A Beautiful Afternoon at Irby.

Took Jet for a walk to Irby today,  beautiful weather.

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Some Garden Photography

The light in the garden early this morning was superb so I was inspired to photograph the acer and ornamental rhubarb.

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Wood Anemones in Bradley Woods

Not entirely happy with yesterday's wood anemone shots we took Jet for a walk this morning in local Bradley Woods where there is always a good display.

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Looking for Green-Winged Orchids at Chambers

Having been informed that Green-Winged orchids flowered in late April/may in Little Scrubbs Meadow at Chambers Farm Wood I had planned a trip to combine orchid hunting and Jet walking.  On arrival we all followed the path round to the meadow, me full of anticipation.  On the way we noticed wood anemones, bluebells and violets in flower and chiff chaff and willow warbler were both in full song.  Despite scouring the meadow twice, I could find no trace of orchids other that the basal rosette of a common spotted and a couple of small specimens of early purple in flower.  Disappointing.  I did, however, take some pleasing shots of bluebell, primrose, wood anemone and violet.

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Little Scrubbs Meadow

Little Scrubbs Meadow

Primrose

Bluebell

Violet

Wood Anemone

As we left to find somewhere for tea and stickies we noticed storm clouds building towards the coast. They looked very dramatic, being a deep blue colour in the late afternoon sun.  When we reached home we discovered that there had been a torrential downpour, like a wall of water for several minutes.  The gardens certainly received some much needed water.

Wheatears at Bonby and Green Hairstreak and Donna Nook

As I shall be away quite a bit in the coming weeks, I wanted to catch up with the wheatears and yellow wagtails at Bonby if at all possible, so I set off early and arrived about 7.00 am.  Yet again I reveled in the peace and quiet of this place, the only sounds those of the wind and the birds.  As usual lapwings were wheeling and tumbling in the air as they preformed their aerobatic display flights all the while calling 'peewit' onomatopoeiacally ; skylarks and meadow pipits sang loudly, hanging in the air as if suspended on a wire.  Yellow hammers and reed buntings were plentiful and sat readily in the tops of bushes and on fence points loudly proclaiming their territory and advertising for mates with song.  Mallard, shoveler and avocet were busy on the water flashes, while rooks and crows were feeding on the meadows.  When I first arrive a buzzard flapped lazily off.  I managed to catch up with a couple of wheatears but the yellow wagtails that are present continued to be elusive.

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Meadow Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Reed Bunting

Reed Bunting

Wheatear

Wheatear

Yellowhammer

Yellowhammer

Yellowhammer

Whilst at Bonby, I received a message from Roger that he had found the green hairstreaks at Donna Nook on the Lincolnshire Coast so, having found the wheatears I set out on the drive over, fortunate it was in a homeward direction, although about 20 miles beyond.  These were getting very expensive green hairstreaks.  When I arrived I found Roger with Debbie and Jill, two other wildlife photography friends and also the green hairstreaks, well one at least.

Spring Explodes

Having failed with Green Hairstreaks on the Lincolnshire coast on Tuesday and been busy at home otherwise, I decided to make the most of the beautiful weather and go out this evening.  I wanted to catch up with Spring at Scallows and so headed there.  This last week Spring has exploded and John at Scallows remarked that you could even see the leaves growing.  Roadsides were now clothed in green, cherry blossom was frothily decorating the trees in town and out in the Wolds blackthorn was a mass of white blossom and oil seed rape is blanketing the fields with vibrant yellow. Wood anemones are now at their height and bluebells just coming into flower.  Skies have been bright cerulean blue and contrasted with the fresh greens of the hedgerows and woods.  Whilst at Scallows, I concentrated on macro shots or micro landscapes with my degree work in mind.

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Bark

Bark

Bark

New beech leaves

Field Maple

Miniature forest

White slime mould.

Scallows

The wood in evening light

The wood in evening light

Sycamore

Wood

Wood

From Scallows I decided to drive up above the village to Top Yard to look for the barn owl that is roosting in the barn there.  On the way up I was attracted by this single tree with the rape in the foreground.

Up at the barn I sat in the car and waited, hopefully for the barn owl to appear.  It didn't but suddenly I realised that there was a little owl sitting on the roof.  Thinking that it was passing through I grabbed some insurance shots and then changed lenses.  When I looked up it had gone.  Resigned, I had settled back to my vigil for the barn owl when the little owl flew out of the barn and into the tree, back into the barn and then out to settle on an old water pipe, allowing for more shots.  I wonder if it has also taken up residence?  Are they sharing or has the barn owl left?  More watching is needed, but an exciting situation.

On the way home I stopped for a couple of sunset shots.  A smashing end to a cracking evening.

Catching up with Spring at Scallows.

Yesterday afternoon continued to be sunny and spring like, although with a very cool fresh breeze.  It was time to get out to Scallows to catch up with Spring.  Things change really quickly at this time of the year and the wood is rapidly greening up.  Violets have now been joined by the odd bluebell opening up and I found several ferns unrolling their fronds.  The last time I had been out the buds were just bursting; now trees are coming into leaf and hawthorn has greened up the hedgerows.  I saw the usual buzzard and nuthatches were very vocal in the wood.  I also heard a chiff chaff and spotted a male blackcap.

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Ash flower

Horse Chestnut

Horse Chestnut

Parmelia Lichen sp.

Sycamore

Once I had finished in Scallows I drove back to the village to visit some friends who have cowslips and oxlips growing in their meadow and garden.

Cowslip

Cowslip

Oxslip