A close-up photograph in landscape orientation of a female kestrel, with a compact body and upright posture, perched inside the hollow of a tree trunk. It’s her nest hole and she’s taking shelter from strong, northerly winds at the start of the breeding season. Her plumage is richly detailed: the chest is pale cream to white, covered in dense dark brown spots, while the back and wings show a mix of warm brown and gray tones with subtle barring. Her head is slightly turned upward and to the side, as she quietly watches for threats and waits for her mate to return. The beak is short, hooked, and bluish-grey with a darker tip—typical of raptors. Her eyes are large and dark, encircled by the yellow ring of the eyelids, adding to her look of alertness. The nest is a natural tree cavity, formed within the large, weathered trunk of a veteran oak tree. The wood around the kestrel is rugged and textured, with deep grooves, cracks, and layers of bark peeling away. The interior of the hollow creates a sheltered nook, framing the bird almost like a natural vignette. The wood tones range from deep browns to reddish hues, contrasting nicely with the lighter tones of the kestrel’s feathers. In the foreground, there are soft, out-of-focus spring green leaves, creating a gentle blur that partially frames the scene. They’re just starting to emerge on the oaks now and will create an extra layer of concealment for the breeding kestrel pair. As with any nest site, I captured this image using a telephoto lens at 400mm on a crop sensor (cropped further in post processing) so that I don’t disturb my subjects and remain quietly observing from a distance.

The Sanctuary Of Ancient Trees #ShareMondays2026

One of the #BushyPark resident #kestrels sheltering from recent bitter #winds at her natural nest site. It’s good to see them all returning 😊 #wildlife #nature #birding @theroyalparks.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social #fujifilm_uk #Spring

Reflections of the London Eye.

#fujifilm_uk #uk_shooters #fujifilmphotography #fujifilmshooters #xe4 #fujifilm #citylife #urbanphotography #london #architecture #photographerslife #londonlife #photography #londoneye

Tunnel vision in Knightsbridge station.
This is part of the walkway leading to the Brompton Road exit.

#fujifilm_uk #uk_shooters #fujifilmphotography #fujifilmshooters #xe4 #mono #fujifilm #citylife #londonunderground #monochrome #architecture #architecturelovers #patterns #londonlife

Lone guy on a platform.

#fujifilm_uk #uk_shooters #fujifilmphotography #fujifilmshooters #xe4 #bnwmood #mono #fujifilm #citylife #londonunderground #bnw #bnwphoto #monochrome #tfl #london #londonundergroundphotography #urbanportrait #photographerslife #photography

Decisions decisions ........

#fujifilm_uk #uk_shooters
#fujifilmphotography #fujifilmshooters #xe4 #bnwphotography #bnwmood #mono #fujifilm #citylife #streetphotography #londonunderground #bnwphoto #bnw #monochrome #tfl #london #photographers #photographerslife #londonlife #photography

The image is a long-exposure photograph of the derelict West Pier in Brighton. The immediate foreground features a shingle beach in warm tones. Waves are captured with a blurred, silky effect due to the long exposure, creating a sense of motion at the water's edge. Several large, rusted iron support pillars emerge from the sea, leading the viewer's eye towards the main structure in the distance.The skeletal remains of the Victorian pier's main pavilion are visible against a moody, overcast sky. The structure appears fragile and ruined, a result of decades of decay and several fires. The overall colour palette is muted, dominated by deep blues, greys, and the rusty browns of the metal, contributing to a dramatic and sombre atmosphere.

Light On The Horizon #ShareMondays2026

A stylised #longexposure from a #SheClicks #meetup in #Brighton on Saturday. On Sunday our flat flooded 😱 But there IS light on the horizon 🙏 @sheclicksnet.bsky.social @bhcitynews.bsky.social #WestPier #seascape #hope #landscape #fujifilm_uk

The central focus of this landscape originated photograph is a female red fox. She has the characteristic russet-red fur on her back and sides, a white chest and throat, black tips on pointed ears, and dark grey-black lower legs and feet. She’s in a low, alert stance, as descends a large, textured deadwood log. Her body is slightly arched, her gaze is fixed downwards and to the right, as she focuses on where to place her feet on the rough bark below. The deadwood is from an old cork oak tree that was likely felled for safety or because of disease. It has been used ornamentally in these more arid flowerbeds, with ground cover planting around the base and palms in the background. The background itself is softly blurred with natural green and brown foliage. The vixen is relatively young and a more recent arrival to the territory. With her more golden-orange colouring compared to other vixens in neighbouring territories, she has become known as Maya. Although habituated to the presence of people, she is more nervous than other foxes in the garden. We have observed her becoming nervous disposition leading to signs of stress if she becomes aware of people gathering to watch her and hemming her in while trying to capture images with phones. All my photographs of the foxes are taken with telephoto zoom lenses, or mid range prime lenses on occasions when foxes approach, without being baited, to within five metres from where I have seated myself, usually on the ground to appear unthreatening. It’s more important now than ever that we give the vixens plenty of space as we enter the breeding season. They will understandably be more wary of people and we don’t want to cause any distress or disturbances to vixens in search of food while they nurse and raise their young.

Mayan Gold #FoxOfTheDay

Fur as rose gold glows
Enriched, sunlit renewal
Winter’s hold undone

#haiku #Spring #seasons #poetry #redfox #nature #wildlife @rbgkew.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social @chrisgpackham.bsky.social #fujifilm_uk #mammals @protectthewild.bsky.social

This is a close-up photograph featuring the face of a female red fox, peering intently through a delicate curtain of white snowdrops. The central focus is the fox's face, characterised by its vibrant reddish-orange fur and striking amber-yellow eyes looking directly towards the viewer. Her muzzle is edged in bright white, leading down the V shaped face into the clusters of white flowers. The perspective is low, placing the viewer at eye level with the subject as she emerges from the flowers. The shallow depth of field keeps her eyes in sharp focus, with those vertical pupils that are a characteristic distinguishing foxes from some other canids. Those eyes are focused and alert, hinting at the her keen senses, as she follows scent trails with her nose to the ground. The composition creates an intimate, almost secretive, feel. This vixen is known as Red, for that rich reddish fur that contrasts with the pristine white of the flowers, while the background is a soft, blurred expanse of green foliage. The scene captures a fleeting moment of wild beauty, where the vibrant life of the fox meets the gentle, slow awakening of Spring.

Awakening #ShareMondays2026 #FoxOfTheDay

The emergence of #flowers, along with the #behaviour of the #vixens in the #gardens, hints at a slow shift in the seasons 💮🦊 #nature #wildlife #redfox @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social @chrisgpackham.bsky.social @rbgkew.bsky.social #mammals #fujifilm_uk

The image is a close-up photograph of a Goldcrest (Regulus regulus), perched on a branch of a witch hazel, with distinctive yellow, spidery flowers. Along with the Firecrest, the Goldcrest is the UK's smallest bird, weighing about the same as a 20 pence piece and only 9cm in length. It has olive-green plumage on its back and a paler front. Its most striking features are the yellow and black stripe on its head, which is a bright orange in males. In the Autumn, our resident Goldcrests are joined by reinforcements that fly here all the way from Scandinavia and Russia to make the most of our milder weather.  Winter is prime Goldcrest-spotting season, as migrant arrivals boost numbers. They often tag along with roaming flocks of tits – so if you think you’ve spotted a Blue Tit, it’s always worth a second look!  When they’re not flitting about in conifers, where invertebrates will often seek shelter in winter, I have very regularly observed them hunting in witch hazel once it’s in flower. RHS Gardens Wisley have a great mix of both of these tree species so I usually go looking for goldcrests there every winter. The bird is captured mid-motion, leaning forward towards the flowers with its back to the camera, foraging for small insects or invertebrates which make up its diet. It’s perched on a moss-covered branch with several clusters of bright yellow, ribbon-like flowers. The background is softly blurred bokeh, with muted tones of greens and browns which helps to keep the focus on the bird and the flowers. It was captured using a shallow depth of field, rendering the background out of focus while the subject remains sharp.

Winter Gold #fsprintmonday @fotospeed.bsky.social

A little #goldcrest hunting among the bright #witchhazel #blossom at #RHSGardensWisley recently 💛 #nature #wildlife #birding #RHS #fujifilm_uk @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @bto-gbw.bsky.social

Standing on a platform.

Mono or colour ...drop me a comment with which one you prefer.

#fujifilmshooters #fujifilmphotography #fujifilm_uk #xe4 #bnwphotography #mono #fujifilm #citylife #streetphotography #street #bnwphoto #bnw #streetlife #streetphoto #monochrome #london #londonlife #photography

The image is a detailed photograph of a Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), perched on a dead hawthorn tree branch. The kestrel is a small bird of prey of the falcon family, slightly smaller than a pigeon. It has rich brown plumage with darker spots and bars on its back and tail feathers. It has distinctive yellow talons and a yellow cere at the base of its beak. Its feathers appear slightly ruffled in the wind. The bird is perched on the gnarled, weathered wood of a bare branch, covered with lichen. The background is a vibrant, uniform blue sky, providing a stark contrast that highlights the warm tones of the bird. The focus is sharp on the kestrel and its perch, while other branches in the foreground and background are softly blurred. Kestrels are a familiar sight in various habitats, known for their characteristic hovering behaviour while hunting for small mammals. They can often be seen perched on high points like fence posts or trees, scanning the ground for prey. The title is a nod to the book H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald, now also a movie starring Claire Foy. The book is a memoir centred around Helen’s training of a goshawk that helped her through the grief of losing her father. Here’s the RSPB’s description of the Common Kestrel: Both males and females have pale undersides with black speckles. Males have a slate-grey head and uppertail with a single black band at the tip. Females are browner all over, with bars all along the uppertail. Both males and females have dark ‘tear’ marks extending below each eye. Wing tips are more pointed than a Sparrowhawk’s. They have a longer tail than other falcons, with a black band at the end, fanned out while hovering. The beak is yellow and black. Legs are yellow. They are between 32 and 35cm in length.

F is for Falcon #ShareMondays2026

I had a lovely time watching a #kestrel pair hunting in #BushyPark at the weekend. This is the #female perched on a favourite old #hawthorn tree. #nature #birding #wildlife @theroyalparks.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social #fujifilm_uk #BigGardenBirdwatch

Opposite sides of the track.

Another shot from the platforms at Notting Hill Gate station.

#fujifilmshooters #fujifilm_uk #xe4 #bnwphotography #bnwmood #mono #fujifilm #citylife #streetphotography #street #bnwphoto #bnw #streetlife #streetphoto #monochrome #london #londonlife #photography

The image is a close-up photograph of a male red fox sleeping peacefully on the ground. The subject almost fills the whole frame. He’s the dominant dog fox of the family group that I have been watching in the gardens, known as Notch due to an old injury that has left a small notch in his left ear. He’s curled into a tight ball, a common pose for warmth and security, resting on a bed of brown, dried leaves with patches of green vegetation. These are mostly brambles and the early unfurling of Spring wildflowers in this small copse of mature trees. His eyes are closed, and his bushy tail is wrapped around its body and face. His fur is a mix of reddish-orange and greyish-brown tones with black on the back of his ears, white on the inside and on his almost hidden muzzle. The light is soft under the trees, highlighting the texture of the his fur and the earthy tones of his surroundings that he is able to blend into and remain hidden from most passersby.

Let Sleeping Foxes Lie #ShareMondays2026 #FoxOfTheDay

A quiet moment spent with the dominant #DogFox in a secluded area of @rbgkew.bsky.social last week. #nature #redfox #wildlife #mammals @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social @chrisgpackham.bsky.social #WildLondon #fujifilm_uk @bbcspringwatch.bsky.social

The image is of a fieldfare in profile, positioned centrally, looking upwards and to the right of the frame. It’s perched on a branch, surrounded by clusters of scarlet crab apple fruit, which are an important food source for migrating birds like fieldfares and redwings during winter. Some berries appear shriveled after recent frost or partially eaten. The natural, bare branches provide a textured foreground against a softly blurred, deep blue background of the winter sky. This contrast makes the subject and red berries stand out vividly. I was thrilled to finally discover where these winter migrant visitors to the UK were feeding at RHS Gardens Wisley this season. Having seen them roosting on the very tops of trees in wooded areas, I eventually tracked them to the far side of the orchards. Here they were feeding on windfall apples and their favourite crab apples that were planted along the borders. With the sun low in the sky behind me, the birds were lit with a warm glow and the skies took on a deep wintry blue tone, broken only by shadowed bokeh branches of oaks on the edge of the Jubilee Arboretum. 2025 was a mast year (plentiful) for nut and fruit bearing trees in the autumn with warmer weather helping them to remain fresh into the winter. Usually this bounty of food would bring large numbers of these migratory thrush species into the heart of the gardens but they have appeared scarce over the past few years. Here’s a description of the fieldfare from the RSPB: The Fieldfare is a large and striking bird. This chunky thrush has a grey head, lower-back and rump and chestnut upper-back and wings. Its tail is black and its heavily spotted breast sits on a warm ochre wash. They stand very upright and move forward with purposeful hops. They are very social birds, spending the winter in flocks of anything from ten or twenty to several hundred strong

Bright Winter Fare #ShareMondays2025

I finally tracked down the visiting fieldfare in #RHSGardenWisley last week 😊 They love #crabapples! @rspb.bsky.social @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social #wildlife #nature #birding #gardens #horticulture #fujifilm_uk @birdguides.bsky.social

This square-cropped photograph features a female red fox sitting in green grass, looking directly at the viewer. She has the characteristic reddish-brown fur, a pointed muzzle, and large, upright ears. Her legs and the backs of the ears are darker, and a star-shaped white patch is visible on her predominantly grey chest. The image captures a moment of direct eye contact between the subject and the viewer, highlighting the fox's features against an abstract background. The lower portion of the image is dominated by vibrant green grass, which is blurred in the foreground by using a shallow depth of field. The background is heavily blurred with large, warm-toned bokeh lights in shades of orange and red, creating a striking contrast with the green foreground. The bokeh circles are from a curtain of strung lights that are part of the Christmas At Kew event. The hazy surroundings of the central subject help to make the details of her features and fur stand out. This aesthetic can be achieved really well using a telephoto lens held at ground level.

Star Light Star Bright #ShareMondays2025 #FoxOfTheDay

As the #lights came on at @rbgkew.bsky.social for their #ChristmasAtKew event, Star wandered in front of a glowing display 🦊😍💡 #nature #redfox #winter @chrisgpackham.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social #fujifilm_uk #christmas

My favourite festive tree decoration this year is this sweet little blue tit, seen here feeding on purple beautyberry (callicarpa), at RHS Garden Wisley a few weekends ago at a festive meetup for members of the SheClicks community. The background of the image is a soft graduation of colours starting with hints of orange in the lower left corner, turning to yellow and then green in the right hand half of the piece. These are the colours of the shrubs and ferns behind the subject seen completely out of focus. The purpleberry shrub has slender branches that are a greyish in colour and bear vibrant purple berries in clusters along the stems. A shallow depth of field was used to create patches of blurred purple bokeh from berries on stems in the fore and background of the main subject. The blue tit is perched centre left of the landscape aspect image. It’s in profile with its head turned to look to the right along the length of its body. Centre right of the image is text in a handwritten style that reads “Berry Merry Christmas”. Here’s a description from Google of the Blue Tit: A small, vibrant European bird known for its bright blue cap, white cheeks with a black eye stripe, yellow breast, and blue/green wings, making it a common and attractive garden visitor. About 12cm long, it's agile, often seen hanging upside down foraging for insects and seeds, with females slightly paler than males. 

Berry Merry Christmas
Belated #SeasonsGreetings2025 🎄 A festive tree decoration, a #bluetit, on purple beautyberry at #RHSGardenWisley 😊💜 #Nature is the gift that keeps on giving! I’m forever grateful for it 🌍 #wildlife #birds @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social #fujifilm_uk #RHS @rspb.bsky.social

A male red fox (known as Wolf for his lupine features) with a thick, reddish-brown coat is the central focus of this landscape aspect photograph. He has reddish-brown and greyish fur, with white on his abdomen, chin, and throat, and black on his lower legs and the back of his prominent ears. He’s standing in profile, looking upward and slightly to the right, with an alert and focused posture. He’s surrounded by green-leafed brambles and brown leaf litter on the woodland floor. The background consists of bare trees and a soft, diffused light filtering through a hazy background, creating a glow around the fox.

Serene Solstice #ShareMondays2025 #FoxOfTheDay

Wishing everyone a blessed #solstice & #yuletide! The foxes are looking out for the return of the #GreenMan & longer days 🦊 #nature #wildlife #mammals #redfox @rbgkew.bsky.social @chrisgpackham.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social #fujifilm_uk

A landscape aspect image showing a young female fox standing in front of a huge tree trunk, on ground that is heavily covered by rusty-brown leaf litter. The tree trunk in the background almost completely fills the frame, with just the lower fifth of the base obscured by the leaves. This is only around a third, or less, of the diameter of the ancient sweet chestnut trunk! It's deep in shadow but the deeply textured, gnarly bark is just visible, highlighted with the rich greens of moss and lichen. The vixen, Star is stood in the left side of the image, with the tips of her ears close to the top and her paws buried in the leaf litter. She is facing almost straight on to the camera, angled so she is looking just across to the right of me. She was watching some people walking up the sloping path and with her ears pricked forward you can tell that she is alert to any sign of threat. There wasn't! I think the people were delighted to see her and they paused at a respectful distance to watch her for a while. A lovely opportunity for me to tell them about Star and the other foxes that live in the habitat, to explain a bit about their beneficial role in the ecosystem and the family dynamics and current behaviour of the group. It was lovely to hear from these people about the foxes they see in their gardens and local area. Star relaxed completely as I sat on the ground, amiably chatting with others. It was good to see her relaxed around others who are respectful of her and her home. One of the people remarked upon her overall dark colouring and I was able to tell them that this appearance can be observed in members of the family group from one side. It's genetics. I explained that we call her Star for the star shaped white mark on her chest that stands out well against the grey and black fur that extends underneath her and on her flanks and legs. She also has large semicircular black markings on her muzzle.

Oh Little Star ✨ #ShareMondays2025 #FoxOfTheDay

Star will certainly be one to follow through the #Winter! Excited to see how the #fox #familydynamics develop over the coming months 🦊 #nature #RedFox #wildlife #fujifilm_uk @rbgkew.bsky.social @chrisgpackham.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social

A female fox, known as Red, is lying down at the edge of one of her many earths (a chamber for sleeping). She's positioned almost centrally in this landscape aspect image. Her body is facing toward the right wih her head turned to look across towards the left. She has her legs all neatly drawn up under her, very much like how cats often sit, the sphinx position! The late light catches the features of her face and parts of her flank, leaving the backround area of brambles in deep shadow. The light also catches on the cleared area of packed earth around her den which has green moss growing on it and is surrounded by russet coloured leaf litter from the beech trees that surround the area. She uses the cleared ground as a daybed, where she can rest while there is no need to go to ground to escape the cold or wet weather. Her coat is a rich auburn with a white bib and white patches on the inside of her legs. She has black sock-like markings on her front legs. The back of her ears are also black. She got her moniker from her coat which is such a rich reddish tone.

Last Light #ShareMondays2025 #FoxOfTheDay

The light leaves us early in the #winter! But it goes with a glorious glow as the sun is about to set and I must leave the #foxes resting 🦊 #wildlife #nature #redfox @rbgkew.bsky.social @chrisgpackham.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social #fujifilm_uk

A close-up portrait of a young vixen approaching me with curiosity from the shadows beneath a large beech tree. The background is dark brown shadow in the top half, graduating to light browns and bright russet colours in the leaf litter around Star's feet. It's mid afternoon and the sun is low, sending golden light across the parts of the gardens that it can reach. I was sitting at the edge of the path when Star decided that she needed to come a bit too close so she could examine me properly! The light that caught her face, mostly the left side as we look at her, was simply gorgeous, highlighting her rich winter coat that blends perfectly with the russet coloured leaves around her on the ground. She and the leaves are aglow like a warm fireside. Even as I took several photos of her I was warning her that she was a bit too close, encouraging her to back away a bit. It was one of those moments where as a wildlife photographer you're caught between the desire to capture the beautiful light on your subject, with the concern to keep your subjects safe and wild by discouraging them from getting too close to people. She looks wary and alert because I'm discouraging her while shooting the scene with the camera low, composing through the LCD tilt screen. She did move to a more appropriate distance after this and settled down near another beech tree trunk. Star has earned her name from a small star-shaped white patch on her chest, just above her front legs. Her chest and underneath her body are quite a dark grey, almost totally black in places. This extends down her tail. There are white accents on her muzzle, the edge of her ears, the joints of her legs and a brighter white tip to her tail. The rest of her coat is a rusty-orange, peppered with grey. In this image only her head and one front leg and haunch are visible.

Come Into The Light #ShareMondays2025 #FoxOfTheDay

The young #vixen known as Star was shining bright as she came into the afternoon light from under a #beech #tree 🦊🍂 #wildlife #nature #redfox #mammals @rbgkew.bsky.social @chrisgpackham.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social #fujifilm_uk

A male fox is climbing over a huge, felled tree trunk that has been left as deadwood for wildlife to use and children to explore. The fox is climbing from right to left, his body in profile but his head turned to look directly at the camera. He is stood just in front of a sawn branch that sticks up at an angle behind the main trunk. The branch is stripped of bark and is a pale skin-tone colour, compared to the heavily textured orange wood of the trunk that looks like it has twists in it. I think it's probably an old sweet chestnut tree. In the background lies a wooded area with beech and birch trees that provide a blurred, bokeh backdrop of golden foliage. The fox is known as Wolf for his lupine facial features. He uses this area of deadwood as a cut through between parts of his territory that he is patrolling. His coat has rich, rusty-orange and red tones with hints of grey in his face and on his flank. He has a white muzzle and chest. The white extends under his body and down the inside of his legs. There are well defined black markings extending down his legs, seperating the white from the orange. His tail is very bushy, quite black with a hint of grey. The once white end of his tail is missing after an altercation earlier in the year, leaving a it with a very rounded tip.

The Golden Era #FoxOfTheDay

It was a dull, grey day out at @rbgkew.bsky.social last week but the #Autumn #colours and wonderful wildlife shone brightly 🍂🦊💛 #wildlife #nature #fox #redfox #woodland #fujifilm_uk @chrisgpackham.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social

A dark scene looking up into a bare tree with a heavily weathered branch crossing the scene from lower left corner to just above the middle of the right edge. Even though the sun has just set, the background is a tapestry of blurred Autumn-coloured leaves, the yellow being the most prominent. Patches of deep blue sky show through the bokeh leaves. Two little owls are perched on the branch. They are sitting close together, their bodies at a fourty five degree angle to the viewer, but facing straight down the lens of the camera. The bigger of the owls, sat on the left, is the female. Her feathers are puffed up creating a rugby ball like profile. The male sitting to the right is shorter and more slender. His eyes are wide showing the yellow colour that tells us that these are owls that hunt in daylight as well as dusk. In common with almost every little owl that I have encountered, they both glare at me with such a grumpy expressions. And that's what makes them so very endearing! Here's the RSPB's description of a little owl - This small owl was introduced to the UK in the 19th century. It can be seen in the daylight, usually perching on a tree branch, telegraph pole or rock. It will bob its head up and down when alarmed. In flight, it has rounded wings, rapid wingbeats and flies with a slight bounce. Breeding Bird Survey data suggests that Little Owl numbers are declining, with the UK population estimated to be down by 24 per cent between 1995 and 2008. It’s 21 to 23 cm long, with a wingspan of 54 to 58cm. The feathers are cream/buff, brown and white, with yellow legs and a brown/black beak.

A Little AutumnOWL #ShareMondays2025

Excuse the pun 🤭 A favourite pair of #LittleOwls have been twit-t-wooing recently 🦉🦉😉 Lovely to watch them preening each other! #nature #wildlife #birding @theroyalparks.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social #fujifilm_uk

This landscape aspect image is a study of acer tree leaves turning autumnal, with a deep orange, blurred backdrop of swamp cypress leaves. Swamp cypress where introduced to the UK in the 17th century and are one of only a few conifers that are deciduous, the feathery leaves turning orange or russet-red in autumn, dropping them in the winter. The left side of the image is predominantly green and the right side is predominantly deep orange. The leaves of the acer tree, which have seven pointed lobes, are largest and in sharp focus in the centre and the left side. They have a mix of colours from rich forest green, paling to lime green, yellow, orange, red and hints of purple. Between the foreground leaves and the orange background are partially blurred acer leaves hanging down from the other side of the tree's canopy. They are mostly green and yellow, seemingly floating in the air like polka dots against the orange background on the righthand side.

Firework Foliage #ShareMonday2025

WARNING‼️ NO WILDLIFE IN THIS IMAGE 😂 Not like me at all but, this week I was mostly entranced by #autumnal #acers in #BushyPark #WoodlandGardens 🍁🍂 @theroyalparks.bsky.social @sheclicksnet.bsky.social #nature #trees #autumncolours #fujifilm_uk #fujifilm_x_series

A portrait aspect, focus stacked image that shows an adult vixen climbing a tree while her male offspring, from March 2025, waits his turn below. In the background of the image are slightly blurred, dark evergreen laurel trees filling a little over the top harlf of the image. The foliage meets the ground with lush green grass that becomes gradually covered towards the subject tree and foreground. The fallen leaves are the browns, yellows and oranges of a red oak tree that the foxes like to climb. The oak itself has a thick base to it's trunk, that is cropped in the lower-right, second quarter of the composition. Two thick branches curve away from the trunk like the letter U, tiltled at a minus fortyfive degree angle. The branch at the base, the left of the U shape, itself branches into two more U shaped branches. The upper branch continues up into the top left corner of the composition. The bark of the tree is heavily textured, rusty-brown, split in places and stripped away from areas of the branches. Much of the bark is obscured by cyan-blue coloured lichens and thick moss in various shades of green. In the upper left quarter of the image, the branches are are surrounded by a smattering of autumn coloured oak leaves that have yet to fall. The vixen we refer to as Red is stood on the upwards curving branch in the top third of the image. She is in profile, facing to the left as she climbs as high as possible up the branch. In the lower third of the image, right in the foreground, the young male fox that we refer to as Hazel, is stood in profile, facing to the right and looking across directly at my friend and I. There are a lot of elements snaking their way through this composition, but essentially it's a behavioural story of a young fox learning new skills from his parent. And it was only shortly after this that he was following her example (only one false start!) and made it all the way up to where she is standing in this image!

A Head For Heights #ShareMondays2025 #FoxOfTheDay

Red the #vixen has been seen #climbing this #tree a few times, and now she's passing the skill onto young Hazel 🦊 More info in Alt! #nature #wildlife #fujifilm_uk #fox @chrisgpackham.bsky.social @rbgkew.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social

Almost all the right side of this landscape aspect image is taken up by the trunk of an old and gnarled tree. The bark is slightly orange toned, rough textured and split in many areas. The trunk twists upwards, splitting into multiple branches. One branch reaches from the upper centre trunk to the top left corner of the composition. A sapling of the tree is growing beneath it to the right of the trunk. It still has green leaves. The leaves of the mature tree are golden and amber, falling like the material of an umbrella aroud the trunk. A female, adult fox is standing on her hind legs with her front paws positioned part way up the trunk where the first branch starts to come away. She's looking up into the tree above. Her coat is a rich auburn with a white bib and white patches on the inside of her legs. She has black sock-like markings on her front legs. The back of her ears are also black. Her coat is such a rich reddish tone that we have named her Red. She is an excellent tree climber! I suspect she'd seen a squirrel or magpie. She really doesn't like magpies!!

The Autumn Foliage Inspection #ShareMondays2025 #FoxOfTheDay

Red the #vixen's verdict - getting there nicely! #trees #nature #foliage #foxes #wildlife #autumnclours @rbgkew.bsky.social @chrisgpackham.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social #UrbanGreenspace @sheclicksnet.bsky.social #fujifilm_uk

The heavily textured, orange-brown trunk and root of a swamp cypress tree sweeps down into the image rom the top left corner to the bottom right corner of the composition. The roots are reaching out to a lake that is just out of shot. The bark is rough textured and undulates in twists toward the base of the trunk. A few deep green ivy leaves twist around the base of the trunk and root. A male fox is stood just behind the root. he's facing to the left and situated centre-right of the composition. He's coming into his thick Winter coat, looking quite filled out in comparison to the summer. His face has regained it's wolfish features that led us to naming him Wolf. His coat has rich, rusty-orange and red tones with hints of grey in his face and on his flank. He has a white muzzle and chest. The white extends under his body and down the inside of his legs. His tail is very bushy now and quite black with a hint of grey. The tip of his tail is missing after an altercation earlier in the year, leaving a very rounded end to the tail. Despite this injury he's still a very handsome fox! In the background are soft and slightly blurred bankside shrubs and ground cover, ranging in tones from vivid green through to the yellows, oranges and reds of autumn foliage. The thinning leaves reveal a tangle of branches that droop to the ground providing the cascade of Autumn colour.

Autumn's Arrival #ShareMondays2025 #FoxOfTheDay

A #DogFox developing his fabulous #WinterCoat out patrolling his #lakeside territory at @rbgkew.bsky.social last week. #nature #wildlife #fox #mammals @chrisgpackham.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social #fujifilm_uk #AutumnColour

The background of the image shows modern, brick and glass fronted, apartments and an old church spire along the north side of The Thames Path in Brentford, opposite the car park for Kew Gardens. The skies are a soft blue above the buildings, which are lit with the soft light of the low sun near the end of the day. A brick wall runs parallel to the viewer along the bottom fifth of the image, and the think branches of trees with teardrop-shaped green leaves extend into the upper third of the frame from both left and right. There are brambles poking up from behind the brick wall with some blackberries still on the stems. A male fox is walking along the lefthand side of the wall, facing ahead to the right with his nose almost to the bricks as he takes in the scents of other animals that have passed along this route. His tail is getting bushy again, as we head into autumn, and is pointing straight out behind him, in line with the length of his back. His coat is a rusty-orange, his tail has a bright white tip to it and both his undercarriage and inside legs are white, with black sock coming up from his paws. His ears have black on the back and are pricked forwards as he listens intently for the sound of prey. There's a little notch in his right ear that tells me this is the dominant dog fox that we refer to as Notch.

Riverside Walk #ShareMondays2025 #FoxOfTheDay

Plenty of #hunting and #foraging among the #brambles and #shrubs along the #RiverThames by #Kew for this #fox 🦊 @rbgkew.bsky.social @chrisgpackham.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social #nature #wildlife #mammals #fujifilm_uk #ThamesPath #Brentford

The image shows a kestrel swooping into long grasses, hunting for grasshoppers at Bushy Park in Teddington, London. The golden grasses are bending slightly to the left in a strong breeze. The kestrel is dropping in from the upper left side of the image. They often hunt into the wind to help them hover in the air for longer. The wings are pointing up in a V shape with the kestrel looking down at the ground past his outstretched talons that are poised to grasp the prey. Just behind the outstretched limb is a grasshopper with its' wings out as it propels itself away from the kestrel's clutches. The background is a blurred landscape of golden grasses in the lower two-thirds of the scene and the green hues of trees in the upper third. Here's the RSPB's description of a kestrel: Both males and females have pale undersides with black speckles. Males have a slate-grey head and uppertail with a single black band at the tip. Females are browner all over, with bars all along the uppertail Both males and females have dark ‘tear’ marks extending below each eye. Wing tips are more pointed than a Sparrowhawk’s. Longer tail than other falcons, with a black band at the end. Fanned out while hovering. The beak is yellow and black. Legs are yellow. They are between 32 and 35cm in length.

The One That Got Away #ShareMondays2025

Look closely and you'll spot a lucky #grasshopper leaping away from the clutches of this beautiful #kestrel in #BushyPark last week. @theroyalparks.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social #nature #wildlife #birding #fujifilm_uk

In the lower left of the image are the dead stems and leaves of a shrub in The Woodland Gardens of Bushy Park in London. These leaves are a rusty orange colour, with some of them curled and twisted from the heat and drought of our Summer. On one of these curled leaves perches a Comma Butterfly with it's orange and brown speckled wings open, basking in the sunshine as it blends into it's surroundings. Not all of the plant is withered and brown. In the blurred background you can see a patchwork of yellows, greens and oranges. The plant is suffering from drought stress. To cope with the heat and lack of water, it's dropping some of it's branches and leaves. Many of our trees and shrubs are doing this after the dry Spring and Summer with repeated heatwaves. Some look like they're dying, others appear as if Autumn has come early. But it hasn't. This is the result of climate change and extreme weather conditions. And it's having a knock on effect on the wildlife in the park. Here's a description of a Comma Butterfly courtesy of the Wildlife Trust's and Butterfly Conservation's websites: The comma is a medium-sized orange-and-brown butterfly. The scalloped edges and cryptic colouring of the wings conceal hibernating adults amongst dead leaves. It gets its name from the comma-shaped white spots on the underneath of its wings. It is on the wing throughout the year, having several broods and overwintering as an adult. It is a common and widespread butterfly of woodland edges, particularly during the spring and autumn. The caterpillars feed on common nettles, elms and willows. They have brown and white flecks that make them look like bird-droppings and help to camouflage them.

This Is NOT Autumn #ShareMondays2025

Plants are under #drought #stress in many parts of the #UK. This #comma #butterfly blends in with the stricken leaves on a shrub in #BushyPark. But it's not yet #Autumn 😞 @theroyalparks.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social #nature #wildlife #fujifilm_uk

A female tufted duck is swimming across a shallow area of a blue-toned pond with pale green duckweed floating on the surface. She's a rich orange-brown colour with a slate-grey bill and yellow eyes. Bobbing along in front of and beside her are three fluffy brown ducklings. Two more fuffy brown ducklings with pale coloured chests face their siblings while standing on their mum's back with expressions that almost seem to say, "Wait your turn!". The sight made me chuckle as I have only ever seen grebe chicks or cygnets riding on a parent's back across the water and it did look like the three ducklings on the water were waiting in a queue! Perhaps she's running Duck Boat Tours of Bushy Park. Here's the RSPB's description of a tufted duck: The Tufted Duck is a medium-sized diving duck, smaller than a Mallard. It's black on the head, neck, chest and back, and white on the sides. It has a small crest and a yellow eye. In flight it shows an obvious white stripe across the back of the wing. It breeds in the UK across lowland areas of England, Scotland and Ireland, but less commonly in Wales, with most birds being year-round residents. Numbers increase in the UK in winter because of birds moving to the UK from Iceland and northern Europe.

Wait Your Turn! #ShareMondays2025

A sight that made me laugh this week 🤭 The 2 tufted ducklings on mum's back didn't want to give up their spaces 😂 #BushyPark #birding #nature #wildlife @theroyalparks.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social #fujifilm_uk #TuftedDuck #ducklings