Sorry I'm a bit late in replying but congratulations to Mark & John and thanks to everyone that voted for me - that swallowtail picture was to use Mr Rouse's terminology "just plain beautiful". My DGF image was a snatched shot - midday and very active butterflies - and I too didn't see...

Hi Felix, Oh they are definately around - I have seen two black panthers in the past five year luckily both from the safety of my car; one just ouside Devizes and the other on Hartland moor, Dorset. The one on hartland moor crossed the road 20 yards in front of us and spanned the single track road f...

Hi Jack,

Check the photo on

http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/t ... tings.aspx

Happy twitching.

Colin

Hi Kevin. I have a 50D which I purchased about 10 months before the 7D release. If the 7D was available then I would have purchased it in preference to the 50D - it's a much more rounded camera for the wildlife enthusiast. Two features that stand out to me are the multi point/group focusing system f...

Thanks to all from myself for a most enjoyable day. It was good to catch up with the BF membars I met last year and to put some new faces to familiar names. These are my best images of the day showing the brimstone ovipositing and the resultant egg. , IMG_3301.JPG IMG_3313.JPG BTW if "to do a B...

Gary,

I have several images of comma/peacocks on sedum - these any use. I also have a red admiral on apple with garden background but I assume that breaks your brief to much.

Colin
[

There are a number of reasonable priced 2 TB RAID 1 storage solutions on the market today which are in essence two discs, the software automatically creating a "mirror" back up and so giving you 1 TB of effective storage - my suggestion would be to go for one of those.

Hi Pete,

Please could you reserve a place for myself.

many thanks
Colin

At £1000 a pop I'll need some convincing.

I'll suppose I'll just have to wait until Roger gets one at then try it out at the next workshop

Colin

Any sightings of Black Hairstreak yet? Last year I saw my first on 10th June, the year before earliest report was 1st June. Most species were quite early in 2007, rather similar to this year. So Black Hairstreaks could well emerge on Monday (after Sunday’s rain). Jack, I went to Whitecross Green wo...

I'd be interested to know how you get on.

This is a useful link http://www.flickr.com/groups/macroviewe ... ss/163367/

Colin

I've just downloaded the free combineZP focus stacking software as I wondered whether it was a solution to use a small aperature to get good background diffusion whilst maintaining sharpness across a wing. Purists look away now but I thought I'd share what I've been able to do. This is an example I ...

Tom, You may or may not know that V3.6 of Canon's DPP is available see http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=137986 I've downloaded it using the serial no given in the thread and it works fine. Advantages over 3.5 is that is now has highlight and shadow adjustment in RAW. I must admit I use DPP ...

I'd like to add my thanks to Pete et al for the event - thoroughly enjoyed it and it was great to put faces to avatars. PBF was a lifer for me too and undoubtably the highlight so I also like to thank Denise for sending one in my direction to photograph. I look forward to returning to the wood later...

Hello SuperFly, Welcome to the Tamron 90mm club, I'm sure you're be very happy with your decision and the sharpness of the lens. Sorry for not replying earlier. I have used mine with a kenko Pro 300 2x converter on my 400D - autofocus gets a little clunky but it is useable and it enables you to get ...

Have you thought about one of the new 18-200mm superzoom lenses as this would cover most of your initial requirements as you get used to the system. You may need an extension tube for close focusing on butterflies to start with but I'm betting that before long you'll buy a dedicated 90/100 or 150mm ...

Pete,

My brother-in-law, Clive Randalls whose a member of Butterfly Conservation, Dorset Branch, and just beginning to get into butterfly photography would like to join the event. Are there still places remaining?

Colin

Pete,

Please count me in too.

Cheers
Colin

Really good critique. Just curious as to what exactly was meant by mine? That a non-native species might get less votes or there was a technical issue with the butterfly? Nothing technically wrong with the butterfly at all FISHiEE, just a observation regarding non native voting. Apologies to all fo...

Sorry this is a bit late I've been away on business - here's my critique written before voting had finished, seems to have gone the way i hoped. Congratulations to xmilehigh, FishiEE, Paul Brock and Pete. For a month where the competition ground rules were going to be changed by Peter it turned up a...