dated 18.7.12)

How about this then?

It's a Bittern.  It was preening and I took lots of images.  In some it was unrecognisable in its contortions and this is the best I could manage.  It's got its beak pressed down against the front of its neck.  Now, if only it would have stretched up in that classic pose ...


Just to prove that the sun was shining ...

Peacock Butterfly