Wildlife Photography

Mountain hares in the Cairngorm National Park.

Butterflies and moths are among some of my favourite animals. Their colours and patterns are so beautiful and have inspired artists for centuries. Below are a selection of my best photographs of them, including varying styles and compositions. Enjoy!

Butterflies not only have amazing colours, but also very intricate patterns.

Taken in a wildflower meadow in Cornwall.

The photographs below were taken at the Natural History Museum's 'Sensational Butterflies' exhibition in London.

I've been experimenting with a macro lens I'm borrowing, photographing both insects and butterfly wings…here are some of my first attempts.

I love to express the moods of the animals in my photographs. In the photos of the swans below, their graceful mood is illustrated beautifully.

I found this frog in my wildlife garden. I took it into my white photography box in my bedroom. I got some nice shots!

Chatsworth house has lots of wildlife...

But so does my patch!

Here is one of last years Blue Tit individuals bringing in nesting material, taken from the chick's perspective.

The Blue Tit eggs days before hatching...

And here are a few images I took for last years #30DaysWild challenge ran by the Wildlife Trusts!

The photo below was captured in the Florida Everglades! My family and I went on a hike on a path through the mangroves, where I saw lots of wildlife and got this shot which I'm very happy with!

The two photos below were taken from my "tree-hide" which I constructed with old tarpaulin and bamboo poles!

These seal photos were taken at Donna Nook in Lincolnshire. I even managed to capture the BIRTH of a seal! If you want to see the footage, visit my youtube channel!

This Iguana image was also taken in Florida, on a island called Marathon Key.

The photos below were taken in the rutting season at Bradgate Park in Leicestershire.

Here is nice shot of a hedgehog foraging in my garden.

The photos below were taken on various occasions throughout the past 2 years. Hope you enjoy browsing.

And some more butterflies…

Woodpecker on my peanut bird feeder

Here is what i think is a female bullfinch! 

Description: Bullfinches are easily recognisable if you’re fortunate enough to catch one! They are stocky little birds and both sexes have black caps, black bills, black wings and black tails with a white rump which is striking during flight. Males have bright rose pink cheeks, belly and breast, and a bright red nose. Females have a brown back and pinkish under parts and juveniles look very similar to females but without the black cap. The shape of their sturdy beaks is designed for mischievously picking buds from the trees.

Feeding: Bullfinches have a varied diet including seeds from trees, weeds, insects, sunflower hearts, nuts, grain, berries and buds. The young bullfinch lives on live foods brought to it by mum and dad, mainly insects and larvae. In the garden they aren’t often seen at bird feeders but can occasionally be seen hanging at a seed feeder or pecking at a suet cake. Their preference for the buds on trees has led to them being considered as pests, and in certain areas of the UK this has led to the legally licensed culling of bullfinches, especially in orchards where they can destroy crops picking at the fruit trees.

Mistle thrush or Song thrush?

'The Mistle thrush is the largest bird in the thrush family and its Latin name literally means ‘mistletoe eating thrush’. You might discover one bounding boisterously across the ground or standing imperiously in your garden, but they are most likely to be noticed perched high at the top of a tree singing their loud melodious song. Because of its habit of singing loudly on exposed perches in bad weather it is also sometimes called a ‘stormcock’.'

'Description: The Mistle thrush is the largest species of thrush with a fatter belly, longer tail and smaller head. The sexes are similar looking with a grey-brown plumage and bold spots on the breast, long wings and a white edged tail. Juveniles are also similar but are spotted white on their heads.'

'Feeding: Mistle thrushes mainly eat worms, snails, insects, and slugs. In winter they turn to fruit for survival and amongst its diet are berries from trees such as mistletoe, holly, yew, rowan and hawthorn. They will defend berry bearing trees against other thrushes in winter to protect their food supply. They will occasionally visit gardens for food particularly if they are provided with their favourite food sources on a regular basis.'

Fieldfare

A garden squirrel clinging on for dear life!

There have been quite a number of fights going on in the garden today (Mid May), possibly between males fighting for females or just for general territory.