Glynn Hobbs - imageweaver

Up close and personal with an Asian Hornet.........not recommended! Every year, hundreds of people are hospitalised by hornet stings and in 2018, 3 residents here in France, died after being stung by a hornet! Having experienced the sting from one of these insects, I can confirm the intensity of the pain and length of discomfort, from a negative encounter with one of natures most brutal hunters. It’s no secret that hornets are pretty scary, especially because of their sting which carries five times more poison than that of an ordinary wasp.  However, hornets do not only attack humans and last summer, I not only witnessed, but also photographed an attack by a european hornet on a fly. The following images, although gruesome, show an interesting study of a rarely witnessed event in nature. The start of the attack and the hoverfly cannot compete with its larger adversary Hornets, their huge size and predatory nature are not a coincid...

The Nuthatch is a fast moving bird; running and darting off in any direction and rarely staying still for more than a few seconds. These traits make photographing them a serious challenge. Despite this, they are a joy to watch and it is very satisfying to capture their images. I am lucky enough to have them visit my garden and the following shots were all taken from within my hide during the past week. The European Nuthatch is a small bird, similar in size to a Great Tit, or Chaffinch. However, it has a longer lifespan (up to 10 years) than most small birds. It's real claim to fame though, is that it is the only european bird capable of running up, down and around the trunks and branches of trees. It is often mistaken for the similar treecreeper, or a small woodpecker which also run up the side of trees, but are not able to match the Nuthatches flexibility of also running down!  In fact, it is very rare to see a Nuthatch in a Horizontal pose; generally preferring...

I usually have a pretty good idea of what I will be shooting from week to week, but this week has been a little different. Although I try to get out with the camera every day, sometimes there is just too much going on and I need to concentrate on our home, garden and all the other mundane chores that require attention. So this weeks blog has no 'core' subject, but rather reflects the odd times, when I have been able to pick up the camera and 'escape' for a few minutes! My current and ongoing project about Iberian Water Frogs is progressing slowly and the tadpoles have now all 'hatched' and grown a little over the past two weeks. These images were taken on Monday and we can now clearly see the eyes and the formation of the body within the outer protective membrane. Unfortunately, their numbers are diminishing, so I have to hope that enough will survive to reach adulthood. On Tuesday, I managed to grab the camera and 'macro' s...

One of my favourite raptors to photograph, is the elegant Kestrel. Its classic pose, hovering above an open field, prior to dropping out of the sky like a stone to strike its prey, offers both outstanding beauty and a killing efficiency to be marvelled at. I am fortunate enough to live within the territory of a pair of Kestrels and have been able to record them over the past 12 months. When hunting, the Common Kestrel usually hovers about 10-20 mtrs above the ground, searching for prey, either by flying into the wind, or by soaring using ridge lift.  Like most birds of prey, Common Kestrels have keen eyesight enabling them to spot small prey from a distance. Once prey is sighted, the bird makes a short, steep dive toward the target.  This species is able to see near ultraviolet light, allowing the birds to detect the urine trails around rodent burrows as they shine in an ultraviolet colour in the sunlight. Another favourite...