June, 2022

On our regular walks to the local woods, we spotted a little fox peaking her nose from the grass. She was cautious but very curious.  The fox was probably around 5–6-month-old.

Since then, we keep seeing her on a regular basis. But just in the evenings or late afternoon.

We had a great time observing her behaviour for several months.

Once red foxes reach one year, they're considered adults. Now our ‘Little Fox’ must be around 15-month-old. To us, she seems just a little bit bigger from the day we’ve first spotted her in the grass.

June, 2022

Local celebrity Colin the Cuckoo drew us to visit Thursley Common. He is present here in the UK only for a short period of time. He comes back from Africa in April and leaves at the end of June.
We've visited Thursley Common twice this year. The first visit was in late April after we've received the news that Colin was back. The second time was in June just before his departure. 

Both times Colin performed nicely. He showed up several times, mainly in late mornings and early afternoons.

This remarkable bird returned to the same site at Thurslay Common for 8 consecutive years. 

Other birds, like redstarts or chaffinches are happy to hang around and look for food.

Thursley Common is a great place to encounter the Dartford Warbler. Interesting to mentioned, that in the 1960s, only 10 pairs of Dartford Warblers remained in the UK. Today, there are about 3,200 pairs nesting on UK's lowland heaths. It's a joy to see and photograph them.

Thursley Nature Reserve is one of the natural wonders in Surrey and definitely well worth visiting.

Summer, 2022

Bempton cliffs is a fantastic place where thousands of seabirds gather here between March and October.

The views are spectacular from 300 feet (~100m) cliffs above the North Sea.

The visitor center is open from 9.30am to 5pm. The nature reserve is open daily, dawn to dusk which gives a great opportunity to sea beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Waiting for sunrise in the darkness is quite a memorable moment. 

We headed to Bempton Cliffs mainly for Northern gannets which migrate to Bempton from West Africa for a breeding season. We've visited the reserve in May and June.

There are over 11,000 breeding pairs at Bempton. To us, Bempton is one of the best places to witness Gannet behaviour from a relatively short distance. 500 mm and 300 mm lenses with 1.4 or 2 extenders we used most of the time.

It's fun to watch how male Gannets collect and offer females their 'love gifts'. 

Gannet with Nesting Material

Gannets are incredible flyers with a wingspan of 165 - 180 cm. 

With the right wind direction it's a joy to photograph these birds in flight.

Gannet in Flight Between March and October guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, herring gulls, fulmars make their home at Bempton along with gannets.

Razorbills are one of our favorite birds. They are so charming and photogenic.

Between April-July, Atlantic puffins join the rest of the seabirds. They tend to nest in rock crevices, whereas burrows are used at most UK sites. It is relatively difficult to get a close view of them comparing to other places in UK.

The Black Browed Albatross is a Super Star at Bempton. We saw him at Staple Newk viewing platform. This magnificent bird, named Albie has visited the cliffs since 2017. He is most likely have been blown off course. 

In the month of May the cliff tops are covered with Red Campion flowers where tree sparrows look for insects. Seeing so many of these birds in one place is a real thrill.

Shrubs and grassland are great for spotting other birds, even Barn Owls. Late afternoon is the best time to see them gliding over the fields in search of a vole.

Bempton cliffs is a truly remarkable sight. During the first visit we've booked Airbnb in Bridlington, in June we've stayed in a bed & breakfast in Bempton and every morning enjoyed a half an hour stroll to the cliffs.
It was definitely well worth visiting.

2022 autumn

When October comes, we always look forward for a Red Deer rutting season. We photograph deer in two Royal Parks in London: Richmond and Bushy Park. 

Bushy Park is smaller than Richmond Park, probably about half the size of it. Because it is more compact it's actually easier to find and photograph deer here. On another hand Richmond Park offers a little bit different photo opportunities with large open areas.

We always come early in the mornings before sunrise so there is enough time to locate deer just before sun starts to appear on the horizon.

Deer rut can provide endless photo opportunities.

Deer behaviour during the rut is unpredictable. Last year in October, we've witnessed how a stag jumped over the fence into the football pitch while chasing his rival. You can read more about it here.

Witnessing spectacular fights and power of red deer is pretty intense.

The rut lasts until early November but even then there are great photo opportunities especially in the morning when grass is covered with shiny crystals of frost. 

Red deer cast their antlers in February - March.  At that time they look a bit rough.

New antlers grow back over a period of months while covered in a furry velvet skin.

When autumn comes, dramatic deer rut scenes start all over again.

April, 2024

We had long anticipated our journey to the New Forest, eager to witness the famed spectacle of bluebells in spring. Yet, as fate would have it, our own local woods unveiled secrets just as enchanting.

This spring, equipped with our cameras, we set out to capture the magic of the season among the bluebells, with one of our favorite subjects being the red fox. 

During our exploration, we stumbled upon patches of white-flowered Three Cornered leek, adding an unexpected charm to the already picturesque scene.

Venturing deeper into the forest, where the bluebells were more sparse and sunlight filtered through the dense canopy above, we encountered another fox. Although the bluebells were fewer, photographing the red fox amidst the beauty of springtime remained a pleasure.

Each journey through the woods never ceases to marvel us with the beauty that envelops us at every turn.

Now, with anticipation, we eagerly await the later weeks of spring for the opportunity to photograph woodpeckers, reflecting on the successes of the past year.