A note on the author:
A note on the images:

Notes on the content of the site:
The images here are mostly of birds, animals, plants etc. although there are a few landscapes too.

They are not a record of rarities 'wot I saw' (indeed most are common). This is why I have deliberately choosen the most humble Chaffinch to be the first species illustrated here. Neither is this meant as my personal 'list' of everything I've seen (oh, there was so much, you don't know, you weren't even there, man! *). * with due respect to Ron Kovic. 

Likewise,the site is obviously not intended to be an ID guide or an exhaustive catalogue of birds. If you desire tightly cropped pictures (often blurry) of a bird's face or, more usually, some rarity 'wot i saw', then sorry, look away. Oh, I just realised there are some faces, so well I lied.

Instead, most of the images are here because I think the pose, milieu or lighting somehow makes each a 'picture'. Those with birds, for example, are not intended as 'pictures of birds' or 'bird pictures', I want them to stand as 'pictures with birds in'. That goes for the others too, whatever the subject. I hold onto this difference, even if I am clearly unable to articulate what I mean! I want to show:

       the 'beauty in nature'


Although given that I treat the common equally with the rarity perhaps I should have called the website 'prettiness in the prosaic'.

Whatever, as I believe the young say. Look, there are some pictures here, have a look if you want. If you don't, then don't!

Please note for the odd words on bird names preceding each species I have drawn from Rev. Charles Swainson's excellent 'The folk lore and provincial names of Britsh Birds' of 1885, Thomas Bewick's 1826 edition of 'A history of British Birds' and Mark Cocker's gorgeous 'Birds Britannica' of 2005. All are excellent and recommended, although the latter is the more colourful !

A note on the website itself:

Yeah, but why is this site here?:
Well I really have no idea on that one, sorry !

I do enjoy making picture of things I find uplifting, or beautiful I suppose, that's a start. Perhaps others might find something similar in some of them. What are the odds?

Of course, I am sure it's deeper than that, I have always felt a part of nature, more so than 'society' to be sure. From a life in conservation and ecological science to a chance now retired to combine this with an interest and training in photography from a (much) earlier life, although things have changed somewhat since the days of film and knocking over trays of chemicals in a dark (totally black more like) room.

Whatever.

So, I take pictures of things I am lucky enough to see (while carrying a ton and a half of camera and lens) and wonder if they're worth sharing. Only you can tell that.

Of course, it is also true that I spend ages taking pictures and editing them (we will come on to this in a methods section much later). I look at some of my images and go 'aaaaarh' (99.999% of course evoke urrgh). And that's it, I see them, now you can too, and may your cup runneth over with joy!

And so, have we found out why? No. I still clearly have no idea, but I suppose it does provide some sort of an excuse to carry on doing what I do. Look it's this or knitting, and I aint got the patience for that. Besides I'd put an eye out.

Given that I have often been asked questions about techniques, equipment etc. I have at times pondered something along the lines of some guidance (what arrogance) and maybe 'how to do this or that' (pretentiousness too now, get over yourself). My only excuse here is much of my life was spent lecturing, perhaps I can't shut up now. However, until the contact link burns hot with demands and questions, I shall sadly have to remain humble.