Bee on Thistle - New Forest - Copyright July 2008

When I got my macro lens, my photography went to a whole new level!  This is one of the macro shots that I’m most proud of.

I took this on a lovely sunny July day in 2008 in the New Forest, Hampshire, UK.  The thistle is a very beautiful bloom and highly prevalent in the New Forest.

Bees are a regular visitor to the thistles and this little visitor was very obliging, allowing me to take a number of shots which can be found in my flickr set New Forest July 2008.

You’ll also find a number of other fauna in the set including a beetle, hoverfly and a herd of deer.  It was definitely a good day for photography.

It’s amazing how often you can see water voles in the little tributary when walking down Constable’s Walk, made famous by the artist John Constable who painted several views of Salisbury Cathedral (known locally as the “Town Path”) in Salisbury, UK, which links Elisabeth Gardens with the Old Mill at Harnham.

If you are ever in my neck of the woods I would urge you to take a trip down the Town Path and have a pint or two at The Old Mill.  Many a great summer afternoon can be wiled away in these lovely locations and you never know what critters you might see along the way.