Nature through the eyes of my camera

  Captain's Wood Captain's Wood is an ancient woodland full of rare plants and a mixture of natural habitats for a wide range of wildlife.  Fallow deer wander here freely among the oaks, birch and sweet chestnut trees. Nuts hidden by a squirrel, ready for winter Woodlouse hiding in a Sweet chestnut shell In spring there is a mass of bluebells to be found and a variety of fungi throughout the year. Fly agaric Common Puffball Dragonflies and Damselflies can be found around the pond in summer  Return to Index

  Arger fen and Spouse's Vale are a mixture of ancient coppice woodland and new naturally regenerating woodland along side wet meadows. There is a mixture of trees such as oak, ash, field maple, holly, crab apple, alder and hazel plus wild cherry which exists in just a few of Suffolk's ancient woodlands. There is dry wooded areas and damp valley floors which create a rich environment for wildlife. There is a healthy population of badgers; lizards and grass snakes and the rare declining hazel dormouse and Barbastelle bat and many woodland birds.  Butterflies can be found on the wing in the summer months. There is also a large selection of wild flowers through spring and summer including a magnificent display of bluebells. Return to Index

Flatford is situated in the picturesque Dedham Vale. The River Stour runs through Flatford onto Dedham, Manningtree and finally the North sea, at Harwich.   The many trees that line the Stour from Flatford to Dedham are a magnet for photographers especially on frosty days in winter. Many people associate Flatford and the surrounding area with the artist and painter John Constable and his famous painting of the 'Hay Wain'.  Flatford Mill is a grade I listed watermill originally built in 1733.  Attached to the mill is the miller's cottage, also grade I listed.  The mill was once owned by Constable's father. Further on from the mill is Willy Lott's cottage (Grade I listed) which also appeared in Constables paintings.  The cottage was named after willy Lott who was a tenant farmer. Other buildings of interest near Flatford Mill are Valley Farm (Grade I listed) and Bridge Cottage (Grade II listed) Valley Farm Bridge Cottage       Many people associate the area with the

  Levington Creek looking out to sea and Felixstowe Docks Levington Lagoon is a 5 hectare nature reserve owned by Suffolk Yacht Harbour Ltd. and managed by Suffolk Wildlife Trust. The lagoon was formed when the sea wall was breached during the floods of 1953.  The site is now a magnet for breeding, wintering and passage estuarine birds. Saltmarsh plants include sea lavender and sea purslane. Return to Index

  Bawdsey appears a desolate place on the Deben Peninsula, in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The four Martello Towers, machine gun emplacements and other WWII defences tell of the vulnerability of the area in the past to invasion. The remains of landing stages can also be seen on the beach, in front of Bawdsey Manor. Bawdsey Cliffs is a Site of Special Scientific interest because of its geological importance of exposed Gelasian (early Pleistocene) Red Crag, the most significant exposure of Red Crag in England. Further along the coast towards Shingle Street, small salt water inlets have formed, caused by shifting shingle.  Above the beach there are lagoons where a variety of birds can be spotted. Turnstones Greylag Geese Swallow Kestrel Return to Index

  Ramsholt is a small village situated on the northern shore of the River Deben.  It used to be an historic fishing town, now the village economy revolves around the Ramsholt Arms, next to the river dock. The south facing Ramsholt Arms enjoys beautiful sunsets and is very busy during the summer season with holiday makers and sailors, passing through. Ramsholt's All Saints church was once a seamark, and in early Saxon times was thought to be  watch tower against Viking invaders.  The church fell into ruin in the early 19th century and was rescued in the 1850s.  The church yard is wild life haven with a mass of poppies in the spring as well as many other kinds of wild flowers. Even in the early 20th century Ramsholt was still a thriving hamlet.  Today there is just a pub, a church and a farmhouse. Return to Index

Shingle Street in Suffolk, is a shingle beach on a quiet stretch of the coast line at the mouth of the River Alde. It was once home to fishermen and river pilots who navigated boats along the River Ore.        Fishermen's cottages and fishing gear The shingle is continually shifting due to the wind and the tides.  This creates shingle banks so that on any visit the landscape can look total different from your last visit. It is not unusual to see rabbits hoping around and seals basking on the shingle. There is a variety of flora and fauna to be found especially in the summer months.   Return to Index

Parys Mountain Copper Mines Parys Mountain Copper Mine was the largest of the copper mines in North Wales. Mining was carried out from the 18th century onwards although archaeological evidence shows copper was extracted from Parys Mountain during the bronze age. Parys Mountain during the 1780's, were the largest copper mines in the world.  The copper was shipped from the port of Almwch to Swansea, where it was smelted and was used to cover the hulls of Nelson's naval ships. Copper mining at Parys Mountain declined in the early nineteenth century and now local guides offer tours through the open cast pits and mining levels. The multi coloured landscape was mesmerizing with its every changing colours as the sun moved in and out of the clouds and we moved around the site. The windmill (which was used for pumping the water from the mines) and the Cornish engine house are two of the well known landmarks and also the precipitation pits. The precipitation pits basically are where the

 Day 24: Trees play a vital role in the eco system.  They have over the centuries been decimated and it is only now the world as a whole is realizing the damage that this has caused. I love to see trees in the winter when they are bare and only a skeleton can be seen.  It is at this time of year it is possible to see their true shape and size before they become shrouded in leaves. On my walk today I decided to photograph 24 different trees. Return to Index