Dragonflies

 I was recently lucky enough to spend a few days in one of my favourite places; the New Forest.

There is always so much to see and on one particular day walking across some heathland I spotted several dragon flies. They rarely settle for very long and it is almost impossible to get close so I have used my Canon 100-400mm lens with 1.4x converter to get these shots. I had to use a fast shutter because these are hand held shots. 

As always I know I could do better but these are probably the best I got on the day and they are still nice specimens.

Songbirds of Skomer

It is probably fair to say that from April through July the main attractions on Skomer are the Puffins and the other nesting seabirds that make this island their temporary home. But, there are lots of other things to see, lots of other creatures that find sanctuary on the island like rabbits, grey seals and a host of song birds. It would be a mistake however to think that it is a totally safe place because the Black Backed Gulls are ruthless predators feeding  on chicks and the Manx Shearwaters so all the islands residents need to be very wary.

Walking around the island the air is filled with birdsong but it is very difficult to spot the birds as they flit around the bracken and heather. With a bit of patience however I managed to get a few shots of a Stonechat and a Meadow Pippit. These are really beautiful birds and the pippit has a beautiful and captivating song.

Small and Chunky

According to the RSPB pocket guide to birds of Britain and Europe "Small and chunky" are the words used to describe the Stonechat, seen here perched at the top of a Hawthorn bush on the open heath land of the New Forest.

This is a male as you can tell from his black head and throat, his white neck and his rust red chest. 

This perch is typical for the species that like to sit high up on bushes  surveying the land round about and calling out Tsak, tsak-tsak before flying off in search of spiders and insects to feast on.

He really is quite a handsome bird and it was great to spot him while out walking with my son.