Coffee break, Kittiwake

Coffee break, Kittiwake

ByDawn

Mines a flat white, maybe a gingerbread biscuit too. There’s a Herring gull at my feet, trying to look cute, but mostly just looking intimidating, circling the table and carefully watching with piercing pale eyes as I eat. Like many seaside towns, the cries of gulls ring out through the streets, but here, it’s a…

Rodney

Rodney

ByDawn

Affectionately known as ‘Rodney’ to locals, (thanks to Mike Webb’s brilliant cartoon ‘Mere Quacks’ in our local newspaper, the Diss Express), this special arachnid can be found down at Redgrave and Lopham Fen, managed by Suffolk Wildlife Trust. The Fen Raft Spider (Dolomedes plantarius) is one of our largest and rarest spiders. Thanks to extensive and…

Orchids and Auroras

Orchids and Auroras

ByDawn

My social media feeds have turned pink and green. As many others did, I left the comfort of my warm bed on Friday night and travelled a short distance to avoid the glow of Norwich on the horizon. As I stepped out of the car I could see a pale misty band across the Northern…

Love on the red cliff

Love on the red cliff

ByDawn

Late February. I’ve been visiting one of the very few seabird colonies in Norfolk. East Anglia is well known for it’s general flatness, so the sheer cliffs required to attract breeding sea birds are very rare. One place however, is Hunstanton, with it’s famous red and white cliffs. The red rocks are actually made of…

Hello 2024

Hello 2024

ByDawn

There’s nothing like a new year and upcoming milestone birthday to put you in a reflective mood. Photography has always been my passion, and by that I mean, puts me in the ‘satisfyingly busy’ freedom of flow state. When watching wildlife and creating images, time passes without a trace. Meditation with a camera. I always…

Jurassic gardens

Jurassic gardens

ByDawn

Don’t move. He can’t see us if we don’t move. The reptile tips his head. Patterned scales glint in the sun, golden eye, unblinking, watches us, time slows. But we’re not keeping still because we’re trying to avoid becoming a dinosaur’s dinner. We’re not moving so we don’t disturb the mini velociraptor in front of…

The Littlest Dragon

The Littlest Dragon

ByDawn

Ok, I admit it. Lizards. My favourite species to photograph. Don’t get me wrong, I love the hares and the barn owls too, but lizards, so full of character, so fascinating in their little macro world. It absorbs me, my attention, I could spend hours watching, yet to me feels like barely a few minutes….

Tails from Scotland

Tails from Scotland

ByDawn

Just back from a week away in Dumfries and Galloway, and I must say, what a stunning place to visit. The landscape is beautiful, with a view around every corner, the coastline rugged and filled with nature, and birds and wildlife abound. Whilst I did attempt to have a relaxing time as I really did…

Green-winged Glory

Green-winged Glory

ByDawn

I spent a morning in May at a local meadow, photographing these beautiful native orchids. I often think our native botanical riches are a bit overlooked, but we do have a fascinating selection of species here, and I will definately be trying to explore more in the future. The Green-winged orchid is one of around…

Bempton Cliffs

Bempton Cliffs

ByDawn

I have only ever visited Bempton out of season, when the Gannets still swoop and soar, but not much else is around. Trips to the rugged, windswept cliff tops have caused both sunburn and a soaking on previous occasions. From May the area is a seabird city, with half a million nesting birds. The Gannets…