#30DaysWild - Week 3
Day 15 - Atreeciation
Among the highlights of today’s walk was taking a moment to really appreciate a tree.
I’m not going to lie, I have no idea what type of tree it is, but it sure was beautiful!
Day 16 - Meadow Browns
After a day full of work, was desperate to get out and take some photos! I set out optimistically with my telephoto lens attached and in hand and a plan to try and photograph some of the white-throats that were nesting on the nearby hills. Before I got to their location however my path was completely stopped and changed. It was one species in particular which caught my attention - the Meadow Brown Butterfly.
I’ve never seen them group together like this!
Butterfly photography, to those who might not have tried it, may seem like a simple point and shoot activity that isn’t too far from that of bird photography. You are wrong, it is much, much harder! As I discovered during a summer spent chasing butterflies on the nearby Isle of Portland, butterflies have the most uncanny ability to take off EXACTLY at the moment before you press down your shutter.
They are also incredibly sensitive to movement and light, so getting close enough to get a good shot is difficult. From this perspective, it was useful to have a long lens on my camera and I used this to get a few shots of some of the butterflies that were starting to settle down for the night.
Before long though I could see other shots that I really want to get - ones that show the area around the butterflies too. I switched to my 40mm macro lens and got right in there (technical term for disappearing into long grass). This lens lets me get right up and personal with insects and other beasties. I haven’t used it for months, but knew it was soon time to get lost in the world of the ‘mininature’.
And lost I got! It was great fun. One of my favourite shoots of the whole year so far!
As I sat reflecting on how awesome it was to have this hill-side to myself, I noticed I wasn’t in fact alone. A small tick was merrily strolling across my hand. I’ve never jumped up so quickly.
Day 17 - Underwater Creatures
One of my favourite walks in Weymouth is to the end of Weymouth Stone Pier. It’s a great spot for spotting seabirds like Terns, Gannets, and Turnstones. Today however it was the underwater life that caught my attention. The seas around Weymouth are home to many species of crab, including one of my favourites: The European Spider Crab.
These are quite small compared to the fully-grown adults, whose claw to claw measurement of the outstretched arms can reach over 50cm!
It always brings back early memories of seeing these huge, slightly scary crustaceans at eye-level in the local SeaLife centre. Seeing them in the wild still gives me the same feeling.
Day 18 - Became a Nature Detective
Today wasn’t such a great day for getting out into nature. Life got in the way! Thankfully I was still able to get my fix of nature by tuning into the videos of a great friend of mine Matt Collis who has been making daily videos about the nature around him.
Matt is a fantastic naturalist and each of his bite-sized videos have me memorable facts and lessons about UK wildlife. Perfect for lockdown, a tea-break, or a rainy day! You can see more of his videos here.
Day 19 - Walking and talking
Exploring nature is wonderful to do alone, but the experience can be completely transformed when you have someone to walk with. Today I went for a socially distanced stroll with a family member, and we enjoyed comparing the chaos of our human lives to the nature around us.
We were both hugely grateful to have such beautiful, wide open spaces to be in during a time when everything can feel closed-in and isolated.
Day 20 - Unbeleaveably Fun
These days the weekend means taking things e-v-e-n slower, and being creative. Combine that with nature and you’ve got a win-win activity as far as I’m concerned!
Cyanotypes are one of my favourite ways to do this. Using plants as my inspiration I made these prints of Doc Leaves in various states of decay.
Now if I can just find a frame that will fit two A3 sheets of paper…
Day 21 - A Day Off
It was a day of rest, and I intentionally had no plans or obligations. I’m sure I appreciated nature at some point, but for the sake of keeping the challenge going I think I’ll let myself off!
