rps nature group residential field meeting slapton ...on this, my second edition of the iris, i feel...

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This highly successful Residential Field Weekend will run again in 2019.

The cost is £210 per person single / £200 per person shared occupancy for three nights.

Prices include full board, packed lunch, accommodation and VAT at 20%.

Deposit will be required upon booking to secure your place.

All rooms are en-suite.

We will have the use of the centre’s 16 seat Mini bus for which there will be a smallextra charge per mile.

Main subjects of interest: Late summer flowers, insects and birds.

Moth Trap may run some nights.I will take bookings when this appears in the Winter edition of The Iris

For further detail and to book please contact: James Foad LRPSEmail: [email protected] Phone: 07834 810430

RPS Nature Group Residential Field MeetingSlapton Ley Field Centre

Slapton, Kingsbridge, Devon. TQ7 2QP2nd – 5th August 2019

Leader: James Foad LRPS

The Iris Cover 132_Iris cover 23/10/2018 16:53

Banded demoiselle male by Alan Wood

Fly on Viper's Bugloss by Len Shepherd

More Pictures from Sri Lankasee page 8

More Pictures from RPS Nature Group Summer ResidentialSee page 4

Indian Striped Mongoose

Indian Elephants

White Bellied Fish Eagle

Black Headed Munia

Female Purple Sunbird

Barn Swallow

The Iris Cover 132_Iris cover 23/10/2018 16:53

Editorial

From the Chair

RPS Nature Group Summer Residentialby Julia Andrews ARPS

Sri Lankaby Gerald Griffin ARPS

Entry form and rules for 2019 Members Exhibitionof Prints and Digital Images

Members Residential Field Trip 2019

The Pyrenees in Close-upby Robert Thompson FRPS

The Galapagos - The Enchanted Islesby Dawn Osborn FRPS

Contents

Publication information‘The Iris’ is published by the RPS Nature Group threetimes a year. Copy and publication dates are as fol-lows:Spring Copy deadline 8th December

Published mid March.Summer Copy deadline 30th April

Published early July.Winter Copy deadline 31st August

Published early November.All contributions should be submitted to the Editor.Items covering any aspect of nature photographyand/or natural history are welcomed, including re-views on equipment and relevant books. The Editorcan be contacted at: [email protected] should be sent as .txt or .doc files by email orwetransfer.com. Please do not send hand written copy. Digitally captured photographic images are preferredbut scanned transparencies are also acceptable. Im-ages (whether vertical or horizontal) should be suppliedon CD or via WeTransfer.com as flattened 8bit sRGBTiff files, 6” x 4” at 300 pixels per inch (1800 x 1200pixels, file size approx 6.17MB). Please do not sendlarger images. Larger files may be needed for thecover.No payment will be made for material used and whilstevery care will be taken, neither the Editor, the NatureGroup or the Printers can accept liability for anydamage that may occur to photographic materialsubmitted.The views expressed within The Iris are solely those ofthe contributor and do not necessarily reflect theviews of the Nature Group Committee or the Editor.Distribution:‘The Iris’ is forwarded to members using address la-bels produced by the RPS Membership Dept in Bath.Any member not receiving their copy should contactthat department so that their name appears on alabel in the future. The Secretary will be pleased topost single copies to members who have failed to re-ceive them.Copyright:© All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted in any form or by any means withoutprior permission of the copyright holder.

© Photographs and articles - individual contributors. All other material the Nature Group of the RoyalPhotographic Society.

Printed by Partridges Limited6-8 Bradfield Road, Wellingborough, NN8 4HB

Design & layout by Gerald Griffin ARPS

1The Iris - Winter 2018

Cover imageBlue-footed Booby by Dawn Osborn FRPS,taken in The Galapagos.

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The Iris 132.5_Layout 1 24/10/2018 09:26 Page 1

2 The Iris - Winter 2018

CommitteeOfficersChairman: Kevin Elsby FRPSAylsham, Norfolk, Tel: 01263-732839 Email: [email protected]: Duncan LockeKempsey, Worcester. WR5 3JZ E-mail: [email protected]:VacantVice Chairman: David O’Neill LRPSReading, RG1 6DG, Email: [email protected] Past Chairman: Richard Revels FRPSBiggleswade Beds, SG18 8EE, Email: [email protected]

Committee MembersEditor of The Iris: Gerald Griffin ARPSEmail: [email protected] Secretary: Ralph Snook ARPS Bristol BS32 4EJE-mail: [email protected] Rep to Advisory Panel: David O’Neill LRPSReading, Berkshire Email: [email protected] Co-ordinator: Barbara Lawton FRPSWolverhampton, West Midlands E-mail: [email protected]: Ralph Snook ARPS Bristol BS32 4EJE-mail: [email protected] Editor: Dawn Osborn FRPSDereham, NorfolkEmail: [email protected] Jones ARPS Kegworth, DerbyTel: 01509 672125Gordon Follows ARPSHolt, Norfolk.Email: [email protected] Hanahoe FRPSBiggleswadeEmail: [email protected] Saunders ARPSSandy, BedfordshireEmail: [email protected]

Ex officio Committee membersPresident of the Society; Vice-President of the Society; Director General of the Society; Hon. Treasurer of the Society; Chairman of the Nature A & F Distinctions Panel

Nature Group ExhibitionsCDs/DVDs of Nature Group Exhibitions are available for purchaseby camera clubs/photographic societies for use in their pro-gramme. Please contact the Exhibition Secretary, details above.

EditorialOn this, my second edition of The Iris, I feel I amgetting my feet under the table. I was pleased withIris 131 and all the support I received during itsproduction. There were a few errors in titling picturesfrom the Annual Exhibition, which I apologise for. I amsure readers will understand that The Iris is essentiallyan amateur production and that there will be,inevitably, the occasional mistake.

Anyway, apologises to the following whose namedid not appear correctly alonside their photographs:Rosamund Macfarlane ARPS, the author of the printBronze Medal photograph of the Snow Hare on page23; Nigel Atkins LRPS, the author of the HighlyCommended digital image of the Hoopoe on pages29 and 34; and Richard Revels FRPS, the author of theHighly Commended digital image of Ice Shapes onthe inside cover. I shall try and do better next time!

Thank you to the contributors to this edition. I doneed more articles from members please. To set agood example I have written one for this edition! Ishall be contacting some of you who have recentlygained Natural History distinctions from the RoyalPhotographic Society with a view to include your storyand panels in future issues.

There was an interesting debate at the lastcommittee meeting about the inclusion of landscapepictures in Natural History panels and exhibitions. Ithink only four pictures which would loosely be placedin this category got a mention in dispatches in lastyear’s Annual Exhibition. We concluded that Naturedoes embrace the physical as well as the living. If youhave some interesting photographs of geysers, sanddunes, fiords, glaciers, or anything else that fits intothis in this genre please send them to me so that TheIris can reflect this broad brush approach.

I am off on holiday to Malta soon. I think myphotography there will be more akin to Travel than toNature!

Enjoy your photography.



From the chair

Welcome to the latest issue of the Iris. As I write this inNorfolk in mid October, the temperature outside is 25degrees Celsisus. 2018 is going to go on record as oneof the hottest years we have experienced, possiblysurpassing that last great heatwave year I can rememberof 1976. In that year, a minister of drought wasappointed (Dennis Howell), only for the UK to bedeluged with floods shortly afterwards!

There is no doubt plenty of evidence of globalwarming and much, undoubtedly, is man made. This hasmajor potential consequences, not least for the wildlifewe all enjoy photographing. Flowers are appearingearlier each year (Orchids are a good example), andinsects are emerging earlier year on year (Swallowtail is atypical example). The lives of birds too are beingaffected with summer migrants arriving earlier andleaving later each year. As for mammals, I am personallygoing to make a trip to the Thames tomorrow to see if Ican see the Beluga whale which has found a home therefor the last three weeks.

In September, I was proud to have held myChairman’s Day at the Smethwick Photographic Society.I am delighted at how successful the event was. I hadinvited three speakers to give talks. Steve Cham, one ofthe UK’s foremost experts on Dragonflies gave afascinating talk on the life histories of this wonderful andancient group of insects. He illustrated his talk with somebeautiful images, including short videos, which helpedus understand several aspects of their behaviour.

Koshy Johnson FRPS then gave a talk whichincluded a look at the seabirds of Bempton cliffs,together with a wide-ranging pot pourri of other wildlifeimages from around the world. His efforts tophotograph the Gannets at Bempton extended tochartering a small boat early in the morning to catch thebest light, whilst he was wearing a device which enabledhim to keep as steady as possible while hand-holding a500mm lens in a bobbing sea. He also mentioned thenausea associated with trying to put the camera on histarget under these difficult circumstances. His otherimages included several shots from India, illustrating avariety of wildlife to be found there.

I had invited three successful ARPS candidates totalk on the day, and to show their successful images.This also proved very entertaining and indeedstimulating for the members in the audience who werecontemplating submitting for ARPS or FRPS. David BirdARPS gave a talk about his successful panel featuringwildlife of the Island of Youth in Cuba. Julia WainwrightARPS inspired us with her panel of birds of the Western

Palearctic. Finally, Graeme Clark ARPS entertained uswith his panel of fungi. All three spoke with passion inabundance about the trials and tribulations of theprocess of a successful panel, from thinking of anidea, to getting the images, to advisory day / adviceon these images, to the assessment day itself, and,most importantly in my opinion, on the drive neededto continue and ultimately succeed with the processwhen you fall at the final hurdle.

After lunch, it was Austin Thomas’ turn to regale uswith some stunning images of wildlife he hasphotographed close to his home (including his iconicLittle Owl images) and Africa (including the big cats tobe found there). It was another excellent talk. Austin isan electronic engineer by trade and he included someimages in his talk of the technical equipment he uses onsome of his shoots – including large flash units and verylarge and heavy-looking batteries to power them!

The day ended with a talk by me on Costa Ricanwildlife and I was delighted to show some of thewonderful nature to be found in this relatively tinycentral American country.

It may seem a long way off now, but our nextexhibition will be held in April 2019 at Smethwick.However, in order to be in the exhibition, you mustsubmit your images well before then – see the entry inthis Iris. It would be very good to see entries frommembers who have not entered before. Don’t be shy!After all, this is your organisation and we love to seeother people’s work. We have tried to make things assimple as possible. So, get looking again at the imagesyou have already or go out and shoot some new oneswhich we look forward to seeing in April!

Finally, the Nature Group committee has a regularturnover of membership and in April we will be lookingto appoint some new people on the committee. Atpresent, the committee meetings are held at Smethwick.The committee is researching the feasibility of holdingthese meetings using Skype. I hope that the use ofSkype for ‘teleconferencing’ will encourage members,who may have been put off by the drive to Smethwick,to put themselves forward for the committee.

Well, that’s all for now so I wish you a happy winter’sphotography.



RPS Nature Group Summer Residential

Juniper Hall Field Studies Centre was the location forthis year’s Nature Group residential. It is set in theheart of Surrey Hills which is a designated Area ofOutstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The northernridge of the hills is mainly formed by chalk and isseparated by the Vale of Holmesdale which is formedpredominantly of greensand. The geology provides avaried habitat and is a haven for rare plants andinsects. Despite the extended winter, the weather waskind with warm temperatures and a gentle breeze;just about perfect for nature photography.

On the first morning the group, from locationsacross the country, met at Wisley and OckhamCommons. The surrounding heathland is protectedand is home to sand lizards, snakes, and manywildflowers and insects.

Once at Juniper Hall, the group was able to takeadvantage of the centre’s facilities including the use ofmoth traps. Each evening, John Bebbington helped setthem up. A variety of moth species were waiting eachmorning. As a consequence, each day began with an(optional) early start, but most chose to take part and

Julia Andrew LRPS, Group LeadJune 2018, Juniper Hall Field Studies Council, Dorking, Surrey

Lime Hawkmoth by Alan Wood

Crab Spider by Chuck Eccleston

Mute Swan by Maggie Bullock

Banded demoiselle female by Julia Andrew



had already taken their first shots just after dawn.At around eight-thirty each morning, the

group set off to the first location. The mini-buswas driven by willing chauffeurs Jeremy Malley-Smith and James Foad.

After a picnic lunch, the group would set off forthe afternoon shoot at a different and contrastinglocation. The afternoon shoot was always followed bylashings of hot tea and delicious home-made cake onreturn to the Field Study Centre.

With just an hour or so left to download, showerand recharge before dinner and eveningentertainment there was no time to waste.

On Friday evening James Foad gave a tongue-in-cheek presentation called ‘Don’t Shoot The Birds’ andon Saturday night John Bebbington gave anextraordinary talk on pollinators. Sunday evening’spresentation was given by Jeremy Malley-Smith whofascinated the group with his talk on ‘ScottishWildlife’. All speakers shared much aboutphotographic techniques, specialist equipment andinteresting locations.

The first location visited on Saturday the groupvisited a chalk-face at a local lime-works providing ahabitat for the Common Lizard, Slow Worms andseveral species of orchid.

During the afternoon and in contrast to the chalk-face, Newdigate Brickworks was the destination. Thislocation comprises of disused clay pits that form twolakes and are home to Great Crested Newts, BroadBodied Chasers and Emperor Dragonflies.

Chuck tracked our movements using his handyOS mobile app. You can follow Chuck’s afternoonroute at the brickworks.

For those who had a lengthy journey to Dorking,there was an option to meet a day early, giving themtime to recover before the busy weekend. This groupmet at the Riverside Nature Reserve in Guildford andwere blessed by clouds of Banded Demoisellesfluttering around the water's edge. Brilliant bluemales danced, to catch the attention of glimmeringgreen females.

On Sunday the group spent the entire day atThursley Common National Nature Reserve. Here, thereis an extensive boardwalk giving access to otherwiseinaccessible parts of the reserve. There are magnificentviews as well as access to bog habitats and their rarewildlife. Thursley is known to be one of the best sites inthe country to see dragonflies. Many bird watchers gothere just to see the Hobby, a bird of prey that isactually quick enough to catch dragonflies in flight.

Several members of the group spent a substantialamount of time observing a nesting Treecreeper

ullock

Slow Worms by Chuck Eccleston

Common Blue by Maggie Bullock

Treecreeper at nest by Paul Stillman

Lunch at Thursley Common by Chuck Eccleston

drew



feeding its hatchlings. The nest had been built in agap in the bark of a tree. Fortunately, Treecreepersare usually indifferent to humans and they didn’t seemto mind the gathering audience.

The final day of the weekend was spent with awalk to Juniper Top and Juniper Bottom, led by JohnBebbington. John shared his knowledge of the areaand photographic techniques so very generously.Here we located the Broad-leaved Helleborine and a

variety of other orchidsThe weekend provided an opportunity for people

to share their knowledge of the natural world andtheir photographic wisdom and enjoy the company oflike-minded friends.

Next year’s residential weekend takes place 2nd –5th August at Slapton Ley FSC in Devon. Details to bepublished in The Iris.

Sharing techniquesby Chuck Eccleston

White Bryony by Chuck Eccleston

Lady Orchid by Len Shepherd

Fragrant Orchid by Czech ConroyButterfly Orchid by Julia Andrew



leston Banded demoiselle male by Len Shepherd

Broad-leaved Helleborineby John Bebbington

Juvenile Dark Bush Cricketby Maggie Bullock

Copper Underwing larvae by Mark Perkins

Arrival by Chuck Eccleston

Banded Demoiselle on Cow Parsleyby Margaret Beardsmore



My wife, Sally, and I visited Sri Lanka for three weekslast winter. It was a ‘tailor-made’ visit to see thecountryside, culture and to meet the people of thisIndian Ocean island. Visits to wildlife areas were alsohigh on the agenda and we asked specifically for aguide with a knowledge of natural history.

We saw plenty of wildlife both in the nationalparks and outside, by the road or on short walksthrough the countryside with our guide. We recorded135 species of birds and many mammals including therarely seen Mouse Deer, which is the size of a largerat. We did not see the Sloth Bear in spite of lots ofsearching. We found several herds of IndianElephants. The males rarely have tusks and those thatdo are definitely in charge! The young playing andinteracting with their parenst made for someinteresting shots. Guides are always on the lookoutfor Leopards and found several. We could probablyhave seen more if we were prepared to wait with themany other tourists at places they were known to beat. The parks are pretty crowded, although it ispossible to get away from the crowds with a longdrive. We had to change vehicle on entering thewildlife parks. The park vehicles were not designedfor photography with a big lens and monopod. Oneof the best ways to see wildlife is from a boat on one

of the reservoirs or sea inlets. I got some good shotsof Fish Eagles, Cormorants and Elephants from a boaton Sri Lanka’s largest reservoir.

There were several wildlife highlights. Firstlyseeing Blue Whales. This involved a long dawn boattrip from the southern coast. Our boat got quite nearseveral and the size of them was awe inspiring. I gotsome sharp shots of the Whalesucker fish on theirskin. Second was the Fruit Bat roosts. I have seenthese animals before in India and Nepal but I havenever been able to photograph them close to.Although the bats posed helpfully, controlling thebackground distractions was a major problem. Thethird highlight was seeing a Green Back Turtle layingeggs in a nest at night. The beach was well policedand getting shots was difficult as, of course, I couldnot use flash. Nevertheless I got some!

Many of the wildlife reserves are wooded and thismakes photography difficult because of low lightconditions and distracting backgrounds. I took fulladvantage of any extended grassy areas, ponds andlakes when they came into view!

There is a lot of to see in Sri Lanka and some ofthe hotels we stayed in were wonderful. However Ithink there are better places in the world to visit totake natural history photographs.

SRI LANKA

Gerald Griffin ARPS


Indian Nightjar

Sucker Fish on aBlue Whale

Peacock display

Blue Whale

Green Back Turtle laying eggs

Garden Lizard


10

Indian Flying Fox

Leopard

Endemic Jungle Fowl

Openbill Cormorant



The Pyrenees in close-upRobert Thompson FRPS

The Pyrenees are an impressive range of mountainsstretching some 270 miles (430km) in length. Theyextend from the Bay of Biscay in the Atlantic Ocean tothe western end of the Mediterranean Sea forming anatural boundary between France and the IberianPeninsula. Their name apparently originates from aprincess in Greek Mythology called Pyrene, daughterof Bebryx who was the lover of Hercules but fled tothe mountains and died. Although the Pyrenees are arelatively young range formed during the Tertiaryperiod some 100 and 150 million years ago, theregion has some of the most remarkable scenery inEurope in addition to its exceptional flora and fauna.The alpine meadows bring colour to the landscape,and the roadside verges are overflowing with flowersand insects making it a real paradise for the macrophotographer.

These majestic mountains differ in many waysfrom the Alps, in that they still retain much of theirwilderness and isolation. The region encompassesmany massifs, which divide the range into distinctareas. Some peaks exceed 3,000m and retain snow ontheir highest summits all year round. Deciduousforests carpet many of the mountain slopes, and fast-flowing rivers with impressive waterfalls are a familiarsight across the whole landscape.

I need little in the way of an excuse to visit thisremarkable landscape, having run several workshopsin the region and explored much of the south-westand central areas on a number of occasions. The

Cirque de Gavarnie is perhaps one of the best-knownlocations within the chain and situated approximately3km from the small village from which it takes itsname. The valley encompasses some amazing sceneryand has a rich diversity of invertebrates and flowers



making it a magnet for walkers, photographers andthose who appreciate nature at its best.

The Cirque itself is a remarkable vista; oncedescribed by the French Writer Victor Hugo as the‘Coliseum of Nature’. It is a vast, glaciatedAmphitheatre of staggered, almost vertical igneousrock rising some 1,400m (5,000ft) into the sky and isperhaps the most widely-known landmark within thewestern Pyrenees belt. Plunging from the vertical rockface at the head of the Gave de Pau is a 462m(1,515ft) waterfall known as ‘Grande Cascade deGavarnie’ (apparently the highest in Europe), whichcan be seen from the adjoining meadows almost 3kmaway. It has also been recognised by UNESCO anddesignated as a world heritage site.

The climate of the Pyrenees varies betweenregions so expect to get baked one minute anddrenched the next. It’s often warm and sunny in themorning followed by rain and the occasionalthunderstorm in the afternoon. The combination ofthe Mediterranean and alpine climates produces awide variation in plant and insect life throughout therange. The flora is rich and varied, with over 3,000species recorded; more than enough to swell thedigital cards of any photographer. A number of theseare endemic and restricted to specific areas within themountains. The main flowering period peaks in lateJune and early July, but an early visit in the spring willsee the foothills carpeted with irises, yellow rattle,

gentians and narcissus followed later in the seasonwith a range of orchids.

The insect life is numerous and diverse. Beetles,grasshoppers and countless crickets are abundantamong the lush vegetation. The butterfly fauna isespecially rich, with over 200 species recordedthroughout the region. Apollos, Swallowtails, variousSkippers and many Ringlets and Blues thrive in thelower pristine hay meadows, and roadside verges.Numerous day-flying moths, including, burnets,foresters and Hummingbird Hawk-moths can be seenhovering among the flowers. With so much subjectmaterial it’s sometimes difficult to know where tostart. When you experience a place such as this forthe first time, it brings home the sad reality of whatwe as a country have lost especially since the middleof the last century. The advance and expansion ofurban infrastructure, the loss of natural habitats and

Opposite page, Cirque de Gavarnie & Grande

Cascade de Gavarnie.

This page, left, Pyrenean Columbine Aquilegia

pyrenaica, above top, Conopid Fly Myopa buccata

and below Apollo Parnassius apollo.



the change in population demographics have beenmainly at the expense of our own natural heritage.Where to stay? The small village of Gavarnie itself hasonly a couple of hotels and limited accommodation. Ifyou’re not looking four-star accommodation, thensome of the smaller places will be adequate for yourneeds. There are a few restaurants in the village;however most of them are closed even in late June.The nearby town of Luz-Saint-Sauveur to the north ofGavarnie village is a more sensible choice for a base;there is more selection in terms of accommodationand places to eat. The journey time from Luz-Saint-Sauveur to Gavarnie is about 25 minutes if drivingdirect and without distractions. However, themeandering road and flowery roadside verges on theway to the Cirque with nectaring butterflies, andother insects will have you stopping at every layby.

The flower-rich meadows and the general areaaround the Cirque is a utopia for butterflies and day-flying moths; many are set against chocolate boxscenery. The river here is also vibrant, fast-flowing,with meltwater coming from the snow-capped rockfaces. Alpine Marsh Orchids are common along thetrack and roadside verges. Several other species,including Greater Butterfly, Fragrant, Vanilla andBurnt-tip Orchids were a frequent sight along theroadside and around the waterfalls. Flowerphotography can be challenging especially when thelight is strong and directional. On a previousworkshop a couple of years ago we awoke every

Left, Alpine Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza alpestris.

Above Fragrant Orchid Gymnadenia conopsea and

River d' Estaube Lac de Gloriettes.

Below, Alpine Marmot Marmota. marmota.



morning to clear blue skies for 12 out of 14 dayswhich made photography somewhat challenging.When sunlight is intense diffusion is a sensibleapproach, and although it can slow things down a bit,the results, however, are more acceptable and betterthan the alternative of harsh light and deep shadows.

There are many locations within the Gavarnie regionincluding, the Ossoue Valley, the Cirque de Troumouseand the Barrage des Gloriettés; a local nature reserveand another well-known haunt for some endemicsincluding pyrenean eryngium and pyrenean saxifrage;many of them are found on the road up to the dam. It isalso a reliable location to see lammergeiers, alpinechoughs and griffon vultures among the frequentwhistles of the alpine marmots. The scenery in this regionis impressive with the Gave d’Estaube flowing throughthe valley and providing an attractive foreground againstthe snow-capped massif of the Cirque d'Estaube in thedistance. The area is particularly good for a wide rangeof insects, including black-veined whites, variousfritillaries, ringlets, skippers, apollos, and turquoise blues.

Another excellent location is the Lutor Valley nearthe small town of Cauterets. Driving up throughspectacular pine woodland provides uniqueopportunities to photograph the numerous waterfalls enroute to Pont d’Espagne. From there you can trek up toLac de Gaube; an area of spectacular scenery that hasmany other species of butterfly including clouded apollo,pearly heath, mountain ringlet, sooty copper andmountain clouded yellow, not to mention the variety of

grasshoppers and crickets that jump away as you walk.It is easy to be overwhelmed when you

encounter a place such as this, and one could easilyspend all of your time working the side roads to theexclusion of everything else. Some of the bestlocations are on the many small flowery bye roadswhere there was a lot more shelter from the wind andsuitable shade later on in the evening. Most of theregion is under protection and is perhaps the lastarea of genuinely unspoiled wilderness left inWestern Europe.

Left, Black-veined White Aporia crataegi.

Above, Wart biter Decticus verrucivorus.

Below, Pearly Heath Coenonympha arcania



Galapagos - The Enchanted Isles

by Dawn Osborn FRPS

In May 2016 I showed my husband the itinerary for atour of the Galapagos Islands. Many tour operatorsoffer trips to the Galapagos, often fitting outboundand return travelling time into two weeks or less andgiving only 7 days touring the islands. This trip was alittle different - it offered a full two weeks touring theislands, a group size of only 12 and our means of travelaround the islands would be on a genuine 105ftbrigantine sailing yacht appropriately named TheBeagle. There was little or no discussion - we bookedthe next day! The prospect of photographing so manyspecies in their natural environment whilst travelling ona true sailing vessel and following in the footsteps ofCharles Darwin all those years ago was very exciting.

The Galapagos Islands lie on the Equator about1,000 km west of the South American coast andbelong to Ecuador. The name Galapagos comes fromthe Spanish word for a type of saddle similar to thecarapace of a species of tortoise found in the islands.We opted to use the services of KLM for our flight toQuito. Our journey began with a 45 min flight toAmsterdam where we spent the night at an airporthotel before flying out the following morning.Fourteen hours later we arrived in Quito. We werecollected from the airport and driven to our overnighthotel. The following morning at breakfast we met theother members of our group, mostly American, before

The Beagle


returning to the airport for our flight to the islands.On arrival our immigration formalities werecompleted, our luggage collected and an hour laterwe were on board our home for the next two weeks.

Our routine for the next two weeks followed apattern of breakfast at 05.00hrs.,then departure byPanga for our morning shoot, usually putting us onshore around 06.00hrs. Back on board by 10.00hrs,refreshments, snorkeling or kayaking for those whowanted, followed by lunch on board, usually whilesailing to our next destination and our afternoonshore excursion which ended at sunset. Our shoreexcursions were normally 3 - 4 hours. Dinner and bedrounded off the day. The weather always allowed ourmeals to be enjoyed on deck. The cabins, compactrather than spacious, all had en-suite bathrooms.

Galapagos National Park has strict regulationsregarding the timing and duration of shore time foreach vessel. Our time under sail was controlled by theneed to be at every landing point at a precise time.Sail gave way to the engines when we needed speed.Nevertheless we were always first on the beach in themorning and our afternoon excursions ended whenthe sun set. We never felt hurried and there wasalways time to get the shots you wanted.

For this trip I travelled with 3 camera bodies andthree lenses - EOS 1DX, 7DMkII and 5DMkIV, 300mmf2.8 + X2 converter, 100-400 MkII and 24-70 f2.8 MkII,a tripod & gimbal head for the 1DX + 300mmcombination. Before each shore excursion I woulddecide which 2 camera/lens combinations I wouldcarry based on what we expected to photograph. AThink Tank Airport Ultralight back-pack, 11” MacBookAir, card reader and portable SSD storage devicecompleted the kit list.

When going ashore there are two types oflanding - the ‘dry’ and the ‘wet’. A wet landing iswhen the pangas pull in as close as they can to thebeach; you roll up your trousers, carry your shoes andslip over the side into the shallow water. Dry landingsare made where a jetty has been built, usually wherethe water is too deep and/or the shoreline is rocky.

Our first ports of call were Prince Phillip’s Stepsand Darwin Bay, both on Genovesa Island, north ofthe Equator. Genovesa was our first ‘wet landing’. SeaLions, Frigate Birds, Red-footed and Nazca Boobieswere among the first species to greet us and bephotographed. It was challenging to keep up with theaerial acrobatics of the frigates as they chased theboobies. Images of courting Swallow-tailed Gull,Marine Iguana and Mockingbird were captured in thelight of a setting sun set before we had to leave.

We awoke the next morning at James Bay on

Lava Heron

Galapagos Shearwater

Great Blue Heron with young Marine Iguana

Frigatebird chasing a Red-footed Booby



Santiago Island. The beach was deserted except forSea Lions and Marine Iguanas. We saw geologicalfeatures such as rope lava and took our first shots ofSally Lightfoot Crab, Lava Heron, Great Blue Heron,American Oystercatcher, Mockingbird and Fur Seals.Back on board, we had chance to download and viewimages as we sailed to Isabela Island - our destinationand evening mooring, Punta Vicente Roca.

We boarded the pangas at dawn; the ocean wasa flat calm and we cruised around below the cliffs -curious Sea Lion, Galapagos Penguin and GreenTurtle swam past and we could see shoals of fishbelow the water. Our attention was attracted by thefin of a huge Sunfish as it broke the surface of thewater and then swam in lazy circles around ourdinghy. Back on board, after breakfast, while otherswent off snorkelling, I sat on deck with my camera andphotographed Elliot’s Storm Petrel as they hoveredaround the boat, their feet in the water.

We enjoyed an afternoon sail to Tagus Covewhere we went out in pangas and found GalapagosPenguins and Flightless Cormorants both in the waterand on the cliffs, then went ashore and climbed upabove Darwin Lake to take in the view beforereturning to our ship as the sun was setting.

The next day, having sailed the short distance toFernandina Island, we boarded the pangas and wentashore at Punta Espinoza. We spent our timephotographing Sea Lion, Pelicans, Lava Heron busycatching crabs and a Great Blue Heron who caught asmall Marine Iguana and obligingly flew off with itscatch right in front of my camera. There wereinteresting lava formations dotted with Lava Cactusto photograph until a Galapagos Hawk was spottedin a tree - while we were getting off a few shots itsuddenly swooped down and grasped a newlyhatched marine iguana. Pretty exciting and allbefore breakfast.

After lunch we arrived at Urbina Bay - IsabelaIsland. It was a wet landing followed by a walkacross the beach and into a forest. It was here wegot our first sighting of wild Giant Tortoises andLand Iguanas plus another opportunity tophotograph Galápagos Hawks, warblers and avariety of the numerous finches.

Isabella Island is the largest in the archipelagoand in all we spent three days at six different sites. Weexplored Elizabeth Bay by panga. This shallowestuary, abundant with mangroves contained GoldenRay, White-tipped Reef Sharks, turtles, penguins andpelicans - we photographed them all. Huge numbersof birds were spotted offshore. Curious, we motoredover and found a feeding frenzy in progress. Huge

Giant Tortoise

Marine Iguana

Galapagos Penguin


numbers of Galapagos Shearwater and Petrel, BrownPelican, Boobies and Frigates busy feeding on anerruption of small fishes. At Punta Moreno, again wewent out in pangas and found good opportunities tophotograph Penguins, Flightless Cormorants andMarine Iguanas as well as Blue-footed Boobies andLava Heron on the offshore lava stacks. At PuertoVillamil we travelled up into the highlands to seeSierra Negra, one of the world’s largest active shieldvolcanoes, but unfortunately heavy low hangingclouds prevented any views of the caldera. Returningto Puerto Villamil we enjoyed a walk around lagoons,photographed Greater Flamingo, Black-necked Stilt,Smooth-billed Ani and a host of small birds beforelunch ashore and a stroll along a coral beach beforesetting sail for Santa Cruz island.

After breakfast we went ashore at Puerto Ayoroand set off into the hills of Santa Cruz. We enjoyed awalk through cloudforest at Los Gemelos, a collapsedcrater. We photographed numerous finches and othersmall birds. Our morning shore excursion ended witha visit to the El Chato Giant Tortoise Reserve and avery nice lunch. The tortoises were numerous and freeto roam so it was possible to photograph themfeeding on the vegetation and the fallen fruit belowthe Guava trees. After lunch we paid a visit to theCharles Darwin Research Station.

Our next port of call was Puerto Velasco Ibarra,Floreana Island. Before we set off I spotted a Yellow-crowned Night Heron picking up twigs and managedto get some good shots before we set off into thehills of Floreana for opportunities to photograph therare Medium Ground Finch and other forest birds. Inthe afternoon a short walk at Punta Cormoran gaveus another chance to photograph Greater Flamingo,Lava Heron and Blue-footed Boobies.

Española Island offered our only opportunity tovisit a colony of Waved Albatross, as they are uniqueto this island. We photographed them soaring alongthe cliff edge and and coming in to land. There wereseveral pairs displaying and even the occasionalaltercation. The cliffs also held nesting Swallow-tailedGull and Nazca Booby. Then in the afternoon we wentashore at Gardner Bay further east. Against abackdrop of blue sky and azure sea was a beautifulcoralline beach, and many, many Sea Lions. What awonderful place and a wonderful experience to bethere! Adult Sea Lions playing, fighting and courtingand pups cavorting in the lagoon behind the beach.For me, Española was the highlight of the Galapagos.

At Punta Pitt, San Cristóbal Island we hikedaround an eroded tuff cone stopping many timesalong the trail to photograph Blue-footed Boobies -

Nazca Boobies

Waved Albatross

Galapagos Hawk with Marine Iguana hatchling

Elliot’s Storm Petrel



some displaying, others with white fluffy chicks. Laterthat day we arrived at Isla Lobos, a small isletseparated from San Cristobal by a narrow channel. Acolony of Blue-footed Boobies gave us opportunitiesto photograph them in flight, landing and displayingto their mates. Colonies of Great Frigatebird werealso discovered and photographed.

We also visted Santa Fe Island, North Seymour,Bartolomé, Sombrero Chino and Cerro Dragon.Among the subjects photographed were Cactus Finchon Giant Cacti, Red-billed Tropicbird, Audubon’sShearwater, Great and Magnificent Frigatebird, LandIguanas, penguins, Lava Gull, corals and some veryimpressive rock formations.

All good things eventually come to an end. Ourlast night on board was enjoyed with a sunset cocktailparty and dinner followed by projection of a selectionof the group’s images.

After breakfast next morning we said goodbye toour crew and Ecuadorian Naturalist Guide,disembarked and headed to the airport for our fliqhtback to Quito, where, all having different flightshome, we said adieu to our tour leader and fellowgroup members. It had been a very memorable trip.

The challenges for the Ecuadorian Governmentincrease yearly with the growth of visitor numbers andthe increasing size of cruise ships wanting to visit.Keeping the correct balance between the needs ofthe islands fauna & flora, it’s human residents andtourism will need a firm hand. Our best wishes go tothe Galpagagos Conservationists who are working tomaintain this iconic natural environment to ensurethat future generations will be able to enjoy the samewonderful experience we had.

Blue-footed Boobies displaying

Sally Lightfoot Crab

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Giant Tortoise


Banded demoiselle male by Alan Wood

Fly on Viper's Bugloss by Len Shepherd

More Pictures from Sri Lankasee page 8

More Pictures from RPS Nature Group Summer ResidentialSee page 4

Indian Striped Mongoose

Indian Elephants

White Bellied Fish Eagle

Black Headed Munia

Female Purple Sunbird

Barn Swallow

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This highly successful Residential Field Weekend will run again in 2019.

The cost is £210 per person single / £200 per person shared occupancy for three nights.

Prices include full board, packed lunch, accommodation and VAT at 20%.

Deposit will be required upon booking to secure your place.

All rooms are en-suite.

We will have the use of the centre’s 16 seat Mini bus for which there will be a smallextra charge per mile.

Main subjects of interest: Late summer flowers, insects and birds.

Moth Trap may run some nights.I will take bookings when this appears in the Winter edition of The Iris

For further detail and to book please contact: James Foad LRPSEmail: [email protected] Phone: 07834 810430

RPS Nature Group Residential Field MeetingSlapton Ley Field Centre

Slapton, Kingsbridge, Devon. TQ7 2QP2nd – 5th August 2019

Leader: James Foad LRPS

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rps nature group residential field meeting slapton ...on this, my second edition of the iris, i feel...

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