Dog Walk Archives - Page 14 of 16 - Craig Rogers Photography

Morning Dog Walk: Last Week A Fake, This Time The Real Hornet!….And Some Ants……

6th June 20186th June 2018Craig Rogers

I take a camera along on my Dog Walks to bring you some of the sightings that I see on my morning walks, these photos are rarely going to be great quality as its hard enough keeping an energetic Dog entertained and get close enough to anything. They also help me identify where species are so that I can plan to return.

Last week, I saw a Mimic Hornet Hoverfly, but this morning it was the real deal! I could hear a loud, deep buzzing noise and assumed it was a Carpenter Bee, however, I glanced up and saw some European Hornets feasting on Sap leaking out of a Cork Oak.

These are big, in fact are the biggest “true” Wasp found in Europe, in other words, the largest member of the Vespa genus. They grown to around 3.5cm long and although get a bad name for being aggressive, in fact they are not. However, approach their nest or food source and they will defend en masse and unlike Bees can sting repeatedly.

{Click image(s) to view on Flickr - opens in new tab}

Morning Dog Walk: Honey Bees On Illyrian Scotch Thistle

5th June 20187th June 2018Craig Rogers

This morning, I couldn’t help notice the size of the Illyrian Scotch Thistles that are now flowering, they are huge! The Honey Bees are going crazy for them, so I stopped and took a few shots. Yet again, we had very overcast skies, so the light wasn’t great.

One question I have is why are these Thistles White? Is it a slight variance? I’m pretty sure they are Illyrian Scotch Thistles as the way the bracts turn down almost like it’s been peeled, but usually these flowers are purple. Please help!

UPDATE: I have since (sort of) solved the mystery with the Flower, more HERE.

{Click image(s) to view on Flickr - opens in new tab}

Morning Dog Walk: A Fake Was Amongst Us

25th May 201826th May 2018Craig Rogers

I take a camera (although just my mobile today) along on my Dog Walks to bring you some of the sightings that I see on my morning walks, these photos are rarely going to be great quality as its hard enough keeping an energetic Dog entertained and get close enough to anything. They also help me identify where species are so that I can plan to return.

Walking alongside the river bank this morning and we spotted a very large Bee/Wasp looking creature, was it a Hornet?

No, it was a Mimic Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria). They can grown up to almost 16mm long (this was certainly around that size!) and although it looks like it’ll give you trouble, it’s completely harmless with no sting or bite.

Morning Dog Walk: Dragonflies, Butterflies and Moths

20th May 201821st May 2018Craig Rogers

The spring rains brought us many flowers, which in turn brought us many flying insects so this morning I pointed the camera at a few.

Around water you can usually find many Dragonflies, here is a male Violet Dropwing Dragonfly, found in Africa, Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula and Southern Europe this is a medium-sized Dragonfly, sex identification is simple as the female is green and brown. The name is taken from the way it lowers its wings when perched.

{Click image(s) to view on Flickr - opens in new tab}

I Enjoy The Challenges Of Smartphone Photography

18th May 201818th May 2018Craig Rogers

Over the last few years we have seen Smartphone Cameras increase in quality and functionality at a rapid rate. However, no matter how good they are becoming, they still have a lot of limitations.

These limitations give me an enjoyable challenge and it’s why I love Smartphone photography. It forces you to think about the photo way before you even frame it, trying to overcome the challenges these tiny cameras give. This shouldn’t be any different to any other form of photography and is why its good practice to make you think before pressing the shutter button.

This morning, we had some early hill mist and whilst out walking Wally, he appeared on a small ridge above me. It was a good pose, but the mist behind was a real spoiler, so I took the photo with the thought of making into a High Contrast Black and White photo, using the bright white misty background to contrast him and the Estava plant.

The photo was taken on my Samsung Galaxy S8+ in “Pro” mode, saving as a DNG (RAW) file, then I imported it into Lightroom (on the phone), converted to Black and White and raised the contrast. All this whilst still out walking. I was impressed at the quality, it even made it into my Flickr Albums

{Click image(s) to view on Flickr - opens in new tab}

Video Of The Route Of This Saturday’s Nature Photography Walk

7th May 20187th May 2018Craig Rogers

This morning I walked the route that the Free Nature Photography Walk will take this coming Saturday (12th May). I took some video footage for anyone thinking about joining me to know what to expect.

As you can see, everywhere is green and in full bloom due to the unusual amount of rain we’ve had during the spring.

{Remember to watch in HD if possible}

Continue reading >>

All images are protected by international copyright!
All of the content displayed on this website (unless otherwise stated) remains the copyright of Craig Rogers. It is illegal to download, copy (including copy by reference) or distribute any content without prior permission and/or licensing. Please read my Copyright Statement.