The Colour of Sunday

A wander through the meadows this morning gave us plenty of colours and not just with the vast amount of flowers. Large Whites, Blues, Meadow Browns, Coppers and a single Clouded Yellow.
Great for another bit of macro practise.

Busted!

There comes a time when a wildlife photographer must accept that, despite all of his efforts, he has been seen and no amount of shuffling around behind a stone wall is going to change that. Young Master Fox was out practicing his mousing techniques at a place where I have seen his family for quite a few years. A bound or two later, he looked straight at me and it was obvious that I had been well and truly rumbled. Although he continued to have a sniff around for a while, his heart was no longer in hunting and he wandered off leaving the field a much less interesting place.

Shorter Evenings

As the evenings get shorter it gets easier to lose track of time. I find it too easy to sit and watch the birds and animals as the Sun goes down. It's not a bad way to spend my time.

A Purbeck Bug Hunt

Although the Sun was shining and the sky was blue there was enough wind to keep the meadows moving. This in turn kept disturbing the beasts and bugs making it difficult to get the shots that I wanted. Still, there are a great many ways to spend an afternoon that are not as much fun so I was happy enough.
There are plenty of grasshoppers and butterflies in the grasses and hedgerows and always the Bees, Wasps and hoverflies if they prove too annoying.

The Road To St.Aldhelm's Head

St.Aldhelm's Head is a couple of miles south of Worth Matravers and is steeped in history that spans at least the last 1000 years but probably way before that. A Norman chapel sits atop an outcrop that itself rises over 100m high above the sea. It sits within an even older enclosure that points to history that goes back a great deal further than the building itself.  More recent history has lead to cliff-side quarrying that has taken a large bite from the land and a huge Second World War Two radar station that disappeared almost over night on the orders of a worried Mr.Churchill. Coastguard cottages built in 1895 sit, apparently isolated from the rest of the world, no longer needed to house lifeboatmen that had to travel by horse and cart to the lifeboat in Chapman's Pool below.
An evening walk is perfect here at any time of the year, but in the Summer it is just about perfect. As the Sun sets behind the distant hills, Peregrines can be heard screaming as they hunt from the cliffs, Roe deer wander slowly through the fields and a solitary Hare dodges the combines and tries to stay within the safety of uncut crops.

If you want more than this, try to photograph the many Wheatear that play hide and seek as you walk the track. These beautiful little birds are always great fun to watch and will keep you on your toes.

St Aldhelm's Chapel

Radar Memorial

Wheatear

Wheatear

Roe Buck

A Sunset Hare

Carnival Fireworks

Three sets of fireworks are seen during Carnival week, this gives plenty of time to play with camera settings and finding the best view.

Swanage Carnival

This week is a particularly busy one for the Isle of Purbeck, Swanage Carnival takes over the town all manner of bits and pieces have been going on.
On the first day we were treated to the Aerostars and Swanage Bay is just about the perfect place to watch an air display.