Lambs!

Spring Mix

Sanderling

Here's a few shots from a while back. 

The first three are from a day trip to a cold and overcast Mersea Island on the Essex coast. 

Turnstone

Resting Oyster Catchers

These were taken on a day out in the North Suffolk/ South Norfolk countryside in early 
March. The lambs were fresh into the fields and the foal we spotted as we drove from Lakenheath base into the town.
The cat, is one of many in residence around the yard of the business I work for.

Mersea Boats

Work Cat 01

#pauljacksonphotography #new #blog #wildlife #scenery #spring 

London Butterflies

A recent visit to the Science and V & A Museums lead to a packed lunch on the East Lawn of the Natural History Museum, just round the corner. As we walked down the steps from Cromwell Street we were struck by the sight of a large square tent taking up most of the grass. We sat on a low wall and ate our sandwiches as intermittent spots of rain making dark spots on the paving stones.

The Sensational Butterflies exhibit was housed within the bright white canvas and on finishing lunch we paid our way and entered the warm, damp tent. I wasn't expecting much, but it's surprising how many butterflies you can fit into a small marquee!

A collection of feeding Owl Butterflies

#pauljacksonphotography #wildlife #butterflies #butterfly #blog #new #insect #insects #uk

Bawdsey At Dusk

Dorset Birds of Prey

Just a couple of shots from a trip to Dorset in late summer '15.

Kestrel

Buzzard

Rosemary Beetle

Peregrines At The Derelict Groverake Lead & Fluorspar Mine, Rookhope, Weardale

A recent jaunt up north to Consett, Co. Durham visiting my Brother led to a couple of days walking alone around sections of the North Pennines while my Brother went about his work. One of which included the Groverake Mine on Rookhope Burn.  As patches of heather burned on the valley above me I clumped down the steep footpath that dissects  this derelict site - the remains of a small collection of stone buildings dotted around two tiers of level land beside a small stream in a deep trough cutting through the mossy, rocky ground, recording in it's banks the winter strength of this now docile trickle. In fact, when exploring, I found that the only crossing I could see for miles had already been washed away. leaving only a thin edge of path traversing the 4' diameter steel pipe purposefully positioned in the current.

What turned out to be the roof of the pump shed, housing the rusty carcass of a diesel pumping engine had collapsed in the centre leaving slate tiles piled around the machine and hanging precariously from the fragile rotten roof trusses.  

On the far side of the upper tier was the first of two mine shafts cutting into the hillside. Peering down the dark hole gradually descending into the valley wall to what I have now discovered was one of the last and most productive Fluorspar seams in the Pennines left me feeling uneasy, and so walked further down the rocky path to the head frame.        

Male Grouse strutting about making a right fuss

Meadow Pipit? 

Definitely a Meadow Pipit

Wheatear (m)

As I walked around the mine site with Skylarks singing above me and the sounds and odd glimpses of Grouse and Lapwing I was pleasantly surprised to see a pair of small raptors pop up from the roof of one of the derelict sheds. I quickly hid myself as best I could on the shadowed side of an adjacent building. As I watched I could see each of the birds taking turns to circle higher and higher before folding their wings back and diving fast towards the river and swooping low before climbing a little and landing on the steep grassy bank above on the opposite side from my position. 
Occasionally perching on the very top of the mine's one remaining head frame, before dropping to the lip of a small chimney cowling atop the same roof the pair appeared from behind earlier.
Here are the best shots I could get of the Peregrines with a 300mm zoom. I attempted to get shots of the dives but this, as I found very quickly takes a lot of skill. My results are mediocre at best! 
I also managed to see a number of birds completely new to me. I find searching and comparing photos until I've identified them completely immersive. As long as I get a reasonable photo, all goes well!    

Lapwing

Another Meadow Pipit?

#uk #wildlife #birds #birdsofprey #peregrines #peregrine #mine #lead #fluorspar #weardale #northpennines #pennines #north #thenorth #pauljacksonphotography #photography #photographer