Woodpeckers nest

I have discovered the location of a great spotted woodpeckers (Dendrocopos major) nest.  I saw it flying at Trebah and it seems that it has made a nest in one of the garden's statues.  I will be heading there next week with a hide and a 500mm lens to see if I can catch any photographs. 

Hopefully they will be on here soon.  Providing all goes well.

Lexie

Lilies

Trebah is sporting some very pretty arum lilies.  They are all over the top part of the garden and look very beautiful when the sun shines on them.  Here are some of the photos I took.  

 Arum Lily or Calla Lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica)

I also saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) but unfortunately didn't get a photograph.  This species of woodpecker (and the lesser spotted (Dendrocopos minor)) is noted for its drumming on hollow trees unlike the green woodpecker.  There are 8 species of woodpecker in Europe but only the three species mentioned above can be found in the UK.  

Lexie

Padstow Puffins

Hello once again.  :)  

Yesterday I nearly came very close to being in the sea - fully clothed.  

It was very windy and as a result, the sea was very rough, nevertheless, I went out on a boat from Padstow to see some Puffins.  

I saw a huge variety of sea birds including:

Shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)

Guillemots  (Uria aalge)

Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis)

Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus)

Gannet (Morus bassanus)

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)

Oyster Catcher (Haematopus ostralegus)

Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)

Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)

Razorbill (Alca torda)

Puffin (Fratercula arctica)

Here are some of the only photographs I captured.  (The boat was very rocky so I apologise for the softness)  I used a 70-300mm lens and a Canon 450D.

I hope to photograph more puffins and sea birds in the future and may take a longer lens and will definitely go on a calmer day.  

Lexie  

Trebah Gardens

Hello Again, I haven't updated recently because of work issues.  But here I am now.  I noticed some foxgloves (Digitalis SP.) that had appeared as you can see below.  I've seen purple and pink species but have yet to photograph the purple ones.







Yesterday, (25th) I went to Trebah Gardens on the Helford Estuary to continue with my habitat project.  Here are some of the photo's that I got while I was there.

Buff Tailed Bumble Bee (Bombus terrestris Latreille)

Yellow Iris (Iris pseudoacorus)



                                                                 

Giant Rhubarb (Gunnera Manicata)

I haven't seen much wildlife recently although on a sunrise shoot I saw a fox on campus but it was too far away to photograph.  

Lexie

Scuba Diving

At the weekend, I made an effort because the sea was calm to go to Penzance and go for a dive with the Silver Dolphin Centre.  Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me so could not capture the two spider crabs, the wrasse of the sea squirt that I saw.  However, on one of my other dives, when I did have a camera I managed to get some images, as below.  

Enjoy. 

Lexie

Spiny Starfish (Marthasterias glacialis Linnaeus)

  

Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa Linnaeus)

Worm Pipefish (Nerophis lumbriciformis Jenyns)

BBC wildlife and Badger Culling

Today, I received the BBC wildlife magazine in the post (a good read if you're interested in this sort of thing) and on page 32 there was an article on Badger Culling and TB.  How ironic considering my recent badger sightings.  I know everyone has their own reasons and opinions but giving farmers licenses to kill badgers because they MIGHT be carrying tb?  I'm not sure I agree.  Suggestions that farmers are knowingly keeping tb positive cattle and still wishing to cull badgers is horrifying.  I'm siding with the Badger Trust; how can we trust these people? How can people want to remove such a beautiful creature from our countryside?  Future Generations may never see a Badger or other species living in Britain if we continue to attempt to remove them.  Look what is happening to the Bengal Tiger - less than 2500 individuals.  Its not just Tigers either, Pandas and closer to home, Eagles and other raptors (not in the Dinosaur sense).  Zoo's just aren't good enough to sustain populations for our children and grandchildren.  Its not about acting tomorrow its about acting today.  

 Is this right??

Lexie

Just a quick one

Just thought I'd show you some more photos of these beautiful creatures.  They dont seem scared of humans at all, got to about 1 metre away - very exciting.  There were however only two badgers this time.  Rumour has it that the RSPCA came and took one away but that could just be a rumour....We'll see.

  Enjoy.  Lexie