Phil Eyden's latest nature ramble...
29 August 2008
At Home with the Amphibians!
Aren't these pictures of our amphibian friends just perfect.
Our intrepid naturaliste Phil Eyden has brought us these crowning glories to his Nature Page No.2. Out in soggy pastures on all fours amongst our watery creatures, Phil gets that trusty camera of his working to total perfection. The close up work is marvellous when you consider these are moving living creatures not given much to posing. You can clearly see hear that Phil has a delightful touch and is in much harmony with his natural surroundings.
These pictures finish Page 2 off and complete a journey which took Phil an age. And without much huffing or puffing the page has had more than 7,000 visitors so it has been quietly appreciated by many people. We will encourage Phil to try and give it a fresh go once more now that we have arrived in 2009. But we may give him a little time off til Springs springs eternal.Then with fresh enthusiasm, deerstalker hat, knee britches and camouflaged rucksack, he will be back in the breach.
* *
Summer is over now, we are all braced for the chilly winds of autumn. But these new pictures by Phil Eyden take us back to those heady days of warm golden contrysides and rolling blue surf.Although in real terms only a short while ago, for many it is beginning to feel like the distant past. Balmy family days of Pimms and picnics and country rambles are long gone now.
These latest pictures by Phil capture the colours of summer in fine style and as ever are a delight to display here. There is one final batch of pictures to add in the coming weeks to make this page complete. Although we may see if we can force him back into his knee britches and deerstalker hat, and get him out into the frosty air to capture the colours of autumn and winter. Different colours but still interesting of course. 
All three latest pictures are of the Common Darter Dragonfly and very beautiful pictures they are too of such a gentle creature. Remember we still have three or so pictures to go to make the page complete....so there is more to look forward to. Comments Welcome Below.
But Phil goes from success to success with one tiny gem after another. Yes I can see him now..in deer stalker hat and knee britches, stealthily moving through the shrubbery with deer like caution, until he spots his prey on weed or flower. Then he pounces with his macro in fine style, but oh so gingerly, for fear of disturbing the sensitive prey. He swoops 'til he has his scoop in the bag, so to speak. Not like the butterfly collecters of old, but bagged in his ever faithful camera.
The beautiful picture on the left is of the stunning Marble White Butterfly...and what a cracker it is too!
Below left we have the Ringlet gently resting on a leaf and to its right we have a Baby Grasshopper. Hard to capture a Grasshopper as the delightful blighters just wont pose. They are forever leaping about. Most infuriating.. so well done Phil for capturing this one. All are fantastic though and wonderful additions to the page.
Onward goes our intrepid rover, onward through life's undergrowth, furrowing here, ferreting there, down hill and oe'r dale, past creepy crawlies and things that bite and sting, until he comes across this latest gem of nature in the pic on the left. This is one of the real beauties of Western Heights and always to be treated with love and respect..the Pyramid Orchid. Phil whips out his device upon seeing this gorgeous specimen and records it both for us here on Doverforum and for posterity, and a lovely picture it is too.
Well done that man Phil Eyden.
Keep going Phil you are doing a sterling recording job of the nature we have to hand. Many of us are totally unaware of the treasures we have right here on our doorstep so it is all very enlightening.
Wow! what a picture. I know, I know...just when you thought it was safe to go back in the woods, up pops this slithery creature to frighten the horses. Well I'm scared anyway...dont know about you! But seriously though readers, I believe these guys are both harmless and friendly. Our ace 'roving man on the spot' of legend, the ever so 'au naturelle' Phil Eyden, managed to get out and about through shrub and thicket to bring us this his very latest shot. And an absolute cracker it is too. Phil has had trouble this year getting as many pictures as he used to, due to the abysmal summer, but nevertheless talent will always win through and Phil has hit gold again with this pic....and we may have more in the pipeline so hold your breath.
The picture is of the Common Lizard and it was taken at Cowgate Cemetary. Well done Phil.
Comments Welcome - see below.
At Home with the Amphibians! Aren't these pictures of our amphibian friends just perfect.
Our intrepid naturaliste Phil Eyden has brought us these crowning glories to his Nature Page No.2. Out in soggy pastures on all fours amongst our watery creatures, Phil gets that trusty camera of his working to total perfection. The close up work is marvellous when you consider these are moving living creatures not given much to posing. You can clearly see hear that Phil has a delightful touch and is in much harmony with his natural surroundings.
These pictures finish Page 2 off and complete a journey which took Phil an age. And without much huffing or puffing the page has had more than 7,000 visitors so it has been quietly appreciated by many people. We will encourage Phil to try and give it a fresh go once more now that we have arrived in 2009. But we may give him a little time off til Springs springs eternal.Then with fresh enthusiasm, deerstalker hat, knee britches and camouflaged rucksack, he will be back in the breach.
* *
Catching the last rays of Summer with
Phil Eyden.
Summer is over now, we are all braced for the chilly winds of autumn. But these new pictures by Phil Eyden take us back to those heady days of warm golden contrysides and rolling blue surf.Although in real terms only a short while ago, for many it is beginning to feel like the distant past. Balmy family days of Pimms and picnics and country rambles are long gone now.
These latest pictures by Phil capture the colours of summer in fine style and as ever are a delight to display here. There is one final batch of pictures to add in the coming weeks to make this page complete. Although we may see if we can force him back into his knee britches and deerstalker hat, and get him out into the frosty air to capture the colours of autumn and winter. Different colours but still interesting of course.
...and the earlier story.
We have more pictures to add and when finished this will be Phil Eyden's Nature Page No2 and will be added to main menu.But Phil goes from success to success with one tiny gem after another. Yes I can see him now..in deer stalker hat and knee britches, stealthily moving through the shrubbery with deer like caution, until he spots his prey on weed or flower. Then he pounces with his macro in fine style, but oh so gingerly, for fear of disturbing the sensitive prey. He swoops 'til he has his scoop in the bag, so to speak. Not like the butterfly collecters of old, but bagged in his ever faithful camera.
The beautiful picture on the left is of the stunning Marble White Butterfly...and what a cracker it is too!
Below left we have the Ringlet gently resting on a leaf and to its right we have a Baby Grasshopper. Hard to capture a Grasshopper as the delightful blighters just wont pose. They are forever leaping about. Most infuriating.. so well done Phil for capturing this one. All are fantastic though and wonderful additions to the page.
Onward goes our intrepid rover, onward through life's undergrowth, furrowing here, ferreting there, down hill and oe'r dale, past creepy crawlies and things that bite and sting, until he comes across this latest gem of nature in the pic on the left. This is one of the real beauties of Western Heights and always to be treated with love and respect..the Pyramid Orchid. Phil whips out his device upon seeing this gorgeous specimen and records it both for us here on Doverforum and for posterity, and a lovely picture it is too.Well done that man Phil Eyden.
Keep going Phil you are doing a sterling recording job of the nature we have to hand. Many of us are totally unaware of the treasures we have right here on our doorstep so it is all very enlightening.
Wow! what a picture. I know, I know...just when you thought it was safe to go back in the woods, up pops this slithery creature to frighten the horses. Well I'm scared anyway...dont know about you! But seriously though readers, I believe these guys are both harmless and friendly. Our ace 'roving man on the spot' of legend, the ever so 'au naturelle' Phil Eyden, managed to get out and about through shrub and thicket to bring us this his very latest shot. And an absolute cracker it is too. Phil has had trouble this year getting as many pictures as he used to, due to the abysmal summer, but nevertheless talent will always win through and Phil has hit gold again with this pic....and we may have more in the pipeline so hold your breath.
The picture is of the Common Lizard and it was taken at Cowgate Cemetary. Well done Phil.
Comments Welcome - see below.
- Great shot Phil, it's amazing that these wonderful creatures are only a stones throw away from our own doorstep, then to have our intrepid roving photographer crawling on all fours through the wilderness to bring us wonderful images like the Common Lizard is just another added bonus. Well Done Phil.
- Wow! Another great shot there Phil, I must say I've missed your photos, looking forward to some more hope I don't find one of those in my back garden, I'd run a mile!
- Fantastic shot Phil, what a lovely creature.
- Oh wow good to see your pic's up again phil cann't honestly say it would my ideal pet, but a brillant picture none the less.
- wonderful pic phil, he/she does seem to be giving you an old fashioned look though.
cowgate is an ideal place for our reptile friends to carry out their activities in peace.
i remember a pic on here some years ago now, of an adder sunbathing on top of a tomb stone. - Glad you liked Mr Lizard, they really are very cute. They about 5-6 inches long and sometimes allow one to get really close.
Yep, the adder on the gravestone was one of mine from a couple of years ago Howard. I've haven't seen a trace of an adder at Cowgate this year and I worry that the graveyard is now too well managed for them. A clump of dried scrub that housed a juvenile adder last year as been sadly whisked away by whoever looks after the graveyard.
Still, one keeps trying - it's been a dreadful year weatherwise for this sort of thing. - "Phil whips out his device upon seeing this gorgeous specimen".
Saints preserve us! - Beautiful, Beautiful picture, clearly Phil I must come along with you on your next shooting jaunt so I can see this device up close lol!
- I knew the macro-lens would come in useful one day. :)
- Oh thats a lovely picture such a vibrant colour from something that looks so delicate.
- Love the butterfly, great photos as always Phil.
- Nice pictures there Phil, the detail on the markings of the butterflies and grasshopper are amazing.
- Love the butterfly, the fragility and beauty of the photograph is wonderful.
- Oh wow brillant pictures there phil captureing such delicate creatures.
- I don't know how you do it Phil but the photos you take are so beautiful. Have you ever considered having a showing at a gallery. I'd go.
- Thank you again for your kind comments.
No, I've never thought of showing these pics at a gallery Steph. To be honest if one logs onto any insect/wildlife photography forum and looks at the quality of the photographs there, my few pics wouldn't even make background noise. I'm glad people seem to like them but they really are nothing special whatsoever.
When I get the Yeti, that might be something else! :) - Well I disagree but it's your decision. I have every faith that if a photo of the Yeti were ever taken it would be you that took it Phil.
- Ah Steph you are so right...Phil sells himself a bit short but he does some great pictures and indeed we will have more to come on this page in due course. So watch out for those.
Keep going Phil.... - Phil your nature pix are simply Magical, I would be in that Gallery queue with Stephanie, thats for sure, keep them coming.......
- Thanks. You know it'd be worth opening a gallery just spend a morning with Collette and Steff!
(What a blatant creep I am!)
- I always enjoy Phil's photographic studies of our 'Bugs & Beasties', the latest crop of pictires have a certain 'Autumnal' feel to them with the leaves and berries in the background. Looking forward to the next batch of photos. Well Done Phil!
- Wonderful photos Phil, I adore dragonflies.
- phil where those drogonflies near water by chance.
- phil
do you go to that centre just outside new romney, forget what they call it.
they have created water features and other things in such a way as to encourage wildlife to reside there.
the two things i remember were a pond that had frogs, toads and voles, together with a ditch type of pond that attracted many species of dragon flies.
i remember the place as being very educational as well as good fun for all the family.
it may have been the "kent wildlife trust". - No I haven't been to the new Romney visitor centre Howard. According to the Kent Wildlife Trust website it is a breeding site of the rare Great Crested Newt and the Small Red-Eyed Damselfly, an unusual and rare species that can also be found at Samphire Hoe. It sounds as if it is well worth a visit next year.
Funnily enough the dragonfly on the pebbles picture was indeed taken in New Romney near the late 1920s concrete sound mirrors. The other two pics were taken at the new Fowlmead Country Park between Deal and Sandwich. As Common Darters can be often found around Bushy Ruff and Samphire Hoe in summer I didn't feel too much of a cheat!
- Oh wow the additional picture's to the collection are lovely they look so fragile and the colour.
- phil will always be overmodest about his pics.
to the rest of us here, he brings to life things around us that we miss, and transmits them to our living room.
we get enough about the masai mara on the box, great to see things that are much closer to home. - Yes well said Howard, we get so many programmes featuring all aspects of foreign fields and not enough featuring items closer to home. I havent a clue what goes on down the road. There must be a TV gap in the market for someone to make home grown television programmes about all aspects of local life. Those supposedly local but now stretched ever further afield magazine news programmes around 6pm are generally very dull with headachingly dull humanity stories mostly.
I myself have enjoyed Phil's pictures and learnt a lot just enjoying them. - Phil, another great selection of photographs, the dragonflies are wonderful, you have captured them in all their glory.
- well said there paul, i watch those "local interest" programmes.
yawn.
as an ex city cove, i watch "country ways".
yawn again.
paul, phil and others have treated us to some great shots of our local wildlife, and you have done us some great shots of cruise liners and sunsets from boland towers.
i bet there are people from towns close by that have similar stuff.
the problem is that our "local" news stretches so far, and covers nearly a fifth of the countries population. - Wonderful new photos Phil, thanks for sharing them with us.
- That's a great study of one of our reptilean friends Phil, is that a common frog, whereabouts was it taken? Well Done!
- Yep, glad you liked the new pics. Quite right Barry, he's just a Common Frog I found in my garden in the Cherry Tree Ave area. The photos make it look much more exotic though!
- probably get a lot more common frogs phil, now that the euro has parity with the pound.
- Ah! once again Phil you have managed to mesmerise me with these marvellous frog photos, the best nature photographer in town for sure!!
- Lovely pictures there Phil. You can`t beat nature. Well done. Perhaps if that new lifeguard hut on the beach was built whale shaped or something similar, it would have blended in with the environment better. Look forward to some more pics. Excellent.
- Fantastic pictures. My Canon A720 is not up to the job or perhaps its me!