Feeding bumblebee

This White-tailed Bumblebee was spotted by my youngest son on our lawn; it was lethargic and reluctant to take to the air. My guess was that it was low on fuel – there are still relatively few plants in flower in the garden – so I picked it up and placed it on some bluebells. It seemed to work; the bee drank for some 15 minutes before flying off. And, as can be seen from the images, it paid for the opportunity to fill up by getting absolutely covered in pollen grains.

Canon 1Ds Mk II, Canon 100m prime macro lens, 1/250th sec, f/5.6, ISO 400

Canon 1Ds Mk II, Canon 100m prime macro lens, 1/250th sec, f/5.6, ISO 400

Robin redbreast

Another shot through the open office window as this afternoon's weather started to improve...

Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100-400mm IS USM L lens, 400mm at 1/250th sec, f/10, ISO 400

Greenfinch

I grabbed this shot out of my (open) office window this afternoon during one of the rare moments of decent light. It's a pity this chap didn't stray to my side of the garden wall – the picture would have been improved somewhat by the inclusion of the whole bird – but I still like the gentle colours, the attractive bokeh of the farm buildings and sky in the background and the perfect profile offered by the subject.

Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100-400mm IS USM L lens, 1/250th sec, f/13 at ISO 400

Butterfly proboscis (macro)

A couple of shots I snatched on a recent visit to London Zoo. It was fascinating watching how the butterflies 'taste' with their feet and how they then uncurl their proboscis to take in water and nectar.

Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm prime macro lens, 1/160th sec, f/3.2, ISO 500

Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm prime macro lens, 1/160th sec, f/3.2, ISO 500

Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100mm prime macro lens, 1/200th sec, f/16, ISO 200, with flash

Singing Robin

A couple of shots of a robin I spotted on a fencepost. The images are not cut-outs – they were taken against pretty harsh light and any background has simply bleached out. Not perfect, but hey-ho. I love capturing birds singing and this one certainly made it easy – he wouldn't stop.

Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100-400mm IS USM lens, 1/400th sec, f/10, 400mm at ISO 250

Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100-400mm IS USM lens, 1/400th sec, f/10, 400mm at ISO 250

Common British Moth

No time to get out today (my son's 16th birthday took precedence – rightly!) but I did spot this moth on the skirting board on the stairs and thought it worth a quick shot. I love the alien eyes – we are, I guess, just not used to thinking of or seeing moths in this way – and also the detail on the twin antennae.

Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 110mm prime macro lens, 1/200th sec, f/18, with flash

New magazine column

It's always great when a passion turns into a job and I'm really thrilled to have been asked to write a monthly column for The English Home magazine. Entitled Through the Kitchen Window, each month I will be presenting a portrait of one aspect of the myriad wildlife that frequents the English garden. In the first issue (May) – which is on sale now – I write about the pecking order at my garden feeding station and focus on the Coal Tit in particular. In next month's issue (June), the spotlight is turned on dragonflies and damselflies and the fascinating folklore surrounding the Common Blue Damselfly.

Flight of the Bumblebee

I grabbed this snatched shot while sitting waiting for adders to show. Taken at distance, detail was never going to be great but I do think it works nicely, with a palpable feeling of sunshine and vibrant colour.

Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100-400mm IS USM L lens, 1/640th sec, f/13, 400mm at ISO 500