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 Latest Images | Welcome to my website. Here you will find a variety of wildlife images all taken within the UK. I hope you enjoy looking around. Looking for stock images? The vast majority of images on the site are available as high resolution digital images. Prices will vary depending on use. Please e-mail me for details. Please visit my Flickr site for a greater selection of my macro images and to provide a better idea of what I'm photographing each week. |
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4th October 2008: I have added a series of images of a large Median Wasp being wrapped up and eaten by a Garden Spider in its web. Also, a couple of close-ups of a Jumping Spider
(the cute tiny ones with big eyes :-)). A week or so ago I came across what I thought was a hornet on my lawn, a large orangey/brown wasp. But I have since had it identified
as a Queen Median Wasp, which makes sense as I have a Median Wasp nest in my garden. Finally, at a local nature reserve I recently found a mating pair of Migrant Hawker dragonflies and have added an image of them. |
| 17th September 2008: Last August (2007) I was lucky enough to see, and photograph, a Common Hawker dragonfly at a local nature reserve. It turned out that this was only the 2nd ever confirmed sighting of a Common Hawker in Leicestershire and the first to ever be photographed. The Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust have now featured one of my images of the dragonfly on the front page of their Wildlife News magazine (Autumn 2008 issue. Click for a larger image). | 
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16th September 2008: I've recently upgraded my Canon 400D to a 40D and have enjoyed testing it in the last couple of weeks. I've uploaded some Common Darter dragonfly as well as Common Blue and Emerald Damselfly images taken with the 40D early one morning
after overnight rain. Another shot is of an ill-fated Common Darter trapped in a cobweb being attacked by the resident arachnid. I've also uploaded shots of a
Common Blue butterfly, a Large White butterfly and a number of shots of Shieldbugs taken in my garden. Finally, I put the MPE-65 macro lens through its paces on a Crane Fly (Daddy Long Legs) and have added a couple
of extreme close-ups. 1st September 2008: A combination of work, bad weather and a week's holiday meant I've had little time for photography recently but I've still managed to fit in a bit here and there :-). I've uploaded recently taken images of a Common Blue butterfly, a Common Blue damselfly, 2 bumble bees (Bombus lucorum) feeding on a sunflower, a hoverfly and a Painted Lady butterfly feeding on Buddleia and a Small Copper butterfly feeding on Knapweed. 12th August 2008: Another selection of insect macros added, including a female Emerald Damselfly, a male Ruddy Darter dragonfly, 2 images of Common Blue damselflies mating, a mating pair of Six-Spot Burnet Moths, 3 images of Small Skipper butterflies, a close-up of a Lesser Marsh Grasshopper and finally another image of a Median Wasp nest-building in my garden. 31st July 2008: Earlier this month I was lucky enough to observe the full emergence of a large Southern Hawker Dragonfly, from it crawling out of the pond in its nymphal stage to it fully emerging from the exuvia as a fully formed dragonfly. I have added an article to the Articles page illustrating the process with a number of images. 23rd July 2008: I have added a selection of new dragonfly images, including a newly emerged Southern Hawker, close-ups of a male Black-Tailed Skimmer, a female Broad-Bodied Chaser and a Four-Spotted Chaser. I have also added images of a Ladybird, a Red Soldier Beetle, a Marmalade Hoverfly, a Six-Spot Burnet Moth feeding, and finally an image of a Median Wasp returning to its nest in my garden with a captured fly to feed to the grubs in the nest. 7th July 2008: I have a small but rapidly growing wasp nest in my garden that is the home of Median Wasps, a bit more exotic than the usual Common Wasp. They are very busy scraping wood off our fences and then chewing it up to add to the paper-like nest. There is a steady stream of wasps coming and going and usually several wasps on the outside of the nest enlarging it. My temptation to photograph it got the better of me, even though I had to get within 3 inches of the nest in order to use my MPE-65 macro lens. For the most part the wasps ignored me but every now and then they would 'buzz' me and I had to back off. I've added 4 images, including some of the wasps leaving the nest via the small hole at the bottom and also an image of a wasp actually constructing the nest. 27th June 2008: I recently found a good site for Common Blue butterflies, one of my favourite species of butterfly and one which was very scarce around these parts last year. I have uploaded 7 Common Blue images and also an image of a female Black-Tailed Skimmer dragonfly taken on a nice grass perch in evening sunshine. 21st June 2008: One of my recent images of a Common Wasp (this one) is featured in the July issue of Photography Monthly magazine. The photo has a double page spread in the Gallery section. 10th June 2008: Some new images of a damselfly emerging from its exuvia have been added as well as close-ups of male and female Banded Demoiselle damselflies. In addition, I came across a Yellow Dung Fly in my garden recently which was grappling with a fly that it had caught. I've added a couple of images. Finally, I have added images of an Angle Shades moth and a couple of close-ups of a Common Wasp. 2nd June 2008: My Jumping Spider image has been made Image of the Week on Juza's website (see here). 1st June 2008: Lots of new images added. Some Red Mason Bees building a nest in the wall of my garage, a Variable Damselfly, Small Copper and Green-Veined White butterflies, a Shield Bug and some really up-close images of spiders, including a 'cute' jumping spider. 27th May 2008: My recent Four-Spotted Chaser image has been awarded Image of the Week by wildlife photographer Juza (see here). Juza is one of the best macro photographers around, so it's nice to know he likes this image! 26th May 2008: I have updated the short article on the MPE-65 macro lens stating how I set up my camera and flash and how I take images with this lens. The article is here. 25th May 2008: I found some miner bees hard at work tunnelling holes in my lawn and took a few images of them. One is emerging from the tunnel, the others are collecting nectar from nearby flowers. 22nd May 2008: I have added my first dragonfly image of 2008, a nice freshly emerged Four Spotted Chaser. Also, a newly emerged Large Red Damselfly next to its exuvia and a pair of Alderflies mating. 9th May 2008: I have now added a Photo of the Month page where I include my favourite photos taken each month. 8th May 2008: 17 new macro images have been added, including newly emerged Large Red Damselflies, various bees, wasps, an Alder Fly, several hoverflies and a Nursery Web Spider. Most were taken with my MPE-65 macro lens but a couple of the damselfly images were taken with my Sigma 150mm macro lens. All 17 images are in the Latest Images gallery as well as their respective insect galleries. 27th April 2008: Plenty of insects now appearing in my garden. I've added a couple of images of a Tawny Mining Bee feeding - one of our most attractive bees - and also a couple of images of a Seven-Spot Ladybird. 15th April 2008: I've added some more images taken with my MPE-65 macro lens - a Common Wasp, 2 images of a Bumble Bee feeding and a close-up of a fly. 4th April 2008: I'm very much enjoying using the new macro lens (MPE-65) and have uploaded a few images taken with it, a couple of a cute jumping spider, a couple of close-ups of a bumble bee feeding, a couple of flies and a tiny leafhopper. Remember a greater selection of my macro shots can be found on my Flickr site, which is generally updated daily at this time of year. 28th March 2008: I have now created a Flickr site where I will include a wider range of macro images, including those that don't quite make this website. Yes, believe it or not I only save the best ones for this site :-) Instead, the Flickr site will provide greater day-to-day coverage of what I'm photographing and will be updated more often. Now that the macro season is virtually upon us it will also contain a lot of images taken with my new MPE-65 macro lens. Here is the link to my Flickr site. 27th March 2008: I now have a new toy - the Canon MPE-65 macro lens. It's a remarkable lens, capable of between 1:1 and 5:1 magnification. I've added a short article about it on the articles page, and will update it in due course with hints and tips how to use this unusual lens. There's not a great deal of insect life in my garden at the moment but I found a few woodlice and other inverts to test it on. I've uploaded a couple of images - one of woodlouse and the other of a tiny snail. 8th March 2008: I spent several hours trying to photograph Water Voles recently and although they weren't being particularly co-operative they allowed me to get a couple of reasonable images. These have been added to Latest Images and to the Mammals Gallery 24th February 2008: Spring is around the corner and the Robins are in full-song. I have uploaded a couple of recent Robin images each with the bird caught mid-song 16th February 2008: Another couple of male Bullfinch images added as well as a Blue Tit and a couple of 'action' shots of a female Mallard 28th January 2008: For a long time I've been trying to get some shots of nuthatches that I am pleased with. I came close fairly recently but the shots were let down by the unnatural looking perches (e.g. this one) but I've now managed to get a few I'm much happier with (e.g. this one, this one and this one). They required some patience, a bit of bird psychology and a strategically placed log. In total I've uploaded 5 new nuthatch images and also a Blue Tit and a Coal Tit. 18th January 2008: The weather has been terrible lately but I managed to get out with my camera during a brief sunny interlude and took some shots of Robins, a Coal Tit, a Great Tit, a Yellowhammer and some Tufted Ducks in-flight. These have all been added to the bird galleries as well as the Latest Images gallery. 20th December 2007: I have been photographing birds in my garden recently, although the light is always very poor at this time of year. However, the Goldfinches have been posing nicely on perches and on some teasel heads that I've inserted into the ground. Today was very cold and frosty and I took a few shots of the Goldfinches feeding on frost covered teasels. I also got the obligatory Robin shot, this time on a frosty branch. In total I've uploaded 3 new Goldfinch shots and 1 Robin shot. 12th December 2007: I have uploaded 3 shots of a surprisingly co-operative Nuthatch as well as an image of a Marsh Tit and a close-up of a Blackbird. 19th November 2007: I came across a pair of bullfinches recently, very attractive birds but all too scarce these days. I've uploaded a few images. I also managed to get some shots of a Little Grebe which came surprisingly close. 6th November 2007: I've continued the fungi theme and have uploaded 8 more fungi images. Not technically wildlife, I know. Maybe I should rename the site Wildlife and Nature Photography :-) 23rd October 2007: I've never really paid a great deal of attention to fungi, but I've come to realise how photogenic it can be. I recently photographed some in warm Autumn sunshine and I've uploaded the results to a new Fungi gallery (as ever, newly uploaded images also appear in the Latest Images gallery). 21st October 2007: I've added a new image of a Common Shiny Woodlouse taken in my garden. Also, three hoverfly images taken in September with my Panasonic FZ30. I've also added an article which discusses the relative merits of DLSRS and 'Prosumer' cameras (such as the FZ30) when it comes to macro photography. 11th October 2007: I've added a few more images of Migrant Hawkers in-flight and another image of a Migrant Hawker at rest. 5th October 2007: I thought I'd taken my last dragonfly shots for this year but the warm sunshine today caused quite a few Migrant Hawkers to take to the wing. Hawkers in general are normally very wary but late in the season they tend to be slightly more approachable. I have uploaded a couple of in-flight images and another image of a Migrant Hawker at rest. 26th September 2007: I have added a short article (with photos) documenting a fight between a hoverfly and a wasp that took place in my garden. It has a rather grizzly ending! 22nd September 2007: There are now fewer insects around but I found a nice co-operative Green Shield Bug in my garden recently so have added a couple of shots. I also found a male Brown Hawker dragonfly at a local nature reserve, they don't normally let you get too close but this one did for a few minutes. 10th September 2007: I came across a massive Brown Hawker dragonfly laying eggs - these are a particularly wary dragonfly and normally very difficult to get close to. However, this one was pre-occupied and landed very close allowing a couple of shots. I've also uploaded 4 images of male Emerald Damselflies and a further image of a female Common Darter, a shot I'm quite chuffed with to be honest :-). 1st September 2007: I saw and photographed a Common Hawker dragonfly recently at a local nature reserve. Only later did I realise how scarce these are in this part of the world. It turns out I'm the first to ever photograph one in Leicestershire! Now there's a claim to fame. I've uploaded 2 images of the dragonfly. I've also uploaded (yet) another image of a Common Darter dragonfly and 2 images of an Emperor dragonfly. 27th August 2007: I was lucky enough to find a Southern Hawker dragonfly posing for me in my garden recently, and have now uploaded an image. I've also uploaded new shots of a Ruddy Darter and Common Darter, both taken using my 400mm lens with extension tubes to reduce the minimum focusing distance. This was the first time I'd used this lens for dragonflies and I was pleased with the results. 13th August 2007: new images added of Emerald Damselflies mating, a Common Darter dragonfly, a close-up of a hoverfly and a Common Blue butterfly. This is the first Common Blue I have seen all year. 2nd August 2007: I have added 4 images of Emerald Damselflies including 2 images of a pair mating. Also, an image of a newly emerged Southern Hawker dragonfly, next to its exuvia (shed skin/cocoon) - something that's not seen everyday. 24th July 2007: I have added 2 images of a Marbled White butterfly and 1 of a Meadow Brown butterfly, all taken on a recent trip to Kent. Also an image of a Common Green Grasshopper. The Macro Photography Hints and Tips page has also been updated 12th July 2007: I have now added a Latest Images gallery. This gallery will contain images uploaded over the previous month (or thereabouts), making it now much easier to see new additions to the galleries. Today I've also added images of a Small Skipper butterfly resting on Wood Betony, and a hoverfly. 9th July 2007: new images added of Emerald Damselflies, Meadown Brown butterflies, a hoverfly and an unknown fly. 24th June 2007: I've added a couple of Common Darter dragonfly images and an image of a lovely big Emperor dragonfly. 14th June 2007: I've not had a great deal of time free lately but have grabbed a few shots here and there, often in my garden. I've been enjoying experimenting with extension tubes attached to my macro lens. These reduce the minimum focus distance and so allow the lens to get closer to the insect thereby increasing its magnification. I've uploaded a few fly images taken with the extension tubes and also a Zebra Spider - the latter always make good subjects. I have also added an image of a Common Blue damselfly which I took this week. 5th June 2007: New images of a Broad-Bodied Chaser dragonfly and a Blue-Tailed Damselfly added. 21st May 2007: Lots of new insect images added, including Four-Spotted Chaser dragonflies, some very striking Banded Demoiselle damselflies, Scorpion Flies etc. Also, what could be my last bird images for a while. A trip to Attenborough Nature Reserve provided some nice Whitethroat images, but generally birds are getting very difficult to photograph now. I was hoping to get some Sedge Warbler images but they proved too elusive and wouldn't come out of the bushes! 11th May 2007: There are now plenty of dragonflies and damselfies around, particularly given the recent warm weather, so I've enjoyed using my new Sigma 150mm macro lens to photograph them. I've added images of Red-eyed damselflies, Blue-tailed damselflies, an Azure damselfly emerging and a couple of images of a spider attacking a Large Red damselfly. Also, a Four-spotted Chaser dragonfly. As a general rule, insect images with EXIF data (i.e. camera data) below them were taken with my Canon 400D and Sigma 150mm lens, images without EXIF data were taken with my FZ30 with a close-up lens fitted. New Dartford Warbler, Marsh Harrier, Stonechat, Avocet, Bar-Tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, Lapwing and Wren images added: 26th April 2007 New Willow Tit, Barnacle Goose, Tufted Duck and Brown Hare images added: 8th April 2007 New Chiffchaff, Bullfinch and Robin images added: 7th April 2007 New Skylark and Meadow Pipit images added: 30th March 2007 New Peregrine Falcon, Little Owl, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk images added: 28th March 2007 New Oystercatcher and Cormorant images added: 24th March 2007 New Skylark, Heron, Moorhen and Canada Goose images added: 19th March 2007 New Mute Swan image added: 14th March 2007 New Nuthatch and Goldfinch images added: 8th March 2007 New Nuthatch images added: 3rd March 2007 New Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Robin and Song Thrush images added: 23rd February 2007 New Reed Bunting images added: 21st February 2007 New Short-Eared Owl and Yellowhammer images added: 18th February 2007 New Waxwing images added to 'Other Birds': 8th February 2007 New Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting images added to 'Buntings and Warblers': 6th February 2007 New link to Ross Hoddinott's website added to Links: 1st February 2007 Two new finch images added to 'Finches': 30th January 2007 Six new Reed Bunting, Tree Sparrow and Robin images added to 'Other Birds': 25th January 2007 New Robin and Great Tit images added to 'Other Birds' and 'Tits': 22nd January 2007 New guestbook added, the previous comments page wasn't working well: 19th January 2007 New images added to 'Waders and Seabirds' gallery: 17th January 2007 New images added to 'Waterfowl and Herons', 'Other Birds' and 'Finches': 16th January 2007 Bittern (don't get too excited) and Egyptian Goose images added to 'Waterfowl and Herons' gallery: 11th January 2007 Macro hints and tips added to 'Equipment and Techniques' page: 29th December 2006 Many new links added to 'Links' page: 28th December 2006 Robin and Dunnock images added to 'Other Birds' gallery: 24th December 2006 |