Skip to Content
A Patch Wilder Logo

A Patch Wilder

  • About Us
  • Location
    • 10 Local Walks
    • 100 Wild Places
  • Projects
    • Species Lists
  • Gallery
    • Off The Patch
  • Events
  • Donate
  • About Us
  • Location
    • 10 Local Walks
    • 100 Wild Places
  • Projects
    • Species Lists
  • Gallery
    • Off The Patch
  • Events
  • Donate

Gallery

As well as documenting the sights and sounds of nature at A Patch Wilder, Charlie and Spade have built up a portfolio of nature photography from across the globe. See our other photos here.

The gently nodding florets of quaking oat grass. The gently nodding florets of quaking oat grass. 
Let me tell you - grass doesn't get much better than this!
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #naturelovers #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife #grass #quakingoatgrass
Doe, a deer, a female deer. Please stop eating all Doe, a deer, a female deer.
Please stop eating all my trees.
Me, a name I call myself,
Frustrated by these browsing machines.
So, a fence that scrapes the sky,
Tea? I sip and wonder why…
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #naturelovers #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife #deer #roedeer
A common cardinal beetle preparing to take off. Be A common cardinal beetle preparing to take off. Beetles have two sets of wings - hardened forewings called elytra that protect their delicate membranous hindwings. When they want to fly, beetles raise their elytra to unfurl their hind wings and take flight. Elytra provide good protection, enabling beetles to navigate more complex and difficult environments. They must be doing something right as there are around 400k types of beetle, representing 25% of all known animal species.
Their latin name Coleoptera, derives from the Greek for "sheath-winged".
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #naturelovers #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife #cardinalbeetle #beetle #beetlelove
It's that time of year again - the horseflies are It's that time of year again - the horseflies are back hooray! 🥴 A (literal) pain the ass they may be, but they do have pretty eyes!
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #naturelovers #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife #horsefly #macrophotography #macroworld
The other raptor we see regularly over the farm is The other raptor we see regularly over the farm is this guy - the sparrowhawk. They are a bird-eating specialist with over 120 species recorded to have been predated from goldcrests to pheasants. They are fairly small raptors however and can themselves fall prey to species such as goshawks and tawny owls. 
It's a bird-eat-bird world out there!
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #sparrowhawk #rspb_love _nature #birdstagram #britishbirds  #birdsofinstagram #birdlovers #bird_billiance #naturelovers #birdphotography #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife
Comma, our local pale-morph buzzard, looking respl Comma, our local pale-morph buzzard, looking resplendent in the late afternoon light as she cruises across the Patch looking for an easy meal. If you've been watching this account for a while, you will probably have heard me mention this bird before. She's great. I'm slightly obsessed.
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #stonechat #rspb_love _nature #birdstagram #britishbirds  #birdsofinstagram #birdlovers #bird_billiance #naturelovers #birdphotography #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife
Spotted this serotine bat out flying over the mead Spotted this serotine bat out flying over the meadows in broad daylight this afternoon. Although definitely an unusual sight to see bats in the day time, it is not unheard of (with this species in particular) and they will fly if disturbed, hungry or thirsty. This is the second time we have seen this over the farm. 🦇
It does provide a great opportunity to get a better look at a bat though. It was so sunny this afternoon that, in the second photo here, you can actually see all the finger bones clearly through the wing membrane! 
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #naturelovers #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife #serotine #bats #batconservationtrust
Bit of an arty farty one but the stained-glass pat Bit of an arty farty one but the stained-glass patterns of dragonfly wings are just amazing. The criss-crossing veins are infinitely variable and each one is unique to the individual. However, in nature then nothing is random and the broad structure of a dragonfly wing can be predicted using mathematics and the Fibonacci sequence, which gives us the Golden angle of 137.5 degrees, which can be found extensively throughout the wing with a particular prevalence at places where strength and weight are most crucial, including wingtips and the trailing edge shown here.
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #naturelovers #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife #dragonfly #macrophotography #macroworld #fibonacci
Whether they are yellow and black striped caterpil Whether they are yellow and black striped caterpillars or red and black patterned adults, Cinnabar moths always dress to impress. These colours have a purpose too - warning potential predators that this meal is toxic and should be avoided. The toxins come from their food-plant the much-maligned ragwort. When dried in hay, ragwort poses a threat to livestock and is therefore routinely eradicated from hay fields by farmers, but this has a knock-on effect of removing the cinnabar moths food and this species is consequently in decline and classed as a 'priority species'.
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #naturelovers #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife #cinnabarmoth
Incoming! A European hornet coming in to land on a Incoming! A European hornet coming in to land on a lily pad to take a drink of water.
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #naturelovers #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife #hornet
A click beetle tests the warming air along the ste A click beetle tests the warming air along the steep gorse path with its antennae. These beetles are fairly nondescript to look at; the excitement comes when they feel threatened - they can flick a specialised join in their thorax and launch themselves to safety with an audible "click".
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #naturelovers #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife #clickbeetle
We are constantly amazed and encouraged to see how We are constantly amazed and encouraged to see how quickly wildlife moves to fill gaps in the landscape when it is just given a little breathing space. Over the weekend, we filled a tray with some water for the kids to play in to keep them cool. A few hours later, this lesser diving beetle had moved in! A species we have previously glimpsed plunging to the bottom of the ponds, it was fascinating to see one up close with it's art deco black and gold patterning.
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #naturelovers #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife #lesserdivingbeetle
Chiffchaff - the king of onomatopoeia . . . #apatc Chiffchaff - the king of onomatopoeia
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #chiffchaff #rspb_love _nature #birdstagram #britishbirds  #birdsofinstagram #birdlovers #bird_billiance #naturelovers #birdphotography #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife
The charming goldfinch coming down to a pond for a The charming goldfinch coming down to a pond for a drink yesterday evening. This is one of those species that had such brightly-coloured plumage that they seem to photograph better in shady or low-liyhr conditions (such as twilight). I set up a chair by the pond and just had to wait - it wasn't long before thirsty birds started to arrive in this weather!
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #goldfinch #rspb_love _nature #birdstagram #britishbirds  #birdsofinstagram #birdlovers #bird_billiance #naturelovers #birdphotography #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife
Grass ID workshop on the Patch today with the extr Grass ID workshop on the Patch today with the extremely knowledgeable Somerset Rare Plants Group.
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #naturelovers #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife
Distant shot of a red kite harassing Comma, our lo Distant shot of a red kite harassing Comma, our local buzzard, this morning. Poor Comma can never seem to catch a moment's peace!
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #buzzard #redkite #rspb_love _nature #birdstagram #britishbirds  #birdsofinstagram #birdlovers #bird_billiance #naturelovers #birdphotography #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife
It's important to stay cool and hydrated through a It's important to stay cool and hydrated through all this warm weather and here are a couple of birds doing just that down in the ponds. 🐦🛁
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #bluetit #goldfinch #rspb_love_nature #birdstagram #britishbirds  #birdsofinstagram #birdlovers #bird_billiance #naturelovers #birdphotography #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlifeb #ponds
Don't get me wrong, the sunshine over the last mon Don't get me wrong, the sunshine over the last month has been incredible, but today's storm was very much needed! The ponds, new trees and meadows all enjoyed a good soaking and the air smells deliciously fresh ⛈️
.
.
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #rewilding #somerset #storm #rain #meadow #trees #mendiphills #wildlifegarden
Scorpion fly - not actually a scorpion or a fly,.t Scorpion fly - not actually a scorpion or a fly,.these are members of the Mecoptera order of insects and use that scorpion-like tail as a clasper during courtship.
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #naturelovers #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife #scorpionfly
The other day in the woods, I couldn't believe my The other day in the woods, I couldn't believe my luck when a tree creeper kept coming closer and closer until I took my best every photo of this species (posted yesterday). Then, I found out why! Watch until the end.

All videos taken with an ultra telephoto so as not to disturb the birds.
.
.
.
#apatchwilder #mendips #mendiphills #mendiphillsaonb #somerset #somersetwildlife #treevreeper #rspb_love_nature #birdstagram #britishbirds  #birdsofinstagram #birdlovers #bird_billiance #naturelovers #birdphotography #bbcwildlifepotd #bbcwildlife #ukpotd #natgeoyourshot #springwatch #ukwildlifephotography #thebritishwildlife
Follow on Instagram

360 degree photos from around the patch:


And don’t forget to check out our YouTube feed below:


Blossom Travel | Developed By Blossom Themes.Powered by WordPress .