A Walk in Bluebell Wood

Today I decided to concentrate my walk on a specific area known as Bluebell Wood, which I have mentioned before on the Blog.
I heard a few different bird species. In particular the Blackcap which is the first this spring for me. I did see the Chiffchaff which I find spends most of its time in the first few weeks of the spring high up in trees. This is probably due to it being able to find a lot of insects at that time on the budding foliage. Its not conducive to good photography though.

One bird I found hard at work. This Robin was constructing a nest in a small area of undergrowth around three young Willow trees. It didn't mind me staying at a distance and happily revisited the site time and time again. However if I got any closer it would stay on a nearby branch holding the material in its beak for a while. Finally deciding I wasn't a threat, it would then dive into the undergrowth.




See below the three young Willow tree trunks.


A wonderful sight of numerous Primroses are out in flower everywhere now. The warmth from the sun is doing its job.


Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly (Aglais urticae)
This is the first I have seen of this species this year. You can see these from March through to October.

1/200 at f4. 28mm. ISO 80.
1/640 at f9. 400mm. ISO 400.

There are also Wood Violets everywhere now.


Weasel (Mustela nivalis)

Fortunately my main camera can shoot 6.5 frames a second in "Sports" mode. On this occasion with a 100-400mm lens attached and set at 100mm I certainly needed it. These little speedy merchants are so fast across the ground and normally you wouldn't see them for dust. If you blink you miss them.

On this occasion I came across two of them on a narrow path through a wooded area. They were engaged in chasing each other around in a small area for fun or otherwise. I just happen to find myself in the middle of that area. I stood still and just blasted away with the camera every time one of them showed up. Unusually, they seemed quite oblivious to my presence.




The Weasel (very similar to the Stoat) measures about 20-40cms and is fairly common. It enjoys a habitat of hedgerows and woodland. You can gauge them against the plants and grass in the photographs, which will tell you that they are very small animals.

Marsh-Marigold (Caltha palustris)
These flowers like damp woodland. The ground where these were growing was too boggy to get close, so I had to stand on an adjacent board walk to get these shots. They flower from March to July and the heads are 25-30mm across.

The Colourful Goldfinch

Like many small birds Goldfinch are very active at the moment. Some are dashing about amongst the trees mainly to do with finding suitable mates or disputes over suitable mates.

Others are already paired up and looking for suitable nesting sites in a tree or bush. The pair will produce two broods of 5/6 eggs both of which will be completed and flown the nest by the end of July.

One thing is for sure they are certainly looking their best now and very colourful.

Common Daisy

I took this shot of a Common Daisy from ground level and up a slope with blue sky as a background.

Its Time to Make a Nest

This female Mute Swan was preparing a nest on the water's edge of a lake in the Parkland. I am not sure that this is such a good spot because if we get a lot of heavy rain then the lakes water level rises considerably.



Further around the lake I found another pair. I waited for them to perform the classic heart shape pose together, but this was as good as it got.

A Scene from Today

The other day I was searching through the woodland on the water's edge on the other side of this lake and found and photographed a pair of Bullfinch. Today I searched all along that area and moved around to the position where I took this shot. I found them again, but they were in the next tree along from this one on the right of the photograph. It was too dense with bushes and undergrowth to get anywhere near them.

So I took this image whilst I was waiting for the pair to appear. The clouds were being blown across with the strong winds and it was a matter of waiting for the right moment when the sun shone through the clouds to get the right effect.

Unfortunately the Bullfinch remained camera shy today. I believe it to be the same pair that I was able to take before, I say that because I have only observed one pair in this area for two years now.


1/640 at f4. 28mm. ISO 80. Canon Powershot G10.

Angry Clouds over the Fenland

It was a windy day today. The angry looking clouds were racing across the sky. Sometimes it was sunny, then there were showers, then storms would pass over at a rate of knots.

Not conducive to bird photography though, as the birds were far too sensible and remained in deep cover. So I have displayed some black and white images for a change.

Wood Violets

Wood Violets, Sweet Violets, English Violets. These are names regularly used for the species (Viola odorata).

They grow in many areas of the the British Isles on the edge of woodland or fields. The colour varies from dark violet, lighter blue and plain or violet streaky white. I have yet to find large numbers of them in one place this spring, but I haven't as yet visited the places where I know that they are numerous.

The flowers can be seen from as early as February in some parts through to April. They are prolific growing once established.

Shires Return

(We are back by popular request)

I did promise more of the Shire Horses so here they are. I revisited the paddock where I had seen them previously and thankfully they were still in residence.

Butterfly Sightings

Having recently had a few very brief sightings of butterflies, I made a point of walking along a river bank today where I knew it should produce my first good images of the Spring.

The first is of a Peacock (Inachis io) that has successfully survived the Winter, goodness knows how, as it has been a really cold one. It looks in very good condition considering. You will be able to see this species right through to September.


Just a little further along the bank I found this Comma (Polygonia c-album). Another successful survivor of the Winter period. You will be able to see this species right through to September and often October.

Bullfinch (Pair)

Today I decided to go and concentrate on one particular area of the Parkland that I regularly walk, where I had previously observed a pair of Bullfinch. The last time I observed them they were not very co-operative and hid in thick bushes. After much searching of a small woodland area I could hear the "single note" call of a Bullfinch.

Firstly I found the male. He was feeding away on new green buds amongst the branches. For a while he was being his usual unhelpful self and staying in thick growth, but eventually showed himself enough to get some good images.

You can see why I am always keen to photograph this bird.



I lost the male for a while and then thought I had found him again, but thankfully it turned out to be the female. You can see she is similarly marked, but her breast colour is not as bright as the males. Nevertheless she is just as attractive.