Spring is Springing

Today was fine and mild, with just the right level of spring sunshine to mean that short sleeves were in order. I packed the camera bag, popped the dogs in the car with me and made for a local forest park, hoping to see some bird or insect life.

We hadn’t walked far before an urgent buzzing arose from some of the dry grass heaped along the pathway through the trees. A slightly disgruntled buff-tailed bumblebee appeared, pausing to watch my camera lens cautiously before proceeding to groom its feet.

If there’s one sign of spring springing (beyond the seasonal flowers), it’s the sight of insects around and about.

When photographing nature, I always try to leave no trace that I’ve been there. This includes leaving environments and animals as I find them when photographing. For this reason, I left the grass across the bee’s face; I didn’t want to cause it undue alarm by being there. If you’d like to find out more about nature photography and ethics, you can find information on the website of the League of Landscape Photographers.

I find bees beautiful creatures. Their soft colourful fur, their wonderfully big eyes, the row of ocelli across the ridge of their face, and their perfectly formed feet. The ocelli are interesting as they are used to detect light levels and possibly movement, rather than form any complex images of the environment. It’s possible that bees also use the ocelli as a form of compass, to help with navigation.

Having studied the bee for a while, I left it in peace and turned my attention to the dogs, who had been waiting patiently nearby. They are used to me whispering commands such as “stay” and “be quiet” during outdoor photoshoots, and seem content to wait calmly near to where I am photographing.

One of the joys of having dogs is the companionship they offer when I’m out and about. It’s a delight to watch them play together, chasing through the grasses and weaving between the trees.

Then when they’ve finished rushing around, they’re back at my side, watching me for the next instruction, anticipating the next adventure. A perfect, if a little noisy at times, team.

The weather forecast for spring this year isn’t particularly good. For the sake of the plants and creatures which are under the impression that spring is springing, I hope the forecast is wrong. It’s not long until we find out.