Castlerigg Stone Circle

I have had a really busy week with work and so I haven't had time to review the results of my late night trip to Castlerigg from last Saturday.

I had gone up with the intention of photographing the comet but as you can see from the first image there was so much cloud cover I thought that perhaps it would be a wasted trip. However I will never waste an opportunity and I think the cloud lent itself to quite a spectacular sunset.

While there I met a few other like minded photographers and as the sun set we waited in hope that conditions would improve. Patience paid off too because the clouds passed and we were treated to a spectacularly clear sky with not only a great view of the comet but the milky way above us and Saturn and Jupiter behind us. I learned a lot that night and I am pleased with the results. 

Ooooh, That's Nice!

This is a Common Spotted Orchid, or Dactylorhiza maculata. I had spotted several specimens along my walk through Chee Dale but this one on top of a mossy wally really stood out against the lush background. It always seems a little unfair to attach Common to the name because although they may be found in many places they are still uncommonly beautiful.

Dip Dip Dip

So the other day I told you that my goal for the year was to photograph a Dipper one of the most amazing songbirds in Britain, not because of its song but because of its amazing swimming ability. Due to the current lockdown it was starting to look like I would miss out. On my first trip out with the intention of photographing one I managed just one fleeting glimpse as an adult bird flew past me downstream.

A couple of days later I headed back to the River Wye in Derbyshire and this time in Chee Dale I was so excited to see this little beauty. I watched it feeding and then as it perched on this mossy log I was able to get some shots.  I am always super critical of my pictures and I know I can do better so I will definitely be on the lookout for more opportunities but I am pleased with these images and the memories that go with them.

A little further downstream I heard the noisy chatter of two more dippers, an adult bird feeding a hungry youngster. It is scenes like that that really underline why I love being outdoors and why I love nature and wildlife photography.

Cow Parsley

I have said it before, I really like Cow Parsley. There is something about the structure that is so eye catching whether in the summer when it is in full bloom or in the winter when all you see is the skeleton of the plant. 

The flowers are so delicate and they are a magnet for all manner of pollinators. 

From just about any angle they make for a great image.

Not So Pretty!

One of my favourite songbirds is the Dipper, it is an amazing bird and I have often enjoyed watching them from a river bank as they dart past or sit on a rock bobbing up and down searching for insect larvae on the river bed before swooping down to catch a tasty meal.

At the start of the year I set myself a goal of photographing one but here we are just over 6 months into the year and I haven't had an opportunity to get out and as time is slipping by I worry that I won't meet my goal.

Yesterday was the first opportunity I have had in such a long time to go out beyond my local area and I headed down to Miller's dale in the Peak District in search of a dipper. It was a nice day and great to be out and about and I did spot what I had gone to see, one dipper flying past at high speed close to the waters surface and off into the distance. While I was thrilled to see it I was frustrated that it was my only sighting of the day.

However never one to waste an opportunity I put my various lenses to use and got a nice selection of landscape shots, some macro shots of flowers and a few close ups of a fly. Now I know its not the most beautiful thing you will see today but it is amazing what you can see when you get this close.