Friday 25 June 2010

Cygnets

All 7 cygnets are doing well, but they will soon be outgrowing the nest! I will follow them as they mature and update with pics.


Taken on 27.05.2010




Taken on 25.06.2010




Rob

Saturday 19 June 2010

Fallow Deer (fawn)

I went out with the intention of looking for wild boar, but alas, even after covering a very large area, I was not lucky this time!
I did manage to find a rather large print though!





I carried on mooching about (quietly) and heard something heavy. I got myself into a good position, looking out towards a good photo spot and waited.
This young fella walked out and started grazing. Couldn't believe it!





Then, about 5 mins later this little one walked out with mum. If you are wondering why he/she is black, it is melanistic!
Melanism is caused by an increase in dark pigment and I was lucky that I photographed its dad during the rut of 2009.
He was also melanistic and the dominant buck in the area where I photographed this fawn.



Rob

Wednesday 16 June 2010

Some Spiders!

The wind was blowing and it was hell trying to grab a shot! Best I could do, with the conditions.
Photographed in the Forest.


Green Orb Weaver Spider





Photographed in my garden.


Garden Orb Weaver Spider




Rob

Tuesday 15 June 2010

Product Review

I recently purchased a canvas print from The Image Box and would like to share their details with you as the service I received was outstanding.
Three days after logging onto their website, I have a canvas print on my wall and it looks superb!
With savings up to 65% and prices as low as £13 for canvas prints (at time of this post), this is one site you need to visit!

For future reference, please check my favourite sites and friends for the direct link to their site.

The Image Box

Thursday 3 June 2010

Fly-tipping!

Below is a link to a recent article I wrote for a local newspaper. My article is on page 10 of this digital on-line edition.

Bottom of the page is a news release from the CLA (Country Land and Business Association) asking fly-tipping victims to speak out.

Forest and Wye Valley Review

______________________________________________________

NEWS RELEASE
Date: 2 June 2010

Rural watchdog urges fly-tipped victims to speak out.
There's a warning about a surge in the number of people illegally dumping rubbish around the West Midlands.

The CLA ( Country Land and Business Association) says the amount of DIY work and gardening that takes place over half-term breaks and the summer holidays leads directly to an increase in fly-tipping.

Donna Tavernor is the CLA's regional officer for the Midlands : "We found that the majority of people get fly-tipped with garden waste and household rubbish, so they have had prams and beds on their property. It is really important that people send that to recycling centres."

Across the Midlands , it costs £6m per year of taxpayers' money to clean up fly-tipped waste, and surges in the number of cases were reported after holiday periods. In fact, this time last year across the region, there was one recorded case of rubbish being illegally dumped every 11 minutes.

Harsh penalties for fly-tipping have been introduced, and anyone caught doing it can be hit with a fine of up to £50,000 (unlimited if the case goes to the Crown Court) or a prison sentence of up to five years.
However, if waste is dumped on your property, it is your responsibility to clear it up.

The CLA's Donna Tavernor explains: "If it is not on a public highway and it is on private property, then it is your responsibility to clear. If it is in our countryside then it is spoiling our local areas and the views we all enjoy, so it is a really important thing to stamp out."
The CLA has urged victims of fly-tipping to report incidents on a national database which highlights the environmental crime.

The Association is working with the Landowner Partnership to record incidents of fly-tipping on the Government database, Flycapture. The project has been set up to encourage every farmer, land owner and land manager to report fly-tipping.

“We’re pleased to see the Government take fly-tipping so seriously. Recent pilot schemes in the West Midlands and North West have highlighted the problems faced when reporting fly-tipping, so to get a true picture of the scale of the problem on private land, the Flycapture project has rolled out across the country until September,” says Donna.
“We hope the data recorded nationally will expose the scale of the problem, and encourage the Government to allow the disposal of fly-tipped waste from private land at local tips without charge.”
She added: “Even if you are not a member of the CLA but you own or manage land, you can report a fly-tipping incident to us.”

To report incidences of fly-tipping in your area, please visit http://www.cla.org.uk/In_Your_Area/

MEDIA CONTACT:

Tim Barnes-Clay | Media Relations Manager ( Midlands ) | CLA Ltd
07702 926696 | tim.barnesclay@cla.org.uk

Out of hours Press Office: 020 7201 9511 | www.cla.org.uk


NOTES TO EDITORS:

The CLA – the rural economy experts - has a 36,000-strong membership
CLA members own approximately half the rural land in England and Wales, and the resulting expertise puts us in a unique position to formulate policies and lobby effectively.
For more information, visit www.cla.org.uk/In_Your_Area/West_Midlands/



Rob