Impatiently waiting for Spring

The emergence of the snowdrops must certainly one of the seasonal highlights from the natural world. Each year the sight of these delicate yet hardy flowers dotting the countryside reminds me that the warm and welcome days of Spring are just around the corner. It doesn’t feel much like that at the moment, as temperatures…

2022 Highlights – The ‘Bee Garden’

As we wave goodbye to another year and welcome in 2023, it’s the time to look back once again at my own personal highlights from the last twelve months. Top of this list just had to be the success of my ‘bee garden’, a small patch of garden which I transformed into a mini wildflower…

A change of perspective

‘When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change’ – Wayne Dyer I don’t very often delve into landscape photography but as any photographer will tell you there is something irresistible about capturing a carpet of fallen autumn leaves. Rather than go for the traditional landscape composition I opted…

The importance of wildflowers: Part 2

You may have seen my previous post about the importance of wildflowers, continuing that theme today I am looking at another small but vital habitat close to home. Just above the high tide line of the harbour is a small patch of rough ground, usually strewn with small rowing boats used by seafarers to reach…

The importance of wildflowers

Stepping just outside my back door is a small wildflower verge, a strip of long grass and a tangle of wildflowers, underappreciated by the regular traffic of dogwalkers. This area is however a small but vital habitat for many species of plants and animals and should be valued and protected. Plantains and grasses growing wild…

Plastic planet

Ever since millions of us around the world watched the heartbreaking scenes in Blue Planet II where a Sperm Whale attempts to eat a large piece of a plastic bucket, we have been increasingly aware of the impact our use of, and careless disposal of plastic is having on our natural world. This impact is…

Life in miniature

Whilst most of my photography focuses on bird life, I also enjoy capturing some of the smaller inhabitants of the natural world, the insects and invertebrates, which are currently thriving in this extended period of hot weather. It can be difficult to appreciate the beauty of insects at a glance and so I like to…

Catching raindrops

After 7 weeks of relentless, hot dry weather it was a great relief to experience a much needed rain shower this morning. Sadly it was over all too briefly, and will do little to sooth our parched plants and landscapes. Spiders, like most insects seem to be thriving in the hot temperatures and the garden…

Birds in blooms

A change of scenery was in order today and what better place to explore than the grounds of Aberystwyth Castle. It’s flower beds are in full bloom this time of year, filled with vibrant colours, buzzing bees and dancing butterflies. Luckily the flowers seem to be thriving despite the relentless sun beating down overhead and…

The drought continues

Another week and still there is no let up in the suffocating heat, and rain remains a distant memory here in Aberystwyth. The grass overlooking the harbour outside has been scorched and bleached a harsh shade of yellow by the burning sun and drought. The baked banks overlooking the water created a new backdrop on…

Flight of the bumblebee

Spring has arrived late in the UK this year, and the delay of warmer weather has meant that many of our insect species have also been slow to emerge from their winter hibernation. With the long anticipated, and very welcome arrival of sunny skies, flowers have finally sprung up, ready and waiting to be pollinated…

Crocus flowers

Crocus flowers emerging from the ground at Plascrug ditch on this beautiful sunny morning, a sure sign that Spring is in the air! — All photographs copyright of Claire Stott/Grey Feather Photography 2016 © http://www.greyfeatherphotography.com If you like what you see, you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram (@greyfeatherphotography) to see my latest photographs. Hit the little ‘follow’…