Friday at the Flicks - Bee on Ivy

The second part of the video has been slowed down to half speed.

Busy Bees

The main food source for insects here is the Ivy. It is attracting scores of bees and wasps.

Making the most of the nectar and pollen available:

Fuji IS-1 (Part 4) Final Batch

Up and down the lane:





The old ......



and the new:



View across the fields to the coast:



Finally one of the boss:

Fuji IS-1 (Part 3)

This time a walk down an old lane which gives views across to the Lincolnshire Wolds:



A wide angle view across the fields towards Louth:



This telephoto view I have taken many times in colour.
Rising above the valley the 295 ft (90m) spire of Louth's St. James' Church can be seen.
It usually gets lost among the distant foliage but with IR the stone shows in good contrast with the tree leaves:



The main problem with the old Fuji IS-1 is the rate it eats batteries. It uses standard AA cells but the indicator was already showing red after just two short outings. No use using rechargeable ones as they have a lower voltage to start with. I have ordered a modified Canon 350D which should be here in about a week as it is coming from Romania.  With the modified cameras the IR filter is fitted inside the camera, replacing the manufacturer's normal filter which stops IR.

Final batch from this infra red series tomorrow.

Fuji IS-1 (part 2) + News of Adrian

Wrought iron gates:





When I've tried photographing this gate in colour it seemed impossible to get it to stand out from the background. IR did the job just fine by making the background vegetation a light colour.

I received an email from Richard of Owls + Other Birds who managed to trace where Adrian has been staying. He spoke to the farmer's wife who told him that Adrian is absolutely fine.
Internet problems are keeping him away from blogging at the moment.

Fuji IS-1 (part 1)

It seems a long while since I took the IR Fuji out for a session.
For infra red b/w it's best when Sunny with some decent cloud formations
Over the next few posts I will put up some of the results taken using an R72 IR filter.
This one was is from the end of my lane:

Last Flutters Before Winter

While the Sun was beaming down on the Ivy there was a sudden rush of insect visitors. Bees, wasps, a whole variety of flies and several pristine looking Red Admirals:



Also spotted was the occasional Comma:



Apart from Cabbage Whites which have been seen in abundance for months I have rarely seen a butterfly all Summer. The same went for Bumble Bees. I have seen far fewer this year. I did read a short while ago of one possible reason. Apparently there are fewer bees, wasps and some other insects this year as last Winter was too mild for them. Yes, too mild. They need cold enough temperatures during the Winter months to force them into hibernation otherwise they use too much energy whilst awake with few or no food plants to provide nourishment.