January 2025
The first photographic jaunt of the new year was a visit to Lake Kerkini in Greece to photograph the Dalmatian Pelicans. Much better weather (and light) than my previous visit in 2023!
-------------------------------
December 2024
More seals! Visit to Donna Nook in Lincolnshire.
----------------------------
December 2024
A couple of days photographing grey seals with their pups in North Norfolk with Steve Hedges. We were generally lucky with the weather!
----------------------------
October 2024
A conservation based trip to South Africa that I'll never forget! Took my camera of course.
---------------------
September 2024
An attempt to capture the harvest super moon above the Shard in London. On arrival in London there was wall to wall cloud cover and it looked like we might not even get a glimpse of the moon but in the end we had some clear patches and a few attempts at capturing the moon! Photos taken on Blackfriars and Millennium Bridges.
-----------------------
August 2024
A holiday in Turkey. Not a photography trip but the Z9 came along for the ride. We visited Istanbul, Ankara and the amazing Cappadocia, where we took a ride in a hot air balloon on World Photography Day!
------------------------
August 2024
A first visit to Sezincote House and gardens in the Cotswolds on a gloriously sunny day.
----------------------
July 2024
An impromptu return trip to David Blackwell's place in Essex after I heard that some cubs were out and about. I did capture some but they were quite timid still, they kept their distance so the images are fairly heavily cropped.
--------------------------
July 2024
If you're going to spend time in a sewage pumping plant then you might as well spend it in the finest one on the planet! The amazing Crossness Pumping Station was designed 150 years ago by Joseph Bazalgette in response to cholera outbreaks and the Great Stink of 1858, when the smell of untreated human waste became unbearable and affected parliament. The Crossness Engines Trust, a registered charity, is currently restoring the engines which represent a unique part of Britain's industrial heritage and an outstanding example of Victorian engineering. More info: Crossness Engines Trust
-------------------------
June 2024
A lovely day spent in one of the few remaining red squirrel strongholds in England - in Yorkshire, with Paul Fowlie.
--------------------------
June 2024
My yearly jaunt to Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire to photograph the northern gannets, both on top of the cliff and at sea. The cliffs were strangely quiet, probably because of the heat!
------------------------------
June 2024
A day out in the New Forest, photographing woodland birds, the target species was the bullfinch, but there were also some very entertaining and boisterous juvenile starlings. Great Spotted Woodpeckers and the odd starling were also still feeding their young.
-------------------------
June 2024
A macro photography workshop at Lake Pochard Wildlife Haven. The weather was against us but I managed a few keepers.
Macro photos
----------------------------
May 2024
A day/evening trip to north Cornwall with Dawn 2 Dusk. Boscastle, Bedruthan Steps, Trevone Bay and Gunver Head, all new places for me. The weather just about held out and although we didn't get much of a sunset at least there was no rain!
--------------------------
May 2024
My annual visit to the Cotswold Sculpture Park. Well worth a visit.
---------------------------
May 2024
My third trip to the fabulous Skomer. This time the puffins were preparing the nests for the eggs to come and the island was covered in flowers, especially bluebells and sea campions.
--------------------------
May 2024
First visit of the year to Lake Pochard, this time to try their new reflection pool. Highly recommended way to spend a few hours.
-------------------
May 2024
A very warm and sunny day spent in the beautiful Cotswolds with Sarah Howard.
----------------------
May 2024
My return visit to the Helen Browning woodland hide near Bishopstone. Much warmer and sunnier this time but still a bit quiet unfortunately.
----------------------
May 2024
A third attempt to photograph the Great Bustards on Salisbury Plain. They were still quite distant and these photos are not the best and are heavily cropped but at least I finally got some photographs of them!
------------------
April 2024
A day spent in the Helen Browning woodland hide near Bishopstone. Very dull, wet and cold unfortunately, a return visit booked for next week when it should be warmer and sunnier!
-----------------------
April 2024
A visit to a private bluebell wood in Warwickshire.
--------------------------
April 2024
A night spent in Bristol watching urban foxes going about their lives.
----------------------
March 2024
A week on the amazing Isle of Skye. Very dramatic landscape and equally dramatic weather, making photography difficult! We did get glorious sunshine for one day though and a few breaks in the clouds on the others.
----------------------------
March 2024
A day photographing a pair of kingfishers in Staffordshire. I was very pleased to not only finally get my first ever photo of two of them together but was then treated to a fish pass!
--------------------------
February 2024
Two glorious weeks photographing the wildlife of Japan. We firstly visited Hokkaido in the north and photographed red crowned cranes, steller's sea eagles, white tailed eagles, the blakiston fish owl and ural owl, the ezo fox and whooper swans on Lake Kussharo; before two unforgettable days watching the Japanese macaques at Hell's Valley near Yamanouchi.
---------------------------
January 2024
After hearing of the 'irruption' of waxwings in the west, I went in search of them at Rodborough Common, near Stroud. Quite difficult conditions and very blustery but we were rewarded with a few spells of sunshine.
-----------------------------
January 2024
A stroll down the Thames with Nigel Wilson to photograph the London Illuminated River Project. My first real photography outing of 2024!
-------------------------------
December 2023
A weekend in Brighton gave me the chance to take some long exposure shots along the beach
--------------------------------------
November 2023
Some very cold days spent stalking Red Grouse and Mountain Hare in the Peak District, with Tesni Ward.
-----------------------
November 2023
A few days spent in the Gower in South Wales, chasing sunsets and sunrises. We were rewarded on the final day with probably one of the best sunrises I've ever experienced!
---------------------------------
November 2023
A trip to fabulous Madeira for some winter sun with Justin Minns.
---------------------------------
November 2023
A spot of autumnal photography this week between the rain! Westonbirt Arboretum & Stourhead Gardens
-------------------------------
October 2023
A holiday in Prague. A chance to photograph one of my favourite subjects, cities at night.
----------------------------
October 2023
A trip to see the deer rut at Bradgate Park with Tesni Ward. A bit quiet this year as the weather is unseasonably warm, although very wet and dreary!
------------------------------
October 2023
A few days spent in Snowdonia with Justin Minns. Wales was as lovely as ever but the weather could have definitely been better!
-------------------------------------
September 2023
The flamingo's of Slimbridge. I'm not really sure why these birds are here!
----------------------------
September 2023
A second visit to Tom Way's fox hide, this time bathed in glorious sunshine. A bit hot for the poor foxes though.
---------------------------------
August 2023
Holiday time - Malta and Italy. Not a photography trip but of course I took a few snaps!
-----------------------------
July 2023
My yearly visit to Bempton Cliffs to photograph the magnificent Northern Gannets on the cliffs and on/under the water
---------------------------
July 2023
Photographing the beautiful models in the water tank at Tank Space
------------------------------------
June 2023
An enjoyable day watching a family of kestrels near Yeovil in Somerset.
----------------------------------------------
June 2023
A return visit and 2 night stay on Skomer Island with its thriving population of 42,000 puffins!
------------------------------
May 2023
Visiting Brine Pits to photograph the little owls. They were back and forth all day feeding their young.
----------------------------
May 2023
A very(!) early morning visit to Yorkshire en route from Scotland for an early morning photo session with the local cuckoos. Only two visits whilst I was there but some lovely early morning sunlight. Also saw a grasshopper warbler, which I must admit I had not heard of before!
--------------------------
May 2023
Two nights spent at Ron McCone's badger hide in the borders of Scotland.
----------------------
May 2023
A trip to Lake Kerkini in Central Macedonia with Wildlife Worldwide, a wildlife bonanza!
Greece
-----------------------------
May 2023
A return visit to Lake Pochard and then a stop at the bluebells at Hagborne Copse on the outskirts of Swindon on the way back. I find bluebells (and trees) very difficult subjects to photograph!
----------------------------
May 2023
A return visit to Dean Mason's excellent hide and reflection pool in Hampshire. See Woodland bird page.
------------------------------
April 2023
Not a photography trip but a holiday to Portugal. Of course I took my camera though!
------------------------------
April 2023
A return visit to the Cotswold Sculpture Park. Well worth a visit if you're in the area, exactly 200 sculptures on display this year.
-----------------------------------------
March 2023
First ever visit to Brine Pits hides in Worcestershire. Planning a return visit in a couple of months when the little owls will hopefully be making an appearance. No photo trips planned for weeks now, what am I going to do with myself!?
-------------------------------
March 2023
A trip to the Kent coast with Steve Hedges. A very challenging first day which was called off due to terrible weather but a lovely mainly sunny second day!
-------------------------------
March 2023
A morning watching a pair of kingfishers near Kirkcudbright in Scotland in the Scottish photography hide.
--------------------------------------------
March 2023
A day in the Cairngorms stalking the resident hares with Karen Miller. Another damp, dull grey day and unusually, no snow.
-------------------------------------
February 2023
A morning spent in the highlands in the company of Karen Miller and some delightful red squirrels. A dull grey day but not a trace of snow unfortunately.
-----------------------------------------
February 2023
A first visit to Ron McCone's hide near the Scottish border
---------------------------------------
February 2023
A first visit to the tranquil Millers Wood. I've never seen so many birds in a woodland setting. Also my first sighting of a Red-legged Partridge.
-----------------------------------------
February 2023
Another visit to the Helen Browning hide, which is just down the road from me. A bit quiet today and still chilly!
-----------------------------------------
February 2023
All-nighter in a hide near Peterborough, watching the visiting otters, herons and a kingfisher appearing in the morning.
------------------------------
January 2023
A visit to the new hide at Lake Pochard Wildlife Haven. Very dull and overcast and absolutely freezing! Got a few shots that I was reasonably pleased with though. I'll be back when it's a bit warmer!
------------------------------
January 2023
A long overdue visit to the Helen Browning hide, which is just down the road from me. A good day but a trifle chilly!
-----------------------------------
December 2022
Seals again! This time at Donna Nook in Lincolnshire. Much more potential to get closer to the seals as they come right up to the boundary fence and seem oblivious to people. Much less flexible in photographic terms though due to the aforementioned fence.
-----------------------------------
December 2022
A two day trip to the Norfolk Coast to photograph the Grey Seals with Steve Hedges.
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
November 2022
Fireworks display in the little village of Helmdon. I'm not a big fan of fireworks due to the effect they can have on wildlife and domestic animals, but this display was adjacent to my partners' garden, so I did take a few photos.
My first ever firework photo's.
------------------------------------
November 2022
When you find yourself bored on evening and find some glass objects around the house..........
------------------------------------
October 2022
It's all about the deer this month! First Richmond Park a few weeks ago, followed by a visit to Tatton Park and then to Tyndrum in Scotland.
All red deer pictures
---------------------------------------------
October 2022
Whilst searching for red deer in the torrential Scottish rain we took our chances between the downpours to take a few shots of the glorious scenery as well.
All Scotland photo's
---------------------------------------------
September 2022
A visit to Richmond Park with Steve Hedges to witness the deer rut.
---------------------------------------------
September 2022
A wander around Bath on an unexpectedly gloriously sunny day with Fiona from Lacock Photography.
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
September 2022
A return visit to Didcot Railway Centre for a Timeline Events 'steampunk & performance artist' event.
---------------------------------------
July 2022
A return visit to the Cotswold Sculpture Park near Cirencester. A great collection of around 200 sculptures in beautiful gardens and woodland with a very nice café, well worth a visit.
See sculptures page
------------------------------
July 2022
An overdue visit to Dean Mason's excellent hide and reflection pool in Hampshire. See Woodland bird page.
------------------------------
July 2022
A stop at Bawdsey on the Suffolk coast for a spot of ND filter photography on the shore. I know the ghostly water effect isn't everyone's cup of tea but I absolutely love it.
------------------------------
July 2022
Another visit to Bempton cliffs in Yorkshire to see the seabirds and especially the gannets. This time I went on an early morning boat from Bridlington with Yorkshire Coast Nature to see the gannets diving below the cliffs, before going up onto the cliffs again in the afternoon. On this occasion I spotted Albie the albatross for the first time.
------------------------------
July 2022
Whilst in Northumberland we spent an evening with the arctic terns at Long Nanny watching them catching fish to feed their chicks waiting on the floor in the grass. We were rewarded with the sun breaking through and bathing the birds in a golden evening light.
------------------------------
July 2022
Northumberland and the Farne Islands. My first visit to the most northern county in England. We stayed in Bamburgh and visited Lindisfarne to photograph the scenery. Our visit to the islands themselves was cancelled due to the islands being closed to the public because of the developing bird flu pandemic, but we had several boat trips around the islands to see the seabirds.
------------------------------
June 2022
Photographs from a recent guided visit to the Cat Survival Trust, based on a twelve acre site in Hertfordshire, England.
This registered charity has secured and purchased a 10,000 acre rain forest in northeast Argentina, which has now successfully acquired protected status in the form of a designated Provincial Park. Here, not only are the native wild cat species protected but more importantly, so is the entire ecosystem. Funds are currently being sought to enable the reserve to expand so that the Jaguar, which vanished from the area about 80 years ago, can be reintroduced.
Another role of the Cat Survival Trust is the on-site housing of "unwanted" and surplus wild cats from zoos and other collections, some of which are featured here. Currently the Trust houses around 25 of these unwanted wild cats.
------------------------------
June 2022
One of the joys of wildlife photography is that sometimes you drag yourself out of bed at 1am to photograph a species and then they refuse to appear!
This was the case this morning when I drove to Rutland to photograph some local ospreys. Had to make do with some resident herons, kingfishers and a passing cormorant.