Photoclubalpha

Within 30 minutes drive of where I live there is an amazing field of poppies. I realise that there is already a thread for flowers, but I have a whole bunch of shots (excuse the pun ) on a single topic and so I decided to separate most of the pictures. I spotted this local phenomenon in a flickr group for my local area (very handy resource) and I've been hoping to get a bit of spare time to pop across to see it. It has been reported on the local news and is next to a main road and so it has a lot of visitors as you can imagine.

I'll start with an explanation from the wildlife trust who manage the land.



I spoke to some people from the trust who were handing out leaflets etc. They hadn't known this was going to happy - apparently poppy seeds can lie dormant in the earth for many years, and conditions this year must just be just perfect for poppies and hence the 'explosion'!

On to some pictures ...

Some shots of the vista as a whole.

Some closer shots.

Finally some close-ups.







Nos. 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9 with A700 with Min 50/1.7
Nos. 4 and 5 with A100 with Tam 11-18
Nos. 7 and 8 with A700 with Min 50/1.7 + CL49-200 cul.

Thanks for looking

What a sea of Poppy's. Magnificent series Birma.

No sleeping in those poppies!

Worcestershire is very fortunate! This is indeed an ocean of beautiful red patches and other wild flowers.

Thanks for sharing, Birma.

Yildiz

KevinBarrett wrote:No sleeping in those poppies!

Good point KB! I'd forgotten that bit in the film. (Still a classic, the switch from b&w to colour and back I think is brilliant.) I would like to photograph some of the the wild flower vistas you get in the states someday. I think it was Lonnie (and probably others) who have shared some great pictures of carpets of wildflowers.

Thanks to DA and Yildiz .

What a great idea, to return some area back too natural, lovely pix Birma. I actually quite like the composure of the first in the second set and the detail of the second one as well.
Greg

ps. If they tried that here we'd probably end up with a field of chineapple or acacia or mimosa or something equally horrible.

Great pics! It must be even better to be there in person, within these fields of colour!!

Thanks Greg and Thomas.

Greg Beetham wrote:ps. If they tried that here we'd probably end up with a field of chineapple or acacia or mimosa or something equally horrible.

I think it takes very careful management to get the land back to previous condition. Here in the UK there is no longer any truely natrual land - and there probably has not been for hundreds of years - even the farthest flung mountains in Scotland are close cropped by farmed sheep. Man has left his mark, so even the heath land that the Trust are aiming for will need some form of ongoing management, just as it always did in times past. Biodiversity I guess is their aim, rather than the rather sterile surroundings required by the agri-industry that we have come to rely on. I'll but the soap box away and go and take some pictures instead .

Goodness graciousment I just thought, what if over time it sortof re-evolves and the lost species re-emerge eventually, the Ox, the giant Antelope, the rhino, the Lion and I think there was a Leopard or Jaguar as well...sheesh what if it happened here? there would be a huge emu type bird about 16 feet tall with feet like a theropod dinosaur and giant roos and giant marsupial hippos and there were some large carnivorous types as well...
Greg

I think wolves and bears would be a more likely initial stage here . However as we seem to struggle living along side even badgers in the countryside (i.e. TB epidemic in cattle) I think large carnivores wouldn't stand a chance. There has been some debate about re-introducing wolves in the 'wilds' of Sctoland to manage the Red Deer numbers - but I suspect that would be frought with difficulties - we're not used to real nature, tooth and claw, here in the UK anymore. I saw a programme a few years ago about the reintroduction of the wolf in the States - lots of concerns from ranchers. I wonder how that is going. I would like to hear the howl of a wolf pack in the wild (I think I would anyway, sat in my comfortable study in daylight ).

Fantastic. I am sure it might have been more stunning being there experiencing in person.

Sury

I believe this one is a California Poppy yet to unfold. Taken with Tamroon 200-500 at 500mm on A100.

Sury