Owls and Glow Worms in Racecourse Wood

I set out first to take the pictures of the Glow Worms in Racecourse Wood after first coming across them in mid May, having only seen them before on the Purbeck Coast on the path between LangtonMatravers and Dancing ledge. A beautiful unspoilt protected stretch of Dorset coastline, so I was excited to find them here.

First attempts to photograph were with a compact camera, had a good macro setting but longest exposure of only a second or so. Feeling very strongly about the threat that hangs over this remarkable place, I decided to have a better go with a more versatile camera.

I found half a dozen or more on the next warm dark night in June and got the brightest pics between 11pm and 12.30.

The Tawny Owls I didn't expect to catch, going out one evening to photograph the woods skyline at dusk, but heard the 'whispy shreeks' near the main path as I first walked in and the young Tawny Owl stayed in one then another tree near the path while I struggled to find him (or her) by taking photos with the flash, expecting it to fly off all the time, and getting used to the manual exposure settings on the camera.

The picture of the two Tawny Owls in the Oak tree, I got on a second night after following them quietly but clumsily for half an hour stumbling through ferns, pine and bramble until they settled on this low branch.

These pictures are a limited attempt at showing some of the beautiful 'real world' we still have living alongside our increasingly unsustainable one. The life in this wood is completely self sufficient and is thriving.

Unlike our world which (although we forget) depends on nature for it's existence. Nature, and maybe most importantly, the Bees that pollinate our plants, are declining.

The Racecourse Woods of this world must not be an opportunity for the rich to sustain their wealth

in a desperate further sell off, blind to anything but short term greed.

Take time if you can to explore and escape into a little piece of the nature that we have left.