Owls in Bluebells

Little Owl in the Bluebells

Another week on, and the bluebells are at their peak. We have managed to schedule a bluebell afternoon for some of our regular photographers to the Centre, so I went over to the woods for a few hours last night to scout out some positions for them.

The light was varied, the weather was perfect one moment then dark the next, windy another and we even had snow! But with Izzy's and Lucy's help we managed to find some great locations for later this week.

I only took the tawny owl, eagle owl and little owl down as they are the most likely to be seen in bluebells woodlands in the wild. Sure, the snowy, barn and short eared would make lovely photos... but I like to make them a little more natural, despite of course all being set up. 

Yes, I know I missed the long eared off that list... unfortunately Archimedes is moulting heavily at the moment, and although fine in himself, just doesn't look his best :-)

It was Tyrions first experience of the woodland, but he took to it well. 

As well as the owls, we took down Hugo the hedgehog for some pics too. 

Hugo is a star, one of the best hedgehogs we have ever had. He really is a poser for the camera, and loved being out in the woodland.

Of course, we had to find a spot for Ethel too... always the end of our photo days, always popular, and she looked beautiful in amongst the bluebells... despite it being pretty dark by this point.

Thanks for looking :-)

Bess in the Bluebells

Bess in the Bluebells

Well, I'm still waiting for the adders to start dancing... and while waiting the bluebells in our woods have started to emerge. Not quite at their peak yet, but certainly good enough for some photography.

We had a group that was lucky enough to be booked on to a photographic day with our owls earlier this week, so I wanted to check out the bluebells for myself to get an idea of some places where we could set the owls up to add a bit of colour to the images. I didn't have time to have a real good session, and no help to pose owls, so I took Bess along to be an honoury owl for the morning :-)

The good news is that the bluebells are looking good, not at their peak, but still good. The bad news is that in terms of spread, it is the worst I have seen them! Normally a carpet of blue falls over our woodland, but this spring sees it more sparse with only small patches here and there.

This means no nice wide lanscapey type pictures, but for just the bluebells a few close ups were white nice. I think we have more white bluebells this year than before, so I took a couple of those too.

In the patches we do have though, it is possible to create some nice photos that add colour to the images.

We have our competition winner from a couple of years a go visiting this afternoon for exclusive photo day, so I am sure we will make the most of them today and hopefully I will be able to share some owl photos in the bluebells with you next week.

But Bess was a good model, posing nicely, and seemed to enjoy it down there.

Thanks for looking :-)

Owls in Bluebells, 2015

Tawny Owl in Bluebells

Last week we had an owl photographic day booked in. Lucky for those that came, it coincided with our woodlands being a wash of violet with the bluebells at their peak!

We made the most of them, and placed a few of the owls in the bluebells throughout the day. I joined in for the tawny, little and long eared owl. Here are a couple of my photos. Above is Florence, one of our tawny owls.

Little owl, Scrappy, in the bluebells.

Archimedes the long eared owl. Decided to fall asleep, so not seeing his eyes I went for an wider angle shot.

Scrappy again, showing how small he really is amongst the bluebells.

And earlier that week, while checking out the bluebells, I took a couple of Bess with the fisheye lens.

Thanks for looking :-)

BWPAwards Ceremony

Hedgehog in Bluebells - Shortlisted for BWPA 2014

f/2.8,  1/200,  ISO 800

The morning after the BWPA prize giving at the Mall Galleries in London... I very nearly didn't go, in previous years I have taken the day off to visit London, but yesterday was working. In the end I made a rush decision and jumped on the train at 6.15pm and managed to get to the Galleries for just after half 7... an hour after the doors opened, but luckily it sounded like the presentation had only just begun.

My first stop was to say hello to a few people I recognised, and then to the exhibition itself. All I can say is wow! I am not part of the exhibition this year, but the photos that make it up are amazing and show a real variety in showing off British wildlife. Really worth a look if you get a chance.

Over the evening I had so many people come up who recognised me from the BWC, lovely of them to say hello, and great to realise how we are really becoming a staple name amongst wildlife photographers as a great place to see and photograph British Wildlife.

I had heard rumours before this years awards that they were rally wanting something special if they were to include captive photographs in the book/exhibition, rightly so I think too, and this seems to be true with at first glance only 3 I can see that are labelled as captive. One of the others being our very own Frodo in the Junior category by Mya Bambrick. Well done Mya!

Tawny over Bluebells - Commended BWPA 2014

f/3.2,  1/500,  -1/3,  ISO 800

I have entered this competition since I first heard about it, and have been lucky enough to be commended or above in all the last four years I have tried. If I remember correctly, 11 images short-listed and 6 chosen... not a bad hit rate. I have a couple lined up for next year already which I have taken over this summer.

Chris Packham was on top form as always, making the presentation more of a show with slightly tangent talks about the WWF, Badger Cull, Native species and more. I don't really have what I would call "heroes" in my life, I lead my own way, but I have people I admire greatly and inspire me. And Chris is certainly one of those. Being a supporter of what we do and a friend of the Centre, Chris has been here many times for film work and to take photographs, and I thoroughly enjoy helping him each time he is here. His passion and enthusiasm for wildlife and photography is infectious and always switched on, and certainly something I hope I have in some small way in all I do.

Anyway, under each photo is the techy stuff behind the photographs for those that have asked for that for the tawny one above. Please do support the BWPA by entering or visiting the exhibition if you get the chance. I know I bang on, but great photography really is a great way to raise the awareness of our often overlooked wildlife. The BWPA shows it off to its best, and makes people stop and look at British wildlife and shows how it is just as amazing and beautiful as the exotic animals you usually see dominating other competitions.

BWPA 2014

Tawny Owl over Bluebells - BWPA Commended 2014

Today the British Wildlife Photography Awards winners for 2014 are being announced, and I am very pleased to say that I had the above image commended in the Animal Portrait category, and so it will appear in the coffee table book being produced. The book holds about 200 photographs including all the commended images, highly commended images which also form the gallery which tour the country, and of course the winning images of each category.

This is the sixth photo to make it in the past four years I have entered, and so I am extremely pleased. Maybe it is coincidental, but it appears to me that less and less captive photographs are getting through in recent years making this even more of a surprise, and is why I continue to enter only photographs that are different or very difficult to have taken in the wild.

The award presentation is later this week at the Mall Galleries in London, and then the exhibition of the Highly Commended images will be on display there until this Saturday the 6th of September. If you are in the area, check it out, if it is anything like the last few years it will be an amazing display of stunning photographs from around the UK taken by professional and amateur photographers, really showing off our wonderful wildlife to its beautiful best.

I will keep trying, and hopefully one year again I will be a part of the exhibition as I was a couple of years a go with my otter portrait.

Thanks for looking.

Animals in the Bluebells

Tawny Owl Flying over the Bluebells

Hello to visitors new and not so new. For those that have come for the first time from the BWC Blog, or any other link, this blog is to share more photos from around the British Wildlife Centre. Photos that may not necessarily be linked to a story on the main blog, or just extra photos that I thought some of you may like to see, but I didn't want to clog up the main blog with for those that didn't.

Firstly, for those that are new, have a look back through the archives and you will see a few photos of all seven British owls and the earlier post this week with some fresh water vole pics taken a few days ago.

For everyone who has been visiting, thank you for the support, this blog has got of to a flying start and in only 3 weeks of being active is already averaging over 50 independent hits a day! I really am surprised, but very pleased, that so many of you want to see more BWC action! I am sure this will continue to increase over the weeks, especially today when I officially announce it on the main blog.

OK, enough rambling, the most requested photos were for some I took in the bluebells earlier this year. I am sure you can imagine I took many, so have included a few here...

Above is Florence flying over the bluebells, I took one similar a few years a go which became very well known, I have included it below, but this one above has shown how far I have come personally in my photography. The newer photos definitely have a style to them... but then I still find it hard to chose which I prefer out of the two.

Hedgehog in the Bluebells

This is one of our hedgehogs called Timone. I love bluebells, just the blaze of violet across the woodland floor contrasting beautifully with the vivid green. I always feel I need to make the most of it, and do some photography, but have to have an animal there to make it worth while. This usually means owls, as they are easier to take down to the woods and are trained. It would be impossible to take one of our foxes down there for example. However, one of our friendly hedgehogs can easily be moved, and they seem to enjoy the enrichment of exploring the woods.

Barn Owl in the Bluebells

Big Pete on the edge of the woods.

Little Owl in the Blubells

Little Scrappy, almost completely lost in the bluebells.

Scrappy in the Bluebells

And one a bit more isolated, with just an impression of colour in the background.

Long Eared Owl in the Bluebells

Archimedes, one of our long eared owls, very sleepy during his shoot... could barely open his eyes.

Larry!

By coincidence, a tawny owl chick was bought in on the afternoon I was heading down to the woods. So we took him with us while we were waiting for the local rescue centre to come and collect him.

Eagle Owl in the Bluebells

Ethel the eagle owl... not very natural, but a pretty picture.

Lucy and Ethel in the Bluebells

A lot of the photos I take for work can be done on my own, but some I do need help. Mainly for the owls if there is no where to tether them... To be honest, I highly doubt they would fly off, they are well trained, but it is best not to take the risk. Above is Lucy in the bluebells with Ethel.

So, they are a pick of ones I took earlier this year. You may have seen some already on the BWC website. Below are a few from the years...

Harvest Mouse on Bluebells

I mentioned the difficulty of mammals above for the bluebells... I once took some badger cubs down to the woods to photo in the bluebells, but didn't really make the most of the chance. It was the first year I had a camera, and I didn't really know what I was doing.

Above is a harvest mouse. Easy to perch... but very difficult to find a bluebell strong enough to take his weight. Surprising since they only weigh as much as a two pence coin!

Peeking Tawny in the Bluebells

This is Florence peeking around a tree taken last year. This is one of my favourites, and one of a few I submitted in to the BWPA this year... it didn't get short-listed though.

Florence in the Bluebells

Portrait of Florence in the bluebells.

Winged Assassin of Bluebell Wood

And lastly, the one I took of Florence flying over the bluebells a few years a go. Different to the first, and I am not sure which one I prefer, but this was one of the first photos that really got noticed by people other than visitors to the BWC. It made it in to three national papers on the same day, and has sold a few prints over the years too... all proceeds of which I donate to the good work we do here at the BWC.

Thanks for looking