Tag Archives: Colourful

May 21 2018
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ShareMondays2018 – Emerald

Downy Emerald Dragonfly

ShareMondays2018 – Emerald

Downy Emerald Dragonflies are found mostly in the South of England. They’re on the wing now at Thursley Common National Nature Reserve. I was able to watch a number of them flying around the edge of The Moat Pond next to the reserve car park. They’re very territorial and quite mesmerising to watch, darting about with the metallic greens and golds flashing in the sunlight! I’m sharing this image today for ShareMondays2018 and the Wex Mondays challenges. Good luck to everyone taking part!

Apr 9 2018
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ShareMondays2018: Chasing Butterflies

Brimstone on azalea

ShareMondays2018: Chasing Butterflies

There’s nothing quite so wonderful as chasing Spring butterflies around on a warm, sunny day! Brimestone butterflies were definitely in full bloom in the woodland last Friday. Seeing them dancing around the pink blooms of azalea was glorious and a perfect encounter to add into this week’s ShareMondays challenge.

Brimstone in full bloom

Mar 19 2018
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High Key Croci

Multiple Exposure High Key Croci

High Key Croci

Let’s start the Monday posts with a bright and cheerful floral image! It is Spring, really. The croci on the conifer lawn at RHS Wisley Gardens were glorious in the spring sunshine last week. Even in the snow on Sunday they were still popping with colour against the white blanket! I created this high-key image with an in-camera double exposure, zooming in on my subjects for the second exposure to accentuate the shaping of the flowers. It’s an image that makes me smile so I think it’s a good candidate for this week’s Wex Monday’s challenge.

Mar 12 2018
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ShareMondays 2018: Spring Has Sprung

Spring at RHS Wisley Gardens

ShareMondays 2018: Spring Has Sprung

A complete change of seasons in less than a week! The previous Friday, RHS Wisley Gardens was blanketed in snow as Storm Emma blew through. They even had to close early as paths became dangerously icy! On Wednesday last week the gardens were full of glorious colour. The croci have survived the storms and snow providing a beautiful patchwork of purples across the conifer lawn. I’m sharing this as part of Share Mondays 2018, a hashtag on Twitter that is used by photographers to share a moment from the past week. Each week a winner is chosen by the previous week’s winner. It’s a great way to connect with other photographers and get a snapshot of what’s been happening around the country and beyond.

Mar 5 2018
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Blue Monday: Signs Of Spring

Blue Tit and budding Spring leaves

Blue Monday: Signs Of Spring

I returned to the carpark at RHS Wisley Gardens on Sunday morning after the snow had all melted. The fieldfare had all gone, presumably back to the orchard fields on the exposed hillside. Hardly any fruit remained on the trees out by the main entrance so most of the birds were around the side of the shop where staff have a number of feeders out. The blue tits were out in force and I really enjoyed watching them flitting in and out of the shrubs. After the recent cold, I was reminded that it is now meteorological Spring by the sight of fresh green leaves and buds on the branches. Hopefully this will be a bright contrast to many snow images in this week’s Fotospeed challenge!

Chaffinch

Feb 12 2018
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Blue Monday: Colourful Corvid

Jay

Blue Monday: Colourful Corvid

Most people think of members of the crow family as being large, black and raucous. Whilst the Jay is not a small bird by any means, it is definitely the most colourful and shy corvid family member in the UK. It was a treat to watch this beauty in the Wild Woods at RHS Wisley Gardens last week, as I slowly wended my way back out from volunteering with Butterfly Conservation in The Glasshouse. That flash of blue on the wings of the jay is just as startlingly beautiful and iridescent as the wings on the Blue Morpho butterflies, flying in the tropical zone of the glasshouse at the moment.