A fishy story - 26 September 2013

We went for a walk around Watermead South yesterday, me in my chair and Maja struggling to push me.

All the way round we saw nothing to photograph. at one point we heard a group of Canada geese honking as they flew towards the lake. I readied my camera and sat poised, but they crossed the path too far ahead for any pictures of them in flight (they did the same as we were leaving).

As we were returning to the car park Maja exclaimed there's a grebe with a fish. I turned in time to get this sequence, it's not the best light but you have to take these opportunities when you can.

All taken at
1/2000 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm.

All pictures taken on a

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L series lens.

The Bristol Cross Murders - my New book - 20 September 2013

My New book is now available from Amazon, it's in both Paperback and Electronic (Kindle etc) format. An exciting crime thriller based in Bristol during the 1860s with a twist in the tale.

I have kept it to 75 pages, to be able to offer it at a lower cost to attract readers who have not tried John Gwynant books before.

Using Amazon's search engine "Bristol Cross" will bring just one 'hit' - this book.

Wet 'N' Windy 16 September 2013

It was a wet and windy weekend and not much about, but Saturday morning had a dry spell and this Butterfly fluttered by and settled on the stone crop beside our house. A small Tortoiseshell, it stayed on the flowers for some time, enough time for me to go into the house and fetch my camera. Usually in these cases I arrive with my camera in time to see the subject disappearing into the distance.

1/1000 @ 6.3, Iso 800, 400mm

1/800 @ 6.3, Iso 800, 400mm

1/400 @ 6.3, Iso 400, 400mm

1/400 @ 6.3, Iso 400, 400mm

The wet weather meant I could finish my latest book and now Maja is editing it. It will be released as soon as I can create a cover for it. The title is "The Bristol Cross Murders." and it's a who dun it. It will be available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats.

All pictures taken with a 

Canon EOS7d, and EF 100 - 400mm L series lens 

Here there be Dragon(fly)s

There was a lot of activity at Thornton reservoir yesterday, masses of Coots collected near the fall on the north west end. I don't know the collective noun for coots - maybe it should be a 'belligerence of coots' because where more than two are collected there is usually a fight. This time though there was peace, during an hour or so watching there were only a couple of short chases.

1/640 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

I just missed a bee coming out of the Bind weed flower and was just about to leave when this hoverfly obliged.

1/1000 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

1/1000 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

These two Scaup females were mixed in with the coots and later were joined by six more. There was obviously something attracting them, they didn't seem to be feeding any more than normal.

1/800 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

1/500 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

Like the Coots, this Migrant Hawker (I think that's what it is, the brown shoulders don't seem to fit anything else) didn't behave normally, they are usually too fast for a picture but this one settled right in front of us.

All photos taken on a

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L series lens