On the trail of the ancients and a new tick...

It's been an absolute belter of a week - sun has shone and everything really burst into life...the usual suspects have made an appearance...

brimstone...

green-veined white...

holly blue...

one of the hoverflies...

orange tip...

They all came out and enjoyed the sun (even if the wind could be chilly at times). Although I have been out shooting everyday - over 1000 images by Friday and still more to shoot on Saturday - the highlight was a trip to Bradfield Woods National Nature Reserve in Suffolk - a gorgeous remnant of ancient woodland - alive with bird song and carpeted with wild flowers...

bluebell...

early-purple orchid...

goldilocks buttercup...

oxlip - the star of the trip...very rare in the wild and restricted to a handful of woods in the Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk area...a new species for me so it was duly ticked...

sedge...

greater stitchwort...

water avens...

wood sorrel...

wood spurge...

yellow archangel...

A general view give an idea of what my "office" looked like that day...

I only had a limited time out there as I had to return to pick up my son from school - so it was a race round the wood to shoot as many species as possible...consequently I missed herb Paris and green hairstreak but there will be other years...

At the beginning of the week I ventured back to the ancient meadow just outside Ely...again species were bursting with life...

adderstongue...

ash flowers...

cleavers...

dandelion...

green-winged orchid...

nursery-web spider...

pond sedge...

cowslips abound...

Of course I have been regularly updating my Facebook page...and my Flickr page and have also been submitting to  Dreamstime...However, I have started to supply another agency this week - Pickfair - so if you feel so inclined you can browse and buy my images there as well...Six new sales at the end of the week was encouraging...let's hope for more of the same...

I hope you all have a good week...see you for the Bank Holiday...

Toodle-pip...