I recently experienced something that I had never heard or seen before, a frog chorus.
These shots were taken in the grounds of the Domaine de Marie Antoinette at the Palace of Versailles. I heard the sound from a way off and as I approached the small bridge across a stream the sound stopped. Looking down I spotted a few frogs resting in the cool water and then after a while my patience was rewarded as they started "singing" again.
They are such cute little creatures but as they puff out their cheeks they look slightly comical.
They seem to grow to a decent size too, plenty of meat on those thighs, if that's what you are into.
Yesterday I promised that I had a real treat in store for today, and I defy you to say that I have let you down...
A couple of weeks ago I got to visit Skomer an island bird reserve in Pembrokeshire, managed by The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales. It is only accessible for a few hours per day and visitor numbers are limited to a maximum of 250 people per day. It is a short boat ride from Martins Haven to the island and then a steep climb from the landing point to what is a wonderful home to colonies of seabirds and many other species of birds. On the day I visited there were only about 100 visitors to the island and it felt like a real privilege to be there. I enjoyed speaking to other photographers (about the birds and about kit) and to some of the warden volunteers whose knowledge really added something to the experience.
I was especially keen to visit to see the Puffins that were breeding on the island and to be able to get up so close to these iconic birds was a bit of a bucket list item for me. Puffins are on the international Red List of Endangered Species and with decreasing populations they are vulnerable to extinction; although seeing the numbers on Skomer in their burrows, on the cliffs, in the air and on the water it is hard to imagine their total demise. It underlines the importance of places like Skomer where they enjoy a degree of protection.
So for today I hope you enjoy the three pictures above. I really love them and in the coming days I will share some more. I have pictures of several of the other species from around the island too, and even some landscape shots to share so make sure you come back to see.
