Rays of light through the mist. Always lovely to see. This photo was taken in the field at the bottom of Glastonbury Tor. The structure is one of the Syrens Way markers. It has a little bell in it.
Even in his molting phase, this Wood Duck knows how to strike a pose to show off those feathers. Further along in the molt he'll be much harder to find; the males lose their flight feathers and hide to they don't become easy targets.
From the archives this day June 13, 2025.
Lac Des Arcs, Alberta
I remember this night well, due to my location across from the Lac Des Arcs cement plant, and trying to avoid the plants light pollution, in addition to that I was only 50 metres from Highway 1, not the best place but the only area I found that had openings for this amazing all nighter. The aurora borealis northern lights lasted until the Sun came up, and with the Sun coming up I managed to capture some Giant Blue Rays.
My first Purple Emperor of the year, at Knepp, today. He attacked me, knocked me off by bike, and then settled to feed for 30 mins on the track. Vicious thug... Five other Emperors there today. Just starting, and looking Promising...