Oh deer!

There were two Muntjac in the garden the other morning giving it what for right in the middle of the lawn. This male looked particularly indignant at being disturbed … but he still had a smile on his face!

Laden

We saw this Bee species the other day. It was so laden with pollen it could hardly fly.

The Second Coming

As we walked through the reedbed last week we could hear the distinct sound of one of our summer warblers.
Hardly a song and not often recognised by the uninitiated as emanating from a bird; many think an insect is the culprit. The reeling of the Grasshopper warbler is so called because of the similarity to the winding of a fishing reel. This is a secretive bird, heard but not seen; a denizen of the thickest reedbeds and vegetation. Just a voice.
More than a little patience and a movement was glimpsed. It was “the reeler”, perched, bill agape throwing his voice; defending his territory and staking his claim. This first claim of the year was staked many weeks ago. This was a second coming; a new brood to raise a new territory to hold, a new mate to lure.

Too close to ignore

There are only so many times you can be told something before you are obliged to do what you are asked.

Before I went to Tenerife three people sent me e-mails saying I really should go to south Norfolk to see a family of Otters that had seemingly lost all inhibition and were showing very well. Upon my return I attended a meeting at which a very good photographer said if I had not been I should visit the Otters. At that point I thought to myself I ought to go and see these Otters. I’m glad I did.

Walking down the river bank the sun was intermittently exchanging places with snow clouds; warm then cold. Greetings of ‘You should have been here half an hour ago’ weren’t encouraging but we stood our ground and the Otters eventually showed. Showed? … that’s an understatement really. The Otters ‘invaded’ would be more appropriate. Three animal swam up the river, left the water and were around my feet. Too close for focus. Too much lens! Then they were gone. Enigmatic and transient they left as quickly as they arrived; but not before they offered a shot or two.

Black and White

One common bird that often gets overlooked is the Coot. Although, it must be said, they are not easy to photograph – black and white animals and birds never are. If you manage to successfully expose the white parts correctly the black parts lack detail and texture and if you expose for the black parts the white bits are ‘bleached out’. It takes time and ideal lighting to get something where the detail can be seen in both areas.

The Coot obviously feels I’ve done him justice … or is it just me that thinks he’s smiling?

Creation

I watched Horizon on Tuesday night. It was fronted by Dr Adam Rutherford. I was quite shocked.

The programme showed how a silk gene from a spider has been put into a goat to produce silk from protein in the goat’s milk. It also showed diesel being produced from artificially constructed yeast. Scientists in the US are now actually using man made ‘life’ to augment the world’s oil reserves and we were led to believe industrial production is underway on three continents.

What worried me most was these building blocks are freely available on the internet and with nothing more than garage technology amateurs (including children) are already producing such things as glow in the dark algae. The speed with which this technology is advancing is frightening.

I am reminded of a quote from another doctor Dr Ian Malcolm “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should” – Who’s Dr Malcolm? He was the Mathematician in Jurassic Park.

Talking of creations I’ve now put together a new website “Wildcatch Photography” to host my photographs. Take a look and let me know what you think.