Is there no privacy?

Having finally uploaded all my Orkney backblips late yesterday night, I realised that today would be my 300th blip. I visited Barnack Hills and Holes National Nature Reserve for my 200th, to photograph the pasque flower, and decided that a return visit would be appropriate to photograph another of the reserve's specialities, a chalkhill blue butterfly.

When I arrived at the site this morning, I was assured by an elderly gentleman that there was very little about. I thought maybe I'd misjudged the situation, but was sure they should be on the wing. It's true that the grassland on the reserve has made very little growth this year, and some of the taller flowering plants, such as common and greater knapweed are scarcer than formerly as a result of increased winter grazing. But the fine turf was studded with tiny wildflowers - bird's-foot-trefoil, rock-rose, eyebright, squinancy wort, harebell and clustered bellflower being particularly prominent.

I walked towards the part of the reserve that has the most horseshoe vetch, food plant of the chalkhill blue caterpillars, and was stunned to see hundreds of chalkhill blues fluttering over the grassland, flashing silver in the morning sun. The males are one of the most attractive butterflies I know, larger than the common blue, and of a much softer, more delicate hue, with a gentle suffusion of black near the wing tips. They're remarkably difficult to photograph though, as they're constantly on the move and are very sensitive to any movement by the photographer. I eventually got a decent shot of a male by using the 300mm lens and I've posted this in my Blipfolio.

After spending some time just quietly watching their behaviour, I spotted this mating pair. When they're preoccupied they're far more approachable, and I was able to get quite close to these two by crawling along on my stomach, and ignoring the pain from the stemless thistle in my stomach! The things we do for a good photo! I'm just glad no-one turned their camera on me. I had a choice of shots but liked this one with the male peeking round the stem. A more traditional shot can be seen in my Blipfolio.

While I was at Barnack I thought about what Blipfoto has added to my life. When I started out I enjoyed taking photographs, but over the last 300 days I've gradually started thinking of myself as a photographer, and am considering ways that I can take my photography further. I'll always specialise in wildlife shots (after all, it's my passion) but in the winter I'd like to do more landscape and portrait photography, and spend a bit of time learning more about Photoshop. I think Blipfoto's had this catalyst effect on many people - I'm just so grateful to all those who set up and manage this amazing site!

I?ve had amazing experiences while hunting for blips, most notably a series of other worldly misty sunrises in the spring, and I've made some very good blipfriends (you know who you are). I'll probably never meet most of you, particularly those who live on the other side of the world, but I'm sure we'd get on well if we could meet. And maybe it will be possible to get together with some of you who live a bit closer! Of course, there are the downsides - I've blown some of my savings on better lenses and sometimes (particularly in the field season) it's a struggle to find the time. But I suspect I'm here for the foreseeable future, come what may!

I know some of you have already caught up with my backblips, but if you want to take a peek you can find them here:

The long trek north - Day 1

The long trek north - Day 2

Over the water

Scottish primrose at Yesnaby

Waulkmill Bay

Land A-Hoy

Nearly a sunset...

Russa Dale

Puffin

The last view...

The long road back home...