Inside the walled garden

During my recent course at Cannington Court, near Bridgwater, I had the luxury of a couple of hours off, so I took the opportunity to go and explore the walled gardens in the site. I was in the mood for focusing on smaller subjects, so I spent some time chasing the bees and insects, fortuitously discovering that the zoom lens I’d brought to Somerset with me is remarkably good at focusing on small subjects like this!

Lots of interesting shapes and textures among the foliage too.

I found this colourful insect beetling around the flowers. I’ve no idea what species it is, but I was pleased to catch it in the sunlight to show off its wonderful iridescent shell.

A small splash of colour in the arid glasshouse.

Someone’s cast-off feather, captured on the branch of a bush.

Photos taken 22 May 2024

Murmuration in training

At this time of year our garden is often invaded by a large flock of starlings. We see them murmurating over the road behind out house in the winter - just a few dozen birds - nothing like the huge displays you see by the coast. By late spring this year’s youngsters have fledged but are still happy to noisily demand food from their parents when they can get away with it.

I was doing some gardening when they arrived en-masse so I left what I was doing to top up the suet ball feeder and to throw a few handfuls of mealworms on the ground. This was enough to keep them happy and allowed me to quietly sneak closer with my camera and sit on the ground nearby.

This garrulous gathering were so focused on their food that they barely noticed me creeping down the garden path, allowing me to get within a couple of metres of them, sitting on the ground in plain sight.

Click on any of the images to see them enlarged.

This youngster was so oblivious to me that it landed on the edge of the bird bath about four feet from me!

Our unruly visitors were so noisy that many of our other garden visitors stayed away, but it didn’t take long for them to return when something spooked the starlings and sent them fleeing, however briefly.

Mrs Blackbird foraging among the wildflowers.

Judging by his threadbare tail I think our visiting robin has been busy raising a family and he or she is looking rather worse for wear!

Photos taken 29 May 2023.

The steamy days of summer

This summer was a particularly hot one, so when I had a free day in September I took a leisurely trip to Audley End with my pinhole camera and a small tabletop tripod to search for photos.

Getting really close to the succulents in the glasshouse

Inside the garden bothy, with just a hint of flare from the window.

Looking up into the branches of a huge plane tree.

In the laundry I used my little tripod to get really close to things.

And finally, relaxing with an ice cream in the sunshine!

Photos taken September 2022