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Found in Nature July and August 2023

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Thank you to everyone who entered the Found in Nature initiative in the months of July and August 2023. Below you will find the wonderful entries received.

the top part of a vibrantly red/ orange flamingo, with its neck and head resting on its feathered body

Got My Eye On You

Found in Coton Manor Garden. A flamingo just chillin’ in the garden - but always keeping watch!

Emily
Harborough Welland u3a

a big brown deer with huge antlers in a snowy scene

Red Stage Deer

Glen etive Scotland

Geoff
Boston u3a

a red flower with a blurry background and a bee flying towards the flower

Busy Bumble Bee

In our garden Maldon Essex

Graham
Limebrook u3a

a blue sky with a red and brown bird flying towards a red berry

Waxwing With Rowanberry

Found in Bangor, County Down. In winter in Northern Ireland Waxwings, which are winter visitors, coming to the British Isles when berries are hard to find on the Continent of Europe flock and seek out Rowan trees. A group of hungry Waxwings can strip a Rowan tree of berries in less than an hour! In a garden in Bangor about 8 miles from where I live, there are three rowan trees, and a small group of waxwings occasionally sample the berries. I drove along the ice covered road to where a friend suggested they might turn up.The birds would fly in, eat a few berries and fly to another tree for maybe 20-30 minutes before coming back for more. I shot this one as it picked a berry, tossed it in the air and grabbed it on the way down. I used my Olympus OM-1 with a 100-400mm Zuiko Zoom and a 1.4x multiplier (full frame equivalent 280 - 1120mm) on a tripod and watched them for about an hour before getting this shot.

Daniel
Ards and North Down u3a

a black and white bird landing on the end of a branch, falling into the leaves!

Misjudged Landing By Magpie

Found in my garden, Leigh on Sea. When you're young and decide to land in a tree but completely misjudge the landing!

Graham
Leigh Estuary u3a

a light photo with four birds flying towards a bird feeder with their wings open.

Birds On Approach

Typical scene after filling the bird feeders at home in Killearn.

Jim
Bearsden & Milngavie u3a

green long grass and a big white bird with long neck and long black beak walking towards the left side

Egret In Long Grass

Found at 12 arches Bridge Dundrum. I was photographing nearby when I spotted this egret in the river. After a while it moved onto the grassy Bank and this is when I took it. Loved the white against the green

Brian
Belfast u3a

a big green leaf and a dragonfly under the leaf with a long brown body

Dragonfly On Buddleia

Found in my back garden. The dragonfly stayed immobile for at least 30 minutes, luckily!

Christine
Lowestoft u3a

pale blue sky with a big grey bird flying across with wings outstretched

Kite Flying Over Local Houses

Found in Narborough, Norfolk

Alan
u3a Swaffham & District Group, Norfolk

It's A Long Way Down

A visit to RSPB Bempton had been on the bucket list for a number of years, but it is about 280 miles to travel for us. In June 2023 we made it and, were rewarded with spectacular views, superb weather and sightings of puffins, gannets, guillemots, razor bills and kittiwakes, and others.

John
Monk's Brook u3a

white flowers with long purple and white stick like things coming out of the middle

Caper Bush Capparis Spinosa

This perennial plant with rounded, fleshy leaves and large, showy white to pinkish flowers was found growing on the hillside in Crete. It is best known for the edible flower buds and the fruit, both of which are usually consumed salted or pickled. I enjoyed some in a Cretan salad on a recent holiday.

Angela
Harborough Welland u3a

a black and white puffin looking backwards with a red beak

Puffin With Sand Eels

Taken on a two week trip to Shetland.

Geoff
Boston u3a

a clear photo of a small brown bird with a black and white head in the grass

Reed Bunting Claiming His Territory

Coatham Marsh, Redcar. A delight for our birdwatching group to see this male Reed Bunting sat singing his heart out.

Gaye
X u3a

a red squirrel jumping through the sky! blurred green background

Watch Out

Found near Hawkes, North Yorkshire. Never thought I would take a photo like this magical.

Sheila
x u3a

a butterfly on a purple flower with its wings closed and close together.

Butterfly Feeding

I spotted this butterfly feeding on a flower (thistle?) head whilst out walking near to my village in South Derbyshire. It is interesting to see how the colourful upper surface of the wings is hidden inside the rather drab lower surface, presumably to avoid attracting the attention of predators.

Mike
Melbourne Area Derby u3a

a big black beaked grey bird looking right at the camera!

‘Cygnet’ure Selfie!

I’ve been following the cygnets born here at Elmden Park each year. But I think this one has got to know me better than the rest. He always poses for a shot!

Karen
Balsall Common u3a

a lovely red squirrel eating something, with its reflection in the water

Reflection

Spent two day taking photo's of squirrels, the North Yorkshire squirrels move so much faster than The Cairngorms National Park in Scotland.

Sheila
x u3a

a photo of a brown bird with a red breast standing on a bike wheel

Hungry Robin

Seen in Smeaton garden centre, East Linton, East Lothian. Morning coffee during break in long Saturday cycle. Robin was perched on our bikes.

Jeannie
X u3a

A big white sheep sitting in front of a wall in long green grass

Who yew lookin’ at?

Found in Shetland. Just came over to say, “Hello!”

Derek
Solihull u3a

Azure Damselflies In Copulo

In May, the first damselflies were flying. Most of them around here were Common blue, sometimes a long way from water, but next to Chorlton Brook, near where it flows into the Mersey, this pair of mating Azure damsels were perched in a bush. Most female Azures are green; the males blue.

Copland
South Manchester u3a

a small brown bird with a red breast on a thin branch

Robin

Found at Thatcham Discovery Centre. Just walking around the lakes and I couldn't resist another Robin shot!

Andy
Thatcham u3a

a dragonfly looking upwards, with a light blue body and four transparent wings

Broad-bodied Chaser

Found in my garden in Waterlooville, on a smartphone. This common dragonfly frequents the margins of ponds, though we have no pond in our Hampshire garden. It sat patiently for ages on the top of a cane, unlike a butterfly which would have flown away as soon as approached. I'm amazed at the detail the phone could record, especially the wings. I think it is a male chaser, the following week a female chaser appeared in the garden.

Mike
Waterlooville u3a

two grew/ brown birds sitting on a thick tree trunk with leaves behind them

Fledging Kestrels

Found in Hall Place, Bexley, Kent. We were so lucky to see these kestrel chicks leaving the nest for the first time, in a local park.

Jenny
Abbeywood and Thamesmead u3a

a scary looking red/ brown cat like animal with big pointy ears snarling at the camera

Caracal

Found at Exmoor Zoo. This beautiful cat took a sudden dislike to my presence. It can leap up to 20 feet in the air to catch prey. It is a wild cat from most regions of Africa and from the Arabian Peninsula, and through to North India. Exmoor Zoo provides excellent conservation breeding programmes for many animals and creatures often not seen in mainstream Zoos. Pretty overcast day and shot through a plastic protective screen.

Alan
Torridge u3a

a small yellow orange and black fly going towards a yellow flower with red stripes on its petals

Marmalade Hoverfly On French Marigold

Found in my garden, Leigh on Sea. At 1cm in length, the Marmalade Hoverfly is quite tricky to photograph.

Graham
Leigh Estuary u3a

a full huge yellow sunflower head, with green leaves around it and a blue cloudy sky

Sunflower

Taken at Becketts Farm near Wythall in the sunflower field.

Karen
Balsall Common u3a

large red flowers

Begonias

Found in Durham Centre. These were just such a cheery sight sitting having lunch in the centre of Durham in July.

Chris
Bracknell Forest u3a

a red moss like growth on the top of a plant

"Alien Intruder"

Found in my back garden, East Cowton, North Yorks. Thought this was a fungus which was growing on the stem of my Bengal Rose but it is actually a plant. It usually grows in hedgerows so this is a bit unusual. Thought to be known as a Robin's Nest or Witches Broom. Just glad I did not remove it:-)

Alastair
Northallerton u3a

a small brown animal walking along the grass with small ears and a tiny nose

Stoat At Play

Found in High Batts, Yorkshire. I was walking along on of the tracks in the reserve and came across this little fellow having fun

Steve
Northallerton u3a

Bee On Hollyhock

Found along the canal in Stratford-upon-Avon. The bees were mad about these hollyhocks, and I love this one because it is covered in pollen.

Helen
Stratford-upon-Avon u3a

a brown, leaf-like butterfly on a green bramble leaf

Comma Butterfly

Not seen these for several years, then 2 in a fortnight in our garden.

Margaret
West Lakes u3a

a speckled seal lying on its side in water with seaweed in front of it.

Watchoo looing at?

Found in Eday, Orkney. I had to sneak up on a pod of seals on a rocky headland, and keep hidden. As soon as they saw someone they all swooshed into the sea. Taken on nikon 3500 with 300mm zoom, not really a wildlife lens.

Cathryn
Bradford u3a

Vibrant green seaweed on grey rocks

Beach Beauty

Found in Tuquoy, Orkney. I love the colours and forms of the beach 'flowers'.

Cathryn
Bradford u3a

water in the background, and 2 white birds with long legs on the white rocky bank

Pair Of Spoonbills

Found at Hodbarrow Nature Reserve, near Millom. I went down to sit in hide not expecting anything special and was thrilled to see these rare visitors.

Margaret
West Lakes u3a

a red and black berry - like bloom

Paeonia mascula

Found in The Old Rectory, Farnborough. I thought I had captured the name of this most unusual "flower" but when I got home and checked it did not marry with what I had taken. I have never seen anything like it before and would love to know what it is. Can any other u3a-ers help me out? *Additional note from Chris: I have been reading a book about the wild peony on Steep Holm in the Bristol Channel (near to where I was born in Burnham-on-Sea). When I checked what the plant looked like, lo and behold there is a picture of the seeds I had taken at the Old Rectory in Farnborough!

Chris
Bracknell Forest u3a

a small yellow and blue bird with a long tail and tiny legs sits on a rock in a river

Grey Wagtail

Found on a u3a photography outing to west Burton falls (Cauldron Falls) got so distracted by a pair of these beautiful birds I nearly forgot to take any photos of the falls

Steve
Northallerton u3a

looking down at a rock with multicoloured patched (grey, metallic) and green moss on the left.

Map Lichens From Applecross

Found in Culduie near Applecross. Last month Ritchie from Ayr u3a posted a colourful rock found in a bog in Sutherland and wondered how the effect was produced. The attached photo was taken on a walk near Culduie on the Applecross peninsula where I found a number of these beautiful coloured rocks. The coloured patches are Map Lichens (Rhizocarpon Geographicum), each patch is an individual lichen and the black borders between patches are immature lichen where there is no algae.

Mike
Dundee u3a

a dark brown shiny jellyfish flat on sand, with a red ish centre

Lions Mane Jellyfish

Found on Crosby beach when visitng to see the Anthony Gormley statues. There were many hundreds of these stranded on the beach

Margaret
West Lakes u3a

purple/ blue flowers and furry brown buds with a bee on

Buff Tailed Bumble Bee Visiting Borage Plant

I have many wild plants and nectar rich flowers in my garden, so have lots of pollinators visiting.

Margaret
West Lakes u3a

a zoomed in photo of a yellow and black hornet on a purple flower

Buzz Off

Found in my garden in Leigh on Sea. This noisy Hornet-mimic hoverfly (Volucella zonaria) was making its presence known whilst I was sitting in the garden trying to read a book.

Terry
Thorpe Bay u3a

two dragonflies with long thin bodies on green leaves on a pond

Mating Azure Damselfly

Found in my garden, Leigh on Sea. Azure Damselflies making more damselflies in our wildlife pond.

Graham
Leigh Estuary u3a

a small turqouise bird with a yellow breast and long beak, which is open. The bird looks to the left and is on a branch.

Juvenile Kingfisher

Found in North Yorkshire. very lucky this morning had not been at the reserve for more than 10 minutes when this juvenile appeared and sat around poising for a while .

Steve
Northallerton u3a

a smatter of white mark on the window, trees behind it

Pane Of Bird Flew

As seen from my dining room window. A pigeon left this ghostly imprint on my dining room window, was it suffering from the pane of bird flew? (double pun intended).

Mike
Dundee u3a

a tiny redladybird with black spots on the tip of a stalk of grass. The background is green and blurred.

Life At The Top

Found in my garden, Leigh on Sea.

Graham
Leigh Estaury u3a

a small red/ brown fox curled up on gravel, with its tail curled round it. Long snout.

Urban Fox

Someone making herself at home in my garden and resenting my intrusion!

Melissa
Bristol u3a

a medium sized brown bird with a cloudy sky as background. Small yellow beak and small black eye.

Corn Bunting

Found at RSPB Wallasea Island, Essex.

Graham
Leigh Estuary u3a

a tiny brown bird on someone's outsrtetched hand, with a tiny pointy beak

A bird in the hand

Found in Nafferton. This little wren flew into my house - I picked him up and took him back out into the garden and was very surprised when he sat on my hand for quite sometime before flying away.

Teresa
Driffield & Wolds u3a

Three black and white birds resting on a glass wall, and one is flying next to a table.

Acrobatic Magpies

Found at RHS Garden Bridgewater. This was taken at RHS Garden Bridgewater on a rainy day. At first glance it looks as if the top magpie is balancing on the head of the one on flight, but in fact the top one is sitting on the railing.

Jim
Balsall Common u3a

A small grey squirrel eating food and sitting on a tree stump

Time For Tea

This was taken recently at Baddesley Clinton, a National Trust property in Warwickshire. Peanuts had been left out on the tree stump for the grey squirrels and this one was oblivious to my presence only six feet away.

Jim
Balsall Common u3a

four goats around a metal feeding trough. One is sitting next to it and another is eating, standing in it.

In it to win it

Found at Alpaca Meadows and Cafe, Worcestershire Shire. Pygmy goats at the farm.

Derek
Solihull u3a

a small scraggly looking bird with a red breast and grey otherwise. On mud.

Not at my best first thing!

Found in Ripple, Worcestershire. Taken through our caravan window.

Derek
Solihull u3a

a lovely colourful wild flower garden, mostly red blue and yellow with long green grass

Wild Flower Garden

Found in Hill Close Gardens, Bread and Meat Close, Warwick. A unique set of Victorian Shopkeepers gardens, similar to an allotment but each plot a full size garden.

Derek
Solihull u3a

a huge cabbage and an array of pumpkins and squashes laid on steps

Display Of Produce Grown

Found at the local National Trust.

Janet
Balsall Common and Solihull u3a's

a red and brown butterfly's wings spanned out on purple flowers

Peacock

I grow lots of plants to attract pollinators and other insects. Scabious flowers are a firm favourite with me as well as butterflies - this Peacock kept returning, gently folding and opening its wings as it probed the flower. I took this on my mobile phone while taking part in the Big Butterfly Count 2023

Janet
Sarratt and District u3a

A zoomed in photo of the inside of a sunflower, yellow in the middle with red petals

Sunflower Symmetry

Close up of a sunflower taken at Banbury Hall garden.

Karen
Balsall Common u3a

dark blackberries on a branch alongside unripe green and medium ripe red ones

Blackberry

Found in Narborough, Norfolk. Despite the weather nature moves on.

Alan
Swaffham & District u3a, Norfolk

white rocks and a big white bird with black head, orange beak and orange feet, next to a big white bird with a grey beak

Gannet and Puffin

Found at the RSPB reserve Bempton. The Puffin was resting on the ledge when the Gannett landed next to it. He wasn't a bit bothered by the larger bird.

Josephine
Driffield and the Wolds u3a

a small bee on a purple flower with green stems

Bee Collecting The Nectar

Found in Packwood House gardens. The allotments at Packwood House are beautiful at the moment with many different flowers and seed heads attracting bees and butterflies.

Janet
Balsall Common and Solihull u3a's

a bunch of blackberries at different stages of ripeness

First Signs Of Autumn

These blackberries or brambles, showing various stages of ripeness, were photographed at the edge of a playing field in Balsall Common.

Jim
Balsall Common u3a

a hill covered in sheep

Sheep in the Morning Light

Found in the Brecon Beacons. Sheep aren’t particularly uncommon, I know - but these ladies had arranged themselves so photogenically to catch the morning light on their fleeces, I couldn’t help but capture the moment.

Emily
Harborough Welland u3a

A red squirrel on all fours on a wooden ledge

Red Squirrel

I really wanted to photograph a red squirrel during our trip to Scotland. There was a squirrel feeding station in the woods nearby so I kept watch, the slightest movement and they were gone, but with a bit of patience hiding behind a large tree I finally managed it.

Sue
Newquay u3a

a small big on a lavender plant

Jimminy

Found in our front garden. We rewilded our a small section of our front garden and after only one season its working well.

Kenneth
Kibworth u3a

a red ladybird with black spots on the underside of a green leaf

Ladybird on the Hunt

Found in Countesthorpe crematorium.

Kenneth
Kibworth u3a

a dark photo of shells and a snail coming out of one

Check It Out

Found at home. My go at lighting a scene, it checked out each of the empty shells

Kenneth
Kibworth u3a

a big with spindly legs on a stem, with long stick atennae coming off its head

Just Chillin

It shows you don't have to go far to see interesting things; taken in our garden on a miserable day.

Kenneth
Kibworth u3a

a grey lizard on a rock, with a yellow spot behind its front leg

My Little Friend

My little friend used to visit me every morning by my sunbed in Bali. A surprise at first but the varied wildlife was interesting. I'd be drinking my coffee and there he would be. He actually only measured about 8 inches (20 cm) but looks huge in the photo

Pamela
Balsall Common u3a

a small brown frog in grass

Frog

Found on the lawn in our garden.

Janet
Balsall Common and Solihull u3a's

Green buds on a tree with big leaves surrounding

Hazelnuts

These were growing in the hedgerows at Packwood House car park

Janet
Balsall Common and Solihull u3a's

purple daisies with yellow buds in the centre. green foliage around.

Daisies

Found in the Cockpit Garden in Richmond Castle. The Cockpit Garden is well hidden and where ladies could spend time with their children. It was a pleasure to potter through this place of quiet.

Chris
Bracknell Forest u3a

a small brown bird with red end of head and grey beak on green grass. Gravel in background.

Woodpecker

Found in my front garden, Sunningdale. We watched several woodpeckers gradually working their way down the road presumably pecking at ants. They persisted for a good half hour which surprised us.

Chris
Bracknell Forest u3a

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