World Famous Laburnum Arch at Bodnant Gardens and a few dragons 1st June 2014

Today i am on my way to Bodnant gardens in north wales to see the famous Laburnum Arch , which i have seen many times but never at its peak , for the last week it has been fully open so my timing is great.     the gardens open at 10 am,  so as i need to photograph the full length of the tunnel without anybody getting in the way i will get there early to be first in line to get in :)

I have arrived just before 9.30 and the car park is deserted , Yay!     i make my way down to the garden entrance through the tunnel and i am the only one there , but soon quite a few start arriving.  The Arch is just 2 minutes walk from the entrance so i have already got my tripod set up and camera ready to rush round and get as many images as i can while its clear.  as the gates open i can, as a National trust member, go through fast entrance and i am rushing round to the arch.   i have already decided my composition so quickly i set up and take a series of bracketed frames , i have managed to take just 15 frames before a couple of other photographers set up beside me and then watch in amazement as 3 people just blatantly walk straight in front of us all and walk very slowly down the middle of the tunnel preventing any more shots , after this a steady procession of people arrive and that is it!    here are my best 3 images..............

Time for a quick walk around the garden to see if can see any bugs to shoot , the Bearded Iris are looking fabulous.

                                          i have found a spider lurking in a curled up leaf :)

                                                            a Blue Himalayan Poppy

               The White Wisteria looks superb next to the steps below the rose garden.

                                                                        Bumble bee

                                                  and another spider hanging around :)

               a final shot from the garden before i nip off to rspb conwy for a walk around there.

I have now driven back to Conwy to walk around the local reserve , i have heard quite a few dragonflies have been seen recently so will try and find a few.

I have just spotted an Emperor Dragonfly hunting over this pool but it is not settling , constantly flying as usual for this species  but a male Broad Bodied Chaser is being more co operative and i am going to try get a few shots of this one.

                                              after half an hour i have bagged a few images :)

now its time to walk back to the car park and get back home to go take Mollster for a walk , on the way i must go see the Bee Orchids  but first a Common Blue catches my eye :)

                                                    and my final image of the Bee Orchid

Whixall Dragons and Bugs 18/19 th May 2014

Time for another bug hunt, Dragons hopefully this morning , Whixall moss in Shropshire is my destination and i should be able to see the rare White face darters :)
 parking at the Roundhouse car park i make my way towards the White face darter pools , i soon spot a dungfly which i shoot with the mpe-65 macro lens and then come across.......................

A cold Bee :)     it quite happily warms itself on my finger while i take a series of shots, again with the mpe, resting the lens barrel on my fingers in front of the Bee.

                                             Yay   my first Dragon   a four spot chaser :)

                                        and another one!   they look fairly freshly emerged .

         I have spent ages watching the Dragons flying around the White face darter pools but not managed any pictures of them , until i spot one on a walkway

          another one perched way out in the pool , had to crop heavily even from a 400mm lens shot

i have not seen much else this morning so will go home and go out tomorrow down to the river Dee in search of Demoiselles .


                Early Monday morning i have driven to just upstream of Chester to Aldford on the river Dee , i might find a Clubtail Dragonfly if I'm lucky but its quite windy and think shooting anything is going to be a challenge today!          passing the beautiful bridge, while keeping a look out for the resident Kingfisher i walk down to the field side path ..

          A female Banded Demoiselle , they are really skittish and i just cant get close to them

there are quite a few but i am not getting anywhere near them today :(       a long leg Orb web spider hides under a nettle leaf.

                                                   and a pair of Sawflies mating

I have given up, will drive just down the road to Churton to see if any Hairy dragonflies are in the pool , crossing the field i soon spot a newly emerged Four spot chaser

                                       and then my target species,  Hairy Dragonfly :)

                                 an interesting two mornings shooting Dragons