Tag Archive for: Trumpington

My walk on the Wild Side with Cambridge TV

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I was just getting ready to post this week’s blog yesterday (which will now be up next week instead) when I got some exciting news and I just had to share it as soon as possible! I recently spent an afternoon filming at  Trumpington Meadows with a team from Cambridge TV who were making a feature on the reserve for their series, The Wild Side. The episode went live at rather short notice last night.

Having spent so much time getting to know the reserve and photograph it through the seasons, I was really pleased to be asked to take part in this short documentary. The focus is on the development of the reserve and it’s biodiversity, with an added piece on macro photography by yours truly.

It was a strange experience for me to be the other side of the camera, but a treat to be able to share some photography tips and tricks with a wider audience as well as some of my images from the reserve.

Here is a quick screen shot with one of the lovely presenters, Adam Canning. If you want to watch the whole episode, you can catch up online here.

Wild Side screenshot

 

Cambridge’s Newest Nature Reserve

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Trumpington-panorama

 

It has been a little while since I last gave you an update on my project to document Trumpington Meadows, the newest nature reserve taken on by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust, so today I will be sharing some of my latest photographs of the site. First though, some exciting news – the reserve will be officially opened to the public on Saturday 11th June, so please do come along and find out all about it for yourselves! If you are interested, the details of the opening event are as follows:

 

Cambridge's Newest Nature Reserve

Now for that update I mentioned: I had hoped to take some lovely wintery images around the reserve but as you know, this winter was exceedingly mild and those beautiful icy conditions never really materialised. I had to settle for some signs of spring instead and there were plenty to find. Along with dainty, nodding Cowslips nestled in the long grass under the hedges there were Lesser Celandines glowing yellow in the undergrowth along the river’s edge.

 

Lesser-Celandine-(Ficaria-verna)

 

The trees were draped in fresh green clothing and bejewelled with soft blossoms. The cherry trees wafted a sweet scent into the surrounding air and insects thronged round the Crab Apple in search of sugary nectar. Among them, Early Bumblebees, Dark Bordered Beefly and one of my favourite solitary bees, Osmia bicolor which nests in empty snail shells.

 

Cherry-Blossom

 

Bee

 

The scent on the breeze wasn’t the only thing I noticed, there was glorious birdsong all around. There were Sedge Warblers in the small reed bed while Corn Buntings sang from the hedgerows and Skylarks trilled overhead.

 

Skylark-(Alauda-arvensis)

 

Corn-Bunting

 

The highlight for me was my first damselfly of the year, a very fresh female Large Red Damselfly. I’ve seen many since my last visit to Trumpington but there is still a little buzz of excitement with the first I see each summer.

 

Large-Red-Damselfly,-female

 

I can’t wait to get back there again soon for yet more photos and I know that the wildflowers are preparing for another wonderful display – bring it on!

 

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