Jenny’s topical Nature Tips for July 2021

Hello EVERYONE

My July blog is just a short one.

Where are all the Butterflys and what is happening to Summer!

June 21st has arrived, our longest day of the year and then we lost 1/2 hour in the evenings immediately due to the low cloud, all very disappointing. Actually quite cold nights are making the moths population very hit and miss.  Strange times indeed.

I don’t have a lot of detailed Nature news for you, I think I chose the worst possible year to do a nature blog especially in the middle of Covid but it has made us search our gardens and surroundings much more than ever we would have done before.

There is still plenty of Nature going on though, the birds are still busy, and there are plenty of Bumble Bees and bugs about to photograph and the wildflowers are abundant and many insects are to be found pollinating. The Teasels are forming nicely ready, we hope, for the illusive butterfly. I have some giant Sunflowers growing in my wildflower garden in readiness for the birds to feed on later in the year. It should make for some good natural images.

I’m aware that Julie Hall has been out walking and found a Stag and a Rabbit. I’m thrilled. It just shows you that it is out there and how amazing that she has been able to get some lovely images. However not without considerable effort, as I’m sure it is an effort to carry the camera and lens just in the hope of maybe getting a glimpse of something. Well done Julie.

It is all about effort, and the rewards. Rebecca Nash is always searching and finding amazing Chasers and Demoiselles Orchids and much more. We are an amazing club, we have so many wonderful places in which to find these gems.

I was watching Country File the other night and a young autistic lad put a white sheet under a tree and gently shook the tree and the white sheet became alive with bugs that fell out of the tree. What an idea for us all to have some jars at the ready and shake the tree and bottle up the bugs and then photograph (catch and release) them. Just an idea.

In Nature competitions at the moment I’m seeing a lot of images being entered into Nature that are more geological and floral like Wild Poppy and Bluebell and Foxglove. Because of the restrictions in travel more flora and nature are being chosen. So, just a thought. Poppies are well in flower at the moment and will be accepted in Nature competitions of PSA and FIAP but not Club Nature but they will be great colour images. Try what Tony Gervis has been promoting in club. Close your shutter speed down to about 1/10th  close the light coming in by using possibly f16 and a low ISO and do a slow camera tilt as you press shutter button on the poppy to get a wonderful blurred poppy image.

I have not followed up on the hides in Wychbold yet, I want to be sure it will be successful for us to visit them. I will just assess the situation a little further.

Jenny

Here is a link to the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust Beetle Detective page which you may find useful.

https://www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/sites/default/files/2020-04/beetle%20detective.pdf

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