Nature Photos at Thistledown Camp site in the Cotswold's

We spent a long weekend in the Cotswold's at a Eco-Friendlily Campsite called Thistledown Farm. An excellent site. Lots of great views and lots of Butterflies and other insects etc.

I managed to photograph seven different butterflies.

They where:-

- Meadow Brown

- Small White

- Green Veined White

- Peacock

- Gatekeeper

- Ringlet

- Red Admiral
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Ringlet Butterfly

 

 Meadow Brown Butterfly

 

 Peacock Butterfly

 

Here is the underside of the Peacock Butterfly, very dark and has no colour. Such a contrast from the top.

 

 Green Veined White Butterfly

 

 

 

Small White Butterfly

 

  

 

 

 

 

Mating pair

 

Red Admiral ( a very colourful butterfly but not a very good shot)

 

 A Gatekeeper Butterfly

 Bees and other insects

 

 

I managed to get a couple of 'acceptable' photographs of bees in flight.

 

 

 

I think this is a type of wasp - not sure at the moment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see the farm on the web at http://thistledown.org.uk/

Its address is


Thistledown Farm
Tinkley Lane
Nympsfield
Glos.
GL10 3UH

Bees

We are in the process of planting insect friendly flowers. Last year we started with the front garden and planted lavender bushes. I knew  that bees did like lavender however I was not expecting the number we are getting. Its lovely to see. I have been trying since the Dorset Cambridge Camera Club weekend to photograph bees with little or no success. One of our club members has just posted a lovely set of bee photos on lavender and I was spurred on to have another go. Still have not achieved the success I want but one step closer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Had a go at 'wishy washy' pastel photo ....

 

Holkham Hall - Fallow Deer

Monday 15th July 2013. Sue wanted to go to Holkham Hall to see the exhibition - 'Glamour and Gowns - Couture by Belinda Bellville and Bellville Sassoon'. As I wanted to go back and have another go at Photographing the Fallow Deer there it seemed and ideal trip. Our friend Jenny came with us too.

My daughter, Zoe, gave me a book called 'The Wildlife Photography Workshop, by Ross Hoddinott and Ben Hall for Fathers day. Typical situation, we got back from Holkham and we were sitting in the garden enjoying the evening sunshine and I found the book had a chapter on photographing Deer and other 'timid' animals. I was quite please that although I had not been truly successfully at 'stalking these beautiful animals I was at least going along the right lines.....

1. Approach slowly from downwind (I learnt this from all the Westerns I have seen!!!)
2. Be quiet
3. Work towards the heard in a wide arc
4. If they start looking at you then you are probably not going to get much closer without a lot of patience.

We are planning to go back in October for the Rutting Season.

At first I could see no Adult Males. They all looked very young deer.

 

 

 

 

Lots of flies around the deers

 

 

 

 

 

After about 90 minutes of wondering around the heard I headed off for the lake. I then came across a group of Young Buck's .....
This group was initially a mixed group but on seeing me the Doe's got up and left. The Bucks did not seem to mind my presence as much and I managed to get a bit closer.

 

This one had a lot of flies

 

I then started you try a bit of minimalistic landscape photography...
 

 

The Thistles were great - I have played around with this one in Photoshop,

 

Then a couple of people shots

 

A really lovely day. We travelled back home via a Fish and Chip Shop in Sunny Hunny (and it was this time)