News

Some of you may have already seen my rather stunning Red Fox photograph in a golden Linsteed Field featured in the BBC September Wildlife magazine to help promote the very worthy organisation the Mammal Society causes. I am so proud to be helping them as heaven knows our beloved mammals need all the research and guardianship these days so I was beyond thrilled they chose this picture!



The photograph was taken during the very early mornings in June last year on my friendly farmer Algy's farm in Bintree, Norfolk. I had tracked the fox's regular homeward journey through the field for over a fortnight. This one morning with the dewy, crop glowing and glistening in the early morning sun was my lucky break..I was even downwind and the fox only saw me at the very last minute having travelled from one side of a very long field to where I was sitting.

I love this time of year..the smell of the dewy grass in the morning, the spell of the ripening fruits hanging low on the trees teamed with the autumnal chill in the air, make early morning starts really, pleasurable.

As the hazelnuts and walnuts tumble to the lawn, hedgehogs and squirrels are already plundering the garden pantry. Splats of dark sticky poo are the real evidence on garden paths that there has been an overnight Hog rave.



It's always a good idea to peer under the conifers to see what lurks beneath and although well camouflaged fir cones aren't supposed to be prickly!

What's not to love about puppies?



Five little Irish Cocker Spaniels in a picnic basket, three of whom are looking for good homes. Should anyone be interested in buying one please leave me your contact details and I will pass them on to my friend John!

It's both a blessing and a problem now that the fields have been cleared of the crops and the harvest is safely in. It's great in that I can now see the hares and can track their every move but in turn it's not so great, that they can now see and smell me, now that I am more in the open.



They are so addictive to photograph and I can't seem to wean myself off their charismatic personalities. Plus it's still a enjoy being out there in the fields early in the morning.

Post Wimbledon and there has been a big revival of interest on the tennis court. appealing.



In truth not much of the ball game has been played but there has been a lot of careful inspection of both the net and lines.



I can only assume that the spectator side of the game and perhaps indeed the call of officialdom as to whether shots are in or put is more appealing.

A bird's eye view perhaps is what is required aka Hawk Eye!

It's been a month since my last post: "It's all about the Asparagus" During that time the weather has changed drastically and the crop had morphed from being spear like stalks to lush fern.

The locals have certainly made themselves very much at home with the hares burrowing down in the soft, sandy, soil trenches and all manner of birds making the most of the insects.



It's still not easy getting clear shots through the stalks but actually I rather like the effect of the lines or the haze of the greenery. The best part is the never knowing what may turn up next and when it does testing to see if I either have the field skills or the quick reflects to actually take a photo. More often that not I find myself having to enjoy the moment rather than record it!



As the summer continues the asparagus fern should gradually turn into a wonderful bronze and gold palette. So for as long as I can get there I intend to continue the quest of recording the wildlife in this ever changing background.

Last year I spent a few consecutive weeks setting up the tripod in a field of Linseed. Being able to capture a variety of wildlife sauntering through or amidst a changing coloured backdrop was a wonderful way of capturing the difference in light and not least the growing cycle of the crop.

This year I think Algy's Asparagus field may become the location of choice. In two consecutive mornings I have had great fun in sharing the sunrise with my favourite hares, Roe Deer, rabbits and partridge with promises of a lot photo opportunities to come.



You also shouldn't miss out on the asparagus if you live locally to Algy's Farm Shop, is at Bintree, just off the Fakenham Road, Norfolk.

I confess, I love to photograph a rodent, be it a mouse, a vole and yes, even a Wood Rat..I love their curiosity and confidence.

The young Wood Rats are very appealing but their Mothers who can grow to be the size of small ponies, of course I jest,can be huge and perhaps aren't so photogenic!

See what you think!

I also found time to hunker down with the Fulmars, a gull with eye make up that looks like its been left on from a heavy night on the rock the night before.



They are beguiling birds, seemingly tender with their partners one moment but extremely unsociable with neighbours or visitors who invade their space. A curious gull related to the albatross family they spit out foul smelling gas should intruders get too close to their nest.


Maybe the strong winds helped me this time or maybe they accepted my presence laying low on the cliff top but I fortunately didn't get a whiff of their weaponry!

Not much any of us can do when the wind is against us other than embrace the wildness and try to rock the look whilst sitting on a rock and looking!



This Shetland Shag kept me amused for a while on a blustery morning but I don't want to imagine what I must have looked like all things considered!

Whilst in Shetland and using public facilities in Lerwick I discovered the entertaining phenomenon called Bards of the Bog. Having looked them up online I discovered the talented poets who have aspired to introduce us to their lyrical insights into everyones' everyday.

I was particularly taken by Alison Brackenburys' "On the Aerial" bard about Starlings who as she rightly observes are everywhere on the island.




In iridescent breeding colours, slick and sleek appearance and accomplished in all manner of morning serenades, it would appear that bringing gifts to your date is the best way of winning the lady over!

I am just back from a brief sojourn to the Shetland Isles. As a first timer to the islands I wasn't sure what to expect and certainly the four seasons weather in just one hour emphasised how unpredictable the conditions on an island can be.

We narrowly missed seeing the visiting pods of Orca in Lerwick harbour and the high winds and waves prevented us from getting to one of our main points of interest, the Gannet Colony on Noss but we did see our intended quarry..Otters!

To increase my chances of seeing and photographing the renown Shetland Otters I booked a trip out with local, celebrity, photographer, Richard Shucksmith. After a 4am start, trudging along the shore in the wind and rain we eventually came across a fresh water dipping pool and serious evidence of Otter.


Within a few minutes we saw our first Otter and were lucky enough to be in the right place as he came on shore with one enormous Lumpfish. This gave me the chance to actually fire off several fast frames and I could barely stop myself from laughing in glee!

My hope had been to photograph a fluffy Otter, one that had fluffed and buffed, warmed itself in the sun.Picking probably the darkest, wettest, morning of the week made this a real challenge. We did come across a second Otter who was so tired and desperate to go to sleep that he would not leave his rock until the very last moment, allowing the tide to creep up more than once to the tip of his nose and over the top of my boots!




I can assure you the Otter looked way more comfortable on his rock than I did, balanced precariously on one butt cheek and legs akimbo! Richard was the perfect guide, placing me and the tripod in exactly the right place and it was my fault for not toughing it out any longer that I missed my perfect Otter down the lens face shot!


A couple of days later whilst out hiking around the Western Isles, with no camera to hand, an Otter literally romped down the hill in front of us in wonderful light and sunshine.It was fluffy, dry and curious, it came within 15 metres reach. It bounced around a while trying to work out what we were by getting down wind of us before bounding away. In fact it was everything I had hoped to photograph but will now be one of those Kodak moments in my head rather than in my camera.

I can't recommend Shetland or time with Richard highly enough..I hope to go back another time now I sort of know my way around and I have an outstanding date with Gannets!

I'm not much of a gardener truth be told and always open to volunteers to help with the clearing of weeds and dead heading.

Better still I love a good distraction and whether it's my faithful little Wren or one of the three Robins currently frequenting the garden, then it's any excuse to get out the camera and sit down to have a cup of tea!

April is that month where I seriously do not know where to be first..should I get down with the hares, stay down wind of the deer or just stay down low for the pheasants and partridges strutting their stuff!



It's a lovely problem to have but I often come home after an early morning start full of tales to tell and sights to report, albeit with an empty camera card.. I was sent a text this week which read "nothing puts off wildlife more than a hopeful photographer".
That would be me then!



Truth be told I think I am getting to the stages of being more than hopeful at the moment. My hare brained head is finding it difficult to stay focused on one quarry when so much is bursting with life and distraction all around me.

Still it's another day tomorrow and lots of new distractions will abound I'm certain of that!

Hare Watch 2017 has begun but so far there have been some Pas de deux, a few pirouettes and even a Tour en l'air but no boxing witnessed yet.




In fact the hares are so laid back at the moment that I could have scratched one behind the ears the other early morning as it sat and nibbled on a blade of grass beside me. Too close to photograph and seemingly oblivious to my excited twitching to turn the camera on.




I don't think it's too far away yet but am keeping everything crossed that I will be in the right place at the right time..oh and that the sun will shine..that's not too much to hope for is it?

Vernon, my resident, garden, Bank Vole has been keeping me amused over the gloomy February days.I can only assume that as Voles must be getting more active this time of year, gearing themselves up for family life as its this time each year I get to spot a flash of a pair of very bright eyes beneath the ivy.



As fast as I set up one entrance staging, Vernon outwits me and pops out of another ivy doorway..I can almost see him laughing at me as he tests both my reflexes and observation skills.

With Vernon appearing in my garden and Banksy, the vole at the farmshop hide, I have at last two different environments to hopefully bag a load of cute vole images over the next couple of weeks!

I was a little late this year starting on the annual quest to photograph local snowdrops but fortunately they were still looking like a perfect ocean of whiteness by the time I got there. By the sounds of the next few days weather forecast I may have just got there in time.



My aim had been to try for just one snowdrop in amongst many, hence the title of this post but it never seemed to work out quite as I had planned!



With the sun changing the light every few minutes and a gasp of a breeze stirring them up every so often it wasn't the perfect serenity I had wished for. However, the conditions made for some interesting background shapes if nothing else and with the air full of bird song, the first Brimstone spotted and bees a buzzing spring for sure has now sprung!

One of the many Norfolk winter highlights of mine is to go and viewing the swans at the Welney Wetlands Centre. Large flocks of wintering swans can be seen all over the county at this time of year, feeding on the first green shoots in the fields, however it's usually a little tricky to get close enough to photograph them.

There is nothing like the wintery sound of brassy, trumpeting, Whooper Swans calling a greeting across the clear, fenland skies to the background beat of the percussion drum of wings.

I wanted to try and create a ghost like impression of Whoopers being shadowed by the local Mute Swans so I went for the easier option of head shots as they came together for one of the feeding sessions organised by the centre staff.




It's the ever ending challenge of finding the picture when there are so many birds together..they either need to be really close for me to find a pattern or more widely spread so I can single them out.


The Mallards are a case in point, they may be everywhere but I can never miss an opportunity of snapping a few of their comical little expressions or beautiful head colours.



Welney also attracts a healthy population of other wintering duck like Wigeon and Pochards, the later being mostly drakes, all arrive early in time for the females to make their own giddy entrance.



If I can squeeze in another visit by the end of the month I will be sure to try..seems a shame not to really!

I am proud to share with you that Norfolk Wildlife Trust have just confirmed that they will be using my image of a baby Grey Seal in their 2017 calendar for the month of January.



The calendar is available to pre-order online though the NWT website and will be on sale at the NWT shops across the county. It would make a thoughtful Christmas gift for any nature lover whilst making a valuable contribution to the continuing good work of NWT.

I've been busy this month trying to prepare a few opportunities ready for the winter.



Our woodland hide at Algy's Farm Shop on the Fakenham Road, Bintree, is now starting to get regular visits but there is never any guarantee what will turn up or indeed in what number.

Last year the TreeCreepers were arriving on clockwork but so far no sightings, Goldfinch numbers are well down and the Great Spotted Woodpecker is still a major tease, not quite daring to come in and then when it does gets too close to photograph.

However,we are have now recorded at least eighteen different bird types and always delighted when unexpected furry visitors pop by!

With this cold weather snap hopefully the birds will be doing their own "tweeting" about the wholesome bird seed on offer and even more will be flocking in very soon!