Field Notes 2020
Field Notes From Lockdown – April/May/June/July 2020
During lockdown, there were excellent opportunities to go for walks to nearby Battlesbury Hill, and Middle Hill.
I was helping Dr.Sue Clarke with her butterfly survey work for the Wiltshire Branch of Butterfly Conservation and would take the camera, making a special effort to capture images of the Duke of Burgundy Fritillary.
As the Spring turned into Summer, and lockdown was eased somewhat, I visited some locations elsewhere by motorcycle with my old friend “Fuzzy” Russell for some socially distanced butterfly hunting (picking up our childhoods where we left off).
Our trips took in Aish Tor, Ashclyst Forest, Haldon Forest Park, Clanger/Picket Wood, Green Land Wood, Farley Mount (Pitt Down/West Wood), Fontmell Down, Broadcroft Quarry and Alners Gorse. The highlight was the High Brown Fritillaries of Aish Tor. I was able to get decent images at times. Also, at home, I was regularly “moth trapping”, so would take photographic records of whatever had turned up – nice surprises were the Buff Tip, Small Elephant Hawkmoth and Privet Hawkmoth. – JC
Field Notes From Cuba – March 2020
Cuba was a great trip for photography, though I always return from a trip thinking that I could have “got more”.
It was our first time that we’d left Zac “home alone” and we had more time to concentrate.
The streets of Havana are full of subject matter, so it was nice to be able to take a bit of time capturing some of the sights (and sites).
In terms of diving, the possibilities from the Gardens of the Queen were endless. I tended to spend time with the fish eye capturing shark, fish and reef scenery whereas Amanda shot macro (her preference). In hindsight, some more creative shooting of sharks was a missed opportunity.
For the last part of the trip, we visited the Zapata National Park and Bay of Pigs area to (among other things) see the Bee Hummingbird. I was able to get good imagery of this amazing bird (despite the failure of my SB5000 flash), as well as other rarities and endemics such as the Cuban Parrot and Fernandina’s Flicker. – JC
<Read about this trip here>