It’s been quite a while since I last wrote anything on here, almost a year since my last post. I did start writing about 30 Days Wild at the beginning of July last year, but then things got on top of me and I never finished it. Then it was August, then October, and Christmas, and suddenly a new year had begun.

One reason for my lack spare time was that I set out to enter the Wex Photo Video #WexMondays Twitter competition every week. This meant every bit of spare time was filled with taking or editing photos so I had something to enter. I managed it in the end, and the full set of photos can be seen on my Flickr. I don’t think I’ll be doing it again any time soon though, by the end I felt a bit photoed out (is that a thing?) so took a bit break at the start of this year.

Anyway, lets get on with this!

Always Learning

Around the time of my last post I had started a short course on Learning With Experts called Clive Nichols’ Flower and Plant Photography Masterclass. For those who don’t know, Clive Nichols is professional garden photographer, and since this course included critique from Clive himself I was quite interested in doing it. I really enjoyed doing the course and got some photos I really liked whilst doing the assignments, some were in my last post but here’s a few more that weren’t.

The veins inside a saxifrage flower, standing out much more in black and white.

Experimenting in the garden, holding a peice of coloured card behind this forget-me-not flower for a different background to the usual green and blue of leaves and other flowers.

Late evening sunlight shining through a heuchera leaf and lighting up the hairs on the edges, backed by the pale blue sky.

Looking up at a heuchera flower in the sunlight.

Sedge flower emerging from between the leaves.

There were also some photos I wasn’t so happy with and Clive’s comments helped me to see what was wrong and how it could be done better in future.

Bluebells

With the course completed we were into bluebell season, so I set out to put my new ideas and knowledge to work on the ones in my garden.

A small collection of photos of the Bluebells flowering in the garden. (1/4)

A small collection of photos of the Bluebells flowering in the garden. (2/4)

A small collection of photos of the Bluebells flowering in the garden. (3/4)

A small collection of photos of the Bluebells flowering in the garden. (4/4)

It had also occurred to me that it was quite a long time since I’d last been to see bluebells out in the wild. So I decided it was about time I got myself out to a bluebell wood to see them properly again. I know our local Wildlife Trust holds a bluebell day at Short and Southwick Woods, where I’ve been before, so I figured that would be a good place to go and headed off to see them. I wasn’t disappointed. The bluebells were fantastic, stretching away through the trees like a blue carpet speckled with white spots from greater stichwort and the occasional white bluebell. I’ll definitely be going back to see them again.

Woodland trail leading through the bluebells at Wildlife Trusts Short Wood in Northamptonshire.

A traditional English bluebell. One of several thousand creating a carpet of blue throughout Short Wood.

The two shades in the flowers of our native English bluebells.

A narrow gap in the bluebells where one of the woodland paths passes through. Mind your step!

Here you can really see the characteristic curled back lips and cream coloured stamen of English Bluebell flowers.

One of a small number of white bluebells scattered through the blue carpet of normal bluebells at Short Wood.

Another narrow path in Southwick Wood, and bluebells through the trees as far as you can see.

The thick blue carpet of bluebells in Southwick Wood.

Garden Time

May was mostly spent in the garden. Tidying, planting, taking photos, practising and trying out new ideas before June and 30 Days Wild started. In 2016 I’d bought a load of allium bulbs so it was great to see the minibeasts enjoying the new flowers from them, along with some new Sicilian honey garlic plants and some lupins I’d grown from seed the previous year.

Love-in-a-mist flower bud getting ready to open in the garden.

Male early bumblebee, feeding on a heuchera flower.

Red mason bee climbing up a buddleja leaf.

Allium neapolitanum (cowanii group) soaking up the sunlight in the garden.

A harlequin ladybird nestled in the centre of a lupin leaf.

A male early bumblebee feeding inside a nectaroscordum siculum flower.

Harlequin ladybird larvae on an allium flower in the garden.

Pink and yellow in the lupin flowers in the garden, back in May.

30 Days Wild

Now a staple of my photographic year, 30 Days Wild, the Wildlife Trusts’ annual getting outdoors event, pretty much takes control of my spare time in June. The month kicked off with a first four days just hunting around in the garden.

Enjoying the love-in-a-mist flowers which are starting to bring a lovely splash of blue to the garden on day 1 of 30 Days Wild.

Brief time in the garden this evening, between rain showers, looking at raindrops on petals for day 2 of 30 Days Wild.

Bug hunting in the garden for day 3 of 30 Days Wild. Quite a lot of minibeasts out enjoying the afternoon sunlight. I think this hoverfly is chrysotoxum cautum.

Lots of bumblebees in the garden on day 4 of 30 Days Wild, enjoying the morning sun before it started pouring with rain. This one is a red-tailed bumblebee.

After that I had a week off work, so on day five I headed off to RSPB Fowlmere. I’d been here in 2015 and seen kingfishers, but that was later in the year and the weather wasn’t great this time with quite strong winds. Despite this, and starting off the day sheltering from rain in a bird hide, the walk around the reserve was still nice and I actually did see a kingfisher, albeit only a brief flash of blue as it was darting away. A somewhat less expected sighting for a nature reserve were some very brightly coloured chickens that were hanging around the picnic area near the garden. I’m not up on my chicken identification, but apparently they’re a rare breed called Marsh Daisy.

A southern marsh orchid, one of quite a few flowering around the nature reserve. Photos from a trip to RSPB Fowlmere for day 5 of 30 Days Wild.

One of a herd of cows grazing in a field alongside the nature reserve. Photos from a trip to RSPB Fowlmere for day 5 of 30 Days Wild in June 2017.

Herb robert flowering in the woodland. Photos from a trip to RSPB Fowlmere for day 5 of 30 Days Wild in June 2017.

A small greater water-boatman, swimming amongst the detritus on the water surface. Photos from a trip to RSPB Fowlmere for day 5 of 30 Days Wild.

Up close with one of the RSPB Fowlmere picnic area roosters. Apparently they’re a rare breed chicken known as Marsh Daisy. Photos from a trip to RSPB Fowlmere for day 5 of 30 Days Wild in June 2017.

Sound advice from the RSPB. Photos from a trip to RSPB Fowlmere for day 5 of 30 Days Wild in June 2017.

On day six the weather was even worse, with on and off heavy rain all day. Normally I can find somewhere within day trip distance where the weather is better but not this time. So I stayed at home and spent some time watching a female blackbird gathering food in the garden. Nice to watch but not really what I wanted to be doing.

Mother blackbird gathering mealworms in the garden between torrential downpours and howling gales on day 6 of 30 Days Wild.

Mother blackbird gathering mealworms in the garden between torrential downpours and howling gales on day 6 of 30 Days Wild.

The weather on day seven was significantly better so I headed out to spend the day at Brampton Wood. There were loads of flowers out with a mix of cuckoo flower, wood speedwell and common spotted orchids along the woodland rides. In the shade of the trees there were yellow-banded longhorn moths flittering about amongst the ground elder (easy to see where the common family name of fairy longhorn comes from) and I got my first sighting of the rare black hair-streak butterflies.

The bright blue flowers of germander speedwell greating specs of colour in the woodland clearings. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Brampton Wood on day 7 of 30 Days Wild.

Lots of common spotted orchids in flowers at the moment, scattered everywhere through the woods. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Brampton Wood on day 7 of 30 Days Wild.

A male yellow-barred long-horn moth and his enormous antennae. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Brampton Wood on day 7 of 30 Days Wild.

A couple of black hairstreak butterflies, great to see these in quite surprisingly high numbers. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Brampton Wood on day 7 of 30 Days Wild.

A closer photo of a black hairstreak butterfly, albeit a little battle-scarred. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Brampton Wood on day 7 of 30 Days Wild.

A female scorpion fly in amongst the bushes. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Brampton Wood on day 7 of 30 Days Wild.

On day eight the weather took a down turn again, but I had no intention of spending any more time staying at home so headed off to Grafham Water. Not somewhere I’ve been before, this is a reservoir managed by Anglian Water with a perimeter path and a section of nature reserve around one end managed by the local Wildlife Trust. One day I intend to do the full walk, but this wasn’t that day, so I just spent my time walking around the nature reserve section, sheltering from passing showers in the bird hides.

A soldier beetle reaching out from the top of a common spotted orchid. The black mark on its back was heart shaped, which suggests this is cantharis rustica. Photos from a trip to the Wildlife Trusts nature reserve at Grafham Water, on day 8 of 30 Days Wild.

A great crested grebe, puffed up in the cold. One of a pair that were building a nest near one of the hides. Photos from a trip to the Wildlife Trusts nature reserve at Grafham Water, on day 8 of 30 Days Wild.

A brief moment of sunlight shining through a gap in the woodland. Photos from a trip to the Wildlife Trusts nature reserve at Grafham Water, on day 8 of 30 Days Wild.

Fungi sprouting from an old tree trunk. Photos from a trip to the Wildlife Trusts nature reserve at Grafham Water, on day 8 of 30 Days Wild.

Moss and fungi growing on an old tree stump. Photos from a trip to the Wildlife Trusts nature reserve at Grafham Water, on day 8 of 30 Days Wild.

A lot of common spotted orchids growing on a grassy bank. Photos from a trip to the Wildlife Trusts nature reserve at Grafham Water, on day 8 of 30 Days Wild.

Day nine had a grey start with a sunny afternoon, so after lunch I headed off to familiar territory for a short walk around Summer Leys nature reserve. Black headed gulls were nesting on one of the islands and the bright flowers of southern marsh orchids spotted through the small meadow near the carpark. After spending some time watching a pair of bullfinches on one of the bird tables I spotted a bright green dock beetle embarking on a trek across the path so watched that until it was safely across.

A black headed gull coming in to land on one of the small islands where they are nesting. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Summer Leys nature reserve for day 9 of 30 Days Wild.

Another of the large, hairy hoverflies which I think are parhelophilus species. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Summer Leys nature reserve for day 9 of 30 Days Wild.

Long grass and two large southern marsh orchid flowers next to each other. There were more orchids adding the coloured patches in the background as well. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Summer Leys nature reserve for day 9 of 30 Days Wild.

A field full of oxeye daisies. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Summer Leys nature reserve for day 9 of 30 Days Wild.

A male bullfinch feeding on one of the bird tables at Summer Leys nature reseve. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Summer Leys nature reserve for day 9 of 30 Days Wild.

A green dock beetle crossing one of the paths. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Summer Leys nature reserve for day 9 of 30 Days Wild.

For day ten, the final day of my week of outings, I headed off to Tichmarsh – another of the string of wetland reserves along the river Nene and another familiar place. It was quite a windy day but there were still a lot of butterflies and damselflies about. Including banded demoiselle damselflies and a few painted lady butterflies which I see surprisingly infrequently.

A tiny 2-spot ladybird on a nettle leaf. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Titchmarsh nature reserve for day 10 of 30 Days Wild.

A painted lady butterfly on a rose flower. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Titchmarsh nature reserve for day 10 of 30 Days Wild.

A banded demoiselle out in the sun. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Titchmarsh nature reserve for day 10 of 30 Days Wild.

One of a flock of sheep grazing along the bank of the River Nene. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Titchmarsh nature reserve for day 10 of 30 Days Wild.

A mute swan out for a swim in the sun. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Titchmarsh nature reserve for day 10 of 30 Days Wild.

Common blue butterfly on a daisy flower. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Titchmarsh nature reserve for day 10 of 30 Days Wild.

So that was the end of my day trips for a while, which meant the next few days were spent looking for things in the garden. There is a lot to see if you take the time to stop and look closely, from iridescent flower beetles, to the flowers that find a way to flourish even between the bricks of a driveway, and the tiny insect nymphs that you’d miss completely if not looking for them.

Male thick-legged flower beetle spotted in the garden on day 11 of #30DaysWild.

A garden favourite for day 12 of #30DaysWild. Surprised by how long the forget-me-not flowers are lasting this year!

Something simple from the garden for day 13 of 30 Days Wild. Creeping buttercup flowering in the lawn.

Spotted this harlequin ladybird larva on a grass stem in the garden, on day 14 of 30 Days Wild.

A Dalmatian Bellflower happily flowering between the bricks of my drive. Nature finding any foothold on day 15 of 30 Days Wild.

A delicate flower from the grass in the lawn, blooming on day 16 of 30 Days Wild.

A tiny heterotoma planicornis nymph in the garden on day 17 of 30 Days Wild.

The next weekend, for day 18, I headed out to Felmersham Gravel Pits, another local Wildlife Trust nature reserve that I’ve been to before. It was a nice warm, sunny, day which brought out the dragonflies and damselflies, including the sparkly metallic green emeralds., and also quite a few butterflies and longhorn beetles.

Black and Yellow longhorn beetle out on an umbellifer flower in the sun. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Felmersham Gravel Pits for day 18 of 30 Days Wild.

A somewhat pollen dusted hoverfly hanging from a ribwort plantain flower. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Felmersham Gravel Pits for day 18 of 30 Days Wild.

Emerald damselfly perched on a grass stem. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Felmersham Gravel Pits for day 18 of 30 Days Wild.

A four spotted chaser dragonfly resting on leaves above the water. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Felmersham Gravel Pits for day 18 of 30 Days Wild.

Common Blue butterfly perched on a grass flower. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Felmersham Gravel Pits for day 18 of 30 Days Wild.

Golden-Bloomed Grey longhorn beetle on an umbellifer stem. Photos from a trip to Wildlife Trusts Felmersham Gravel Pits for day 18 of 30 Days Wild.

Days 19 to 24 were spent back in the garden again, I found a couple of species I’ve not seen here before with metallic green soldier flies on the tansy plants and another very round dark-winged soldier fly.

A tiny solitary bee feeding on an oxeye daisy in the garden, on day 19 of 30 Days Wild.

A small hairy and metallic green fly, one of several spotted around tansy plants on day 20 of 30 Days Wild.

A marmalade hoverfly on an oxeye daisy flower.

A common froghopper sitting on the back of an unfurling tansy leaf, on day 22 of 30 Days Wild.

A 2nd instar Common Green shieldbug nymph, spotted in the garden on day 23 of 30 Days Wild.

A dark-winged black soldierfly, resting on a plant stem in the garden, on day 24 of 30 Days Wild.

With the arrival of the final weekend I headed out to Woodland Trust Twywell Plantation for day 25. The agrimony was coming into flower and there were lots of skipper butterflies and speckled bush cricket nymphs about in the woodland. I also found a lot of marbled white butterflies flittering about in the grassy areas so spend quite a bit of time watching and photographing them.

A yellow flower spike of agrimony, flowering in and around the woodland. Photos from a walk around Twywell Hills and Dales Gullet and Twywell Plantation on day 25 of 30 Days Wild.

Bracken growing infront of a exposed layer of limestone rock. Photos from a walk around Twywell Hills and Dales Gullet and Twywell Plantation on day 25 of 30 Days Wild.

Small skipped butterfly feeding on a bramble flower in the sunlight. Photos from a walk around Twywell Hills and Dales Gullet and Twywell Plantation on day 25 of 30 Days Wild.

A speckled bush-cricket nymph, almost perfectly blending in with the leaves of the surrounding plants. Photos from a walk around Twywell Hills and Dales Gullet and Twywell Plantation on day 25 of 30 Days Wild.

The small pink flowers of common centaury, a pretty flower brightening up woodland shade. Photos from a walk around Twywell Hills and Dales Gullet and Twywell Plantation on day 25 of 30 Days Wild.

A marbled white butterfly, one of many in the grasslands around the edge of the wood. Photos from a walk around Twywell Hills and Dales Gullet and Twywell Plantation on day 25 of 30 Days Wild.

For the last 5 days of June, and 30 Days Wild, I was back in the garden where I found some moths, a soldier beetle a lace wing and a very obliging little snipe fly with some very green eyes. As I’ve said before, there is an amazing amount of different creatures in even a small back garden, you just have to stop and look for them.

A common red soldier beetle, spotted on a tansy leaf in the garden, on day 26 of 30 Days Wild.

A tiny moth hunkered down on a tansy leaf, in the rain on day 27 of 30 Days Wild. This is one of the dichrorampha species’, but with several of them looking very similar a precise ID isn’t possible.

A bright green lacewing spotted in the garden on day 28 of 30 Days Wild.

A female little snipe fly and her emerald green eyes, spotted in the garden on day 29 of 30 Days Wild.

A small brown moth spotted on a tansy leaf in the garden, on day 30 of 30 Days Wild. This looks like it’s one of the tortricidae (aka tortrix) family of moths, though I’m not certain which one.

End of Part 1

Thats quite a lot of photos in one post and there are many more from the remainder of the year, so I’m going to break off here and split this into 3 parts like I did with 2015.

There’s a lot more still to come!