Frogs, just frogs

Hello! Things have been a little hectic since my return from Romania a few weeks ago with getting stuff together for a fund-raising weekend and working on getting all the new stock together ready the autumn and Christmas craft markets. But I haven't forgotten about my promise of a post dedicated to frogs and here it is at last! All these images were taken in the pond in my parents garden so it just proves that you can create a wonderful wildlife habitat and don't need to go far for some wonderful images.For a long time I have wanted to photograph common frogs in duck weed, just one of those things I wanted to do and there certainly was a very thick blanket of the stuff on the pond. I had popped over to help clean up the pond and cut back the plants that had got wildly out of control and ended up spending a large amount of time photographing the froggies! Here are just a few of my favourite images from that afternoon/day working on the pond, I have to say they really are charismatic little creatures all slightly different in appearance and slightly different in attitude it would seem with oncoming closer and closer to the lens! Without further ado here they are both in colour and in black and white, enjoy! 

Well, I hope you enjoyed the images as much as I enjoyed taking them. I'm happy to say that we did complete the work we needed to on the pond that day although we are still working on some aspects to make it more wildlife friendly. Aside from the good population of frogs, there is at least one toad although a little camera shy, some newts and for the first time in years a dragonfly has been spotted! I feel I will be spending some time in over the next year investigating the pond and also the rest of the garden, you would be surprised how many of my images are taken so close to home! 

Time to go and get everything ready for the first craft market of the season, if you are in the area we will be at the Guildhall in Shaftesbury from 10am - 4pm with some of the new stock, including the brand new card collections and small gift sets. If you have not read it yet, my next journal entry is up and running just click on the Nat Geo link to the side of this post, it's all about arthropods and why there is so much diversity and abundance in Transylvania. 

I am now taking bookings for talks in 2014, so if you are a member of club that you think will be interested please do get in touch, I tailor every talk to the interests of the group I am talking too, so whether it's nature locally or from far flung places, I have something for everyone! 

Whatever you are up to, have a great weekend. 

Hedgehogs & Fawns

As promised here is the post dedicated to baby hedgehogs and deer fawns. Following my return from my last trip to Romania I went to pay the lovely people down at Secret World another visit to photograph the deer fawns for them and while I was there we took some shots of some baby hedgehogs that had come in the night before. I really cannot emphasize enough the vital work they carry out at Secret World, rescuing and taking in orphaned and injured wildlife, nursing them back to health when they can and then releasing them back to their nature habitat, the wild. I feel very privileged to be able to help them out by providing them with high quality and sometimes very different images to use in their publicity and fund raising. So, here goes with an overload of cuteness, and remember if you wish to purchase any of these images a donation from every sale will go to Secret World to help feed and care for the animals, just drop me a message.

There is going to be a big Winter Wonderland fundraising auction and ball on Saturday 2nd November at the Webbington Hotel to raise money for Secret World, hosted by BBC Presenter Tom Heap with both silent and main auctions. It promises to be a fantastic night of food, entertainment and great company and I will be there so how about booking your ticket now and joining us for the night, tickets are just £38!

So please come and join us and by having a great evening you will be helping these little guys and all their friends!