Photo of the Week
These are my personal favourites with added facts and personal thoughts. Click on the photo to view more images.
Week 44: Sunday 1st November 2026
A male Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) tastes the air.
A male Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) "tasting the air". This specialised behaviour is known as the Flehmen response, in which he curls back his upper lip, exposing his front teeth, wrinkling his nose, and stretching his neck, all with his head held high - a sure sign that the rutting season is in progress. The males use the Flehmen response to determine if a female (hind) is in estrus (heat) and ready to mate.
Week 43: Sunday 25th October 2026
A female Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) basking on Ivy in mid-October.
This female may lay approximately 100 eggs, and the emerging caterpillars will feed primarily on the leaves of the Common Nettle (Urtica dioica). Climate change and mild winters enable hibernating adult butterflies and larvae to survive our winters, and they are now resident throughout the year in the far south of England.
Week 42: Sunday 18th October 2026
Portrait of a Canada Goose (Branta canadensis).
One of a small flock of very vocal individuals feeding on leaves and grass next to the River Trent in Staffordshire.
Week 41: Sunday 11th October 2026
A Great White Egret (Ardea alba) chasing fish across a shallow lake in early Autumn.
The Great White Egret has expanded its breeding range northwards in recent years. It was first recorded breeding in Britain for the first time at Avalon Marshes (Somerset Levels) in 2012. Numbers have increased dramatically in the last few years.
Week 40: Sunday 4th October 2026
Late summer at the 17th-century Chesterton Windmill, Warwickshire.
Chesterton Windmill is a 17th-century, Grade I listed, cylindrical stone tower windmill with an arched base. It is located near the village of Chesterton in Warwickshire and has a commanding view high on a ridge overlooking the Fosse Way, the Roman Town of Chesterton and beyond to Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon.
Week 39: Sunday 27th September 2026
A male, late summer/autumn brood Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) butterfly basking.
Unlike most butterflies that feed on flower nectar, Speckled Wood butterflies mostly feed on honeydew - a sweet liquid excreted by aphids. After spells of heavy rain that wash the leaves clean of honeydew, Speckled Woods may feed on wildflowers to get their sugar hit, but as soon as the supply of honeydew returns, they will venture back up into the tree canopy to feed.
Week 38: Sunday 20th September 2026
Portrait of a juvenile Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Swans are thankfully no longer eaten, but 'Swan Upping' still takes place once a year on the River Thames. The 'Swan Uppers' weigh and measure the cygnets and check them for signs of injury or disease. The young cygnets are ringed with individual identification numbers that denote their ownership if they belong to the Vintners or the Dyers livery companies.
Mute Swan ownership: Under a 12th-century medieval law, the reigning monarch (The King) retains the right to claim ownership of any unmarked Mute Swan swimming in open, unmanaged waters across England and Wales. This right is mainly exercised on certain stretches of the River Thames. It is a myth that all Mute Swans are owned by the King.
Protected by law: Mute Swans are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which forbids capturing, harming, or killing any wild bird, including mute swans, or disturbing their active nests. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 imposes penalties for causing unnecessary suffering, which can include feeding them inappropriate or harmful foods. Penalties for harming or killing a Mute Swan can result in severe fines (historically up to £5,000) and potential prison sentences of up to three months or more, depending on the severity of the offence.
Week 37: Sunday 13th September 2026
Where time stands still at New Hall Watermill, an 18th-century working watermill at Walmley, Sutton Coldfield.
A collection of old bottles, lamp and weights gather dust and cobwebs on a groundfloor windowsill of the New Hall Watermill. The mill is a Grade II* listed building. It is privately owned, and managed by the New Hall Water Mill Preservation Trust.
Week 36: Sunday 6th September 2026
A female Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) basking next to the River Tame in Staffordshire.
The Migrant Hawker can be found across much of England and Wales. It's range is expanding northwards with global warming with the first record in Scotland reported in 2003.
Week 35: Sunday 30th August 2026
A female Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) feeding on the yellow flowers of Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris).
The Painted Lady is a long-distance migrant. Every year it spreads northwards from North Africa, the Middle East, and central Asia. As it migrates, each generation leapfrogs the next, recolonising mainland Europe and Britain. Numbers vary from year to year depending on breeding and migration conditions. We now know that in late summer, Painted Lady butterflies begin a high-altitude return journey south, taking advantage of northerly winds.
Week 34: Sunday 23rd August 2026
Snarestone Pump House on the Ashby Canal, Leicestershire
The Snarestone Pump House was built in the 1890s to supply the nearby town of Hinckley with water.
Week 33: Sunday 16th August 2026
A Hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) feeding on Chinese plumbago (Ceratostigma willmottianum)
Did you know that the Hummingbird hawk-moth's wings beat so fast they create an audible hum as they dart from flower to flower, sipping nectar using their long proboscis whilst hovering in mid-air?
Week 32: Sunday 9th August 2026
A male 'blood-red' Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) resting
The latin name 'sanguineum' literally translates to 'of blood', referring to the striking crimson-red colour of mature males. They are easy to spot in mid-summer, as they love to sit out in the open on plant stems, scanning the area for small flying insects. They will, as their common name suggests, dart out to capture their prey, returning to a favourite perch to feed on their latest catch.
Week 31: Sunday 2nd August 2026
A view of Shenton village with a thatched cottage and Grade II* Church of St John the Evangelist
The current Grade II* Church of St John the Evangelist, visible top left, was designed by the Rev. H. J. Wollaston, whose family contributed substantially to the construction, is obscured by a thatched, half-timber cottage featuring eyebrow dormers
Week 30: Sunday 26th July 2026
A female Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus f. helice) feeding on the flowers of Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
A baking hot day in the heart of Warwickshire, searching for Clouded Yellow butterflies. This pale form, known as 'helice' only occurs amongst a small proportion of female Clouded Yellows and is always nice to see, especially in such wonderful condition like this individual.
Week 29: Sunday 19th July 2026
An immature female Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens)
This immature female Banded Demoiselle stopped for a moment to rest on the developing seedheads of Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) along the towpath of the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal at Congerstone, Leicestershire.
Week 28: Sunday 12th July 2026
Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) dragonfly
Another scorching day spent in a Warwickshire broadleaf woodland where several species of dragonfly and damselfly were on the wing. This female Ruddy Darter caught my eye; the matching yellow background was provided by the wonderful flowers of Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris, syn. Senecio jacobaea), which themselves were providing much-needed nectar to bees and hoverflies and food for the amazing black and yellow-striped Cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae) caterpillars that were munching away.
Week 27: Sunday 5th July 2026
Mountain Ringlet (Erebia epiphron ssp. mnemon)
On one of the hottest days of the year, midway through a heatwave, my wife and I decided it would be a good idea to go looking for one of the UK's most inaccessible butterfly species. We saw quite a few Mountain Ringlets, blown at speed across a remote mountainside in Cumbria; the relentless sunshine combined with very windy conditions made the prospect of any decent photographs highly unlikely. Sweaty, tired and frustrated after a long walk, we had just about given up and were ready to head to the nearest pub for a refreshing pint of locally brewed beer, when I stumbled upon this freshly emerged female, fat with eggs, basking in a tiny sheltered hollow amongst the low vegetation. Soon enough, the wind blew and off she went, whether she liked it or not, blown off into the distance never to be seen again.
Week 26: Sunday 28th June 2026
Panoramic view of Hardknott Roman Fort of Mediobogdum.
When Emperor Hadrian overhauled the empire’s frontier strategy, he completely reorganised the garrison of Roman Britain. From AD 122 Hadrian’s Wall was built to control access from the north. It included a chain of installations protecting the Cumbrian coast. Early in Hadrian’s reign, forts were also constructed at Hardknott (AD 120 to AD 138) and Ambleside (replacing the earlier fort here), plus a small fortlet at Ravenglass on the coast. These forts controlled the route along the Esk Valley which runs to the north of the fort (far left of the photo), and access to the coast.
Week 25: Sunday 21st June 2026
Common Clubtail (Gomphus vulgatissimus) dragonfly
Listed as Near Threatened in the British Odonata Red List 2008. A localised species associated with moderate to slow-flowing rivers. It breeds in unpolluted, meandering rivers. Threats include pollution, river dredging and removal of riverside trees and vegetation.
Week 24: Sunday 14th June 2026
Red-belted Clearwing (Synanthedon myopaeformis) moth
Occurs in well-established orchards, gardens, hedgerows, open woodland and mature scrub. The larvae live under the bark of old fruit trees, including apple (Malus), occasionally pear (Pyrus), and Prunus species. The adult moths fly during the day but are not often seen. The use of the pheromone lure (MYO) to attract the males is useful for surveying for this species. They are on the wing from late May to early August.
Week 23: Sunday 7th June 2026
Scarce Chaser (Libellula fulva) dragonfly [female]
The Scarce Chaser inhabits slow-flowing rivers and marshlands. The species exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism, featuring bright orange females and powdery blue and black mature males.
Week 22: Sunday 31st May 2026
Starling (Sturnus vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) juvenile stretching its wings.
During the winter months, Starlings perform one of nature’s most spectacular shows. As the sun begins to set, hundreds, sometimes thousands, gather in vast flocks, flying in unison, performing aerial displays known as murmurations. This juvenile must master the art of synchronised flight between now and October in preparation for the big show.
Week 21: Sunday 24th May 2026
Greylag Goose (Anser anser) goslings taking it easy at RSPB Middleton Lakes.
The ancestor of most domestic geese, the Greylag is the largest species of wild goose in the UK. Usually found around large bodies of water such as old gravel pit workings, lakes and reservoirs. They can be seen throughout the year in the southern half of Britain. Listed in Schedule 2 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, Greylag Geese can be killed or 'taken' outside of the close season.
Week 20: Sunday 17th May 2026
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum).
Often overlooked, Herb Robert is a widespread species that thrives in a variety of habitats in the UK.
Week 19: Sunday 10th May 2026
Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages).
Probably one of my favourite spring butterflies. A grassland butterfly that is often overlooked. It has great character and is a master of high-speed flight. Blink and it's gone!
Week 18: Sunday 3rd May 2026
Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)
Steeped in folklore, the Marsh Marigold is a powerful Beltane (May Day) plant, once used to protect against evil spirits, witches, and fairies. It was often hung over doors to protect against the 'evil eye'.
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