The IrIs MagazINe of The NaTure group of The rps Issue No. 117 Winter 2013-2014 Scarce Green Silverlines by Gianpiero Ferrari FRPS ISSN 1757-2991 David Osborn Phototours Yellowstone & The Tetons Join us next September for two weeks in the splendour of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. For more information email David at: [email protected] or go to www.davidosbornphotography.co.uk to view images from this and other tours. TToouurr scduhe le s2c14d: u0he le a2F 1lk4l: 0 and aFIslalkla nds nJad nuary pI-s l1 laancds e Jaavainu lalbe adBsir oryf - 1 Publication information Contents ‘TheIris’ispublishedbytheNatureGroupof theRPSthreetimesayear.Copyand 2 Editorial publicationdatesareasfollows: Spring Copydeadline20thDecember PublishedearlyMarch. 3 From the Chair Summer Copydeadline30thApril PublishedearlyJuly. 4 Speyside, one of Scotland’s great Wildlife havens Winter Copydeadline31stAugust byRichardRevelsFRPS PublishedearlyNovember. Allcontributionsshouldbesubmittedtothe Editor.Itemscoveringanyaspectofnature 8 Insects of Europe, an FRPS Panel photographyand/ornaturalhistoryare byGianpieroFerrariFRPS welcomed,includingreviewsonequipmentand relevantbooks.TheEditorcanbecontacted at:[email protected] 12 Kingfishers of Oman Copyshouldbesentas.txtor.docfilesby byAndrewAdamsARPS emailoronCD.Pleasedonotsendhand writtencopy. 16 Field Meeting Report - Havergate Island Digitallycapturedphotographicimagesare preferredbutscannedtransparenciesarealso byDavidO’NeillLRPS acceptable.ImagesshouldbesuppliedonCD assRGBTifffiles,6”x4”at300ppi (1800x 1200pixels,filesizeapprox6.17MB). Original 17 Field Meeting Report - Millers Dale transparenciesmaybesubmitted,however,the byRobertHawkesworthFRPS Editorcannotspecifyhowlongtheymaybe awayfromtheauthor. 18 Hobby at Wicken Fen Nopaymentwillbemadeformaterialused andwhilsteverycarewillbetaken,neitherthe RichardNicollARPS Editor,theNatureGrouporthePrinters can acceptliabilityforanydamagethatmay occur tophotographicmaterialsubmitted. 20 Return of the Yellowhammer TheviewsexpressedwithinTheIrisaresolely byJoeCurtisARPS thoseofthecontributoranddonotnecessarily reflecttheviewsoftheNatureGroup 22 Field Meeting Report - Windover Hill CommitteeortheEditor. byGrahamSaxby Distribution: ‘TheIris’isforwardedtomembersusing 23 Obituary - Martin Withers FRPS addresslabelsproducedbytheRPS byJohnTinning MembershipDeptinBath.Anymembernot receivingtheircopyshouldcontactthat departmentsothattheirnameappearsona 28 Obituary - Gordon Dixon ARPS labelinthefuture.HowevertheSecretarywill byHeatherAngelFRPS bepleasedtopostsinglecopiestomembers whohavefailedtoreceivethem. 29 From the Archives Copyright: byTonyBondFRPS © Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthis publicationmaybereproduced,storedina retrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyform 31 Field Meetings orbyanymeanswithoutpriorpermissionof thecopyrightholder. 32 Obituary - Phil Newman © Photographsandarticles-individual byMikeLaneFRPSandGordonHolm contributors.AllothermaterialtheNature GroupoftheRoyalPhotographicSociety. ibc A Wildlife Journey Printed by byColinSmaleARPS StanleyLHunt(Printers)Limited MidlandRoad,Rushden. Design & layout byDawnOsbornFRPS The Iris - Winter 2013 1 Committee Editorial Officers Thisissue,the117th,isaspecialissueforme.Notonly Chairman: Tony Bond FRPS isitthe30thissueIhavebeenresponsibleforbutitalso Leigh,LancsWN73LJ marks10yearsasEditorofTheIris.Ithasbeenan Tel:01942674773Email:[email protected] enjoyableexperiencethathasenabledmetocommunicate Secretary: Margaret Johnson LRPS 53MapperleyOrchard,Arnold,Nottingham,NG58AH withmanymembers.Iwouldliketotakethisopportunity Tel:01159265893E-mail:[email protected] tothankallthoseofyouwhohavesupportedmeinmy Treasurer: Margery Maskell ARPS roleasEditorbysupplyingmewitharticlesandimagesfor Bishop'sStortford,HertfordshireCM235DW TheIris.RecentlyIwasawardedtheRPSFentonMedalin Email:[email protected] recognitionoftheworkIhavedoneonbehalfofthe Vice Chairman: Richard Revels FRPS NatureGroup-itwasindeedanhonourtobenominated Biggleswade,Beds.SG188EE Tel.01767313065E-mail:[email protected] forthisawardanditwasaverypleasantsurprisewhenI wasnotifiedthatIwastoreceiveit.Thankyoutoallof Immediate Past Chairman: John Bebbington FRPS Langport,Somerset,TA109SE youwhohaveemailedandtelephonedtoofferyour Tel:01458253027Email:[email protected] congratulations. Inthisissueyouwillfindtheexcellent“Insectsof Committee Members Europe”panelbyGianpieroFerrariwhichrecentlyearned Editor of The Iris: Dawn Osborn FRPS himhisFellowship.CongratulationstoGianpieroforajob Dereham,Norfolk,NR205LH welldone!RichardRevelsFRPSshareshisexperiencesof E-mail:[email protected] photographingwildlifeinSpeyside,whileAndrewAdams Exhibition Secretary: Kevin Maskell FRPS Bishop'sStortford,HertfordshireCM235DW ARPStellshisstoryofphotographingaKingfisherin Email:[email protected] Oman.TherearetwoshortarticlesbyRichardNicholl NG Rep to Advisory Panel: David O’Neill LRPS ARPSandJoeCurtissARPSandreportsfromthreefield Reading,Berkshire,RG16DG meetingsbyDavidO’NeillLRPS,RobertHawkesworthFRPS Email:[email protected] andGrahamSaxby.WealsopaytributetoMartinWithers Programme Co-ordinator: Richard Revels FRPS FRPS,GordonDixonARPSandPhilNewman. Biggleswade,Beds.SG188EE Tel.01767313065E-mail:[email protected] ThisissuealsocontainsyourcopyoftheEntryForm Kevin Elsby FRPS forthe2014NatureGroupAnnualExhibition.Itformsthe Aylsham,Norfolk,NR centrefourpagesandcanberemovedwithout‘spoiling’ Tel:01263-732839Email:[email protected] yourcopyofTheIris.Theclosingdateforentriesis25th John Jones ARPS January.Yourcommitteearehopingforagoodentry,so Kegworth,Derby,DE742FW pleasedon’tdisappointthem-makeanoteinyourdiaries Tel:01509672125 andremembertoenter. Peter Jones ARPS Bilsthorpe,Notts,NG228TB Summerisnowwellandtrulyover;autumncolouris E-mail:[email protected] beginningtoshowandtheRedDeerrutisunderwaybut Barbara Lawton FRPS thefungusdon’tseemtobeoverlyenthusiasticyet.Fingers Wolverhampton,WestMidlands,WV95QG crossedforagoodseason.Itseemedastrangesummerin E-mail:[email protected] manyways,butImanagedtodoquitealotofphotography Sue McGarrigle LRPS onmylocalpatch,mostlyfloraandbutterflies.Ijustneed Charlecote,Warwickshire tofindthetimetoprocessthemnow! E-mail:[email protected] Lastbutnotleast,Ineedarticlesforthenextissue. Geoff Trinder ARPS Belton,Doncaster,DN91PG Ifyouhaveeverthoughtyouwouldliketoseeyourworkin Tel:01427872051 print,thisisyouropportunity.Shortstoriesarejustas acceptableaslongerones.Anywherebetween500and Ex officio Committee members 2,000wordsplusaselectionofsupportingimages.So, PresidentoftheSociety; whynotrelivearecenttripandwriteanaccountofitfor Vice-PresidentoftheSociety; TheIris,orifyourecentlyachievedaDistinctionplease DirectorGeneraloftheSociety; Hon.TreasureroftheSociety; shareyoursuccesswithfellowmembers.Pleasecontact ChairmanoftheNatureA&FDistinctionsPanel mebyemailifyouhaveanideaforanarticle.Iwouldlove tohearfromyou. Nature Group Exhibitions CDs/DVDsofNatureGroupExhibitionsareavailableforpurchase bycameraclubs/photographicsocietiesforuseintheirprogramme. PleasecontacttheExhibitionSecretary,detailsabove. The Iris - Winter 2013 2 From the chair IamsurethatyouareasdelightedasIamtolearnthat anumberofbirdsofpreyandPaulandGeoffdottedsome DawnhasreceivedtheFentonmedalintheSociety’sawards mothsaroundthegarden.Ifyouconsidercontrolledsubjects for2013.Thisisrichlydeservedforalmost20yearsservice tobeeasyyoushouldtryharvestmice!Therealheroineof totheGroup.InthistimeDawnhashadavarietyofroles thedaywasChristineforherlonghoursinthekitchenwhich suchascommitteemember,chair,webmasterandeditorof keptuswellfedandwatered.Thesocialaspectoffield TheIris.OftheseIregardthelastasperhapsthemost meetingsisasimportantasthephotographicandthe important.Thelatestmembershiplistshowsthatournumber presenceofmembersIhadneverseembeforeshowsthat hasincreasedto703.Thismembershipiswidelyscattered thereisademandforthiskindofevent.Iwouldliketosee overboththeUKandabroadandTheIrishasavitalpartto anaccountofeveryfieldmeetinginTheIrisjustastheydid playincommunications.Ihaveheardmanypeoplesaythat in1976–1986! TheIrisisthebestGrouppublicationandthisisdownto Ourjointexhibitionsecretaries,MargeryandKevin Dawn’sprofessionalism.TheFentonmedalisoneofthe Maskell,havebeenattemptingtosimplifytherulesofthe Society’smajorawardsandisduerecognitionforallthat annualexhibition.Pleasereadtheentryformverycarefully DawnhasdonefortheNatureGroupandtheSociety. asmistakescostthemtimeandeffort.Thebiggestchange BycontrastIamsadtohavetoreportthedeathof isthatyouwillbeabletoenterupto8printsorDPIin GordonDickson,afoundermemberoftheGroup.Heserved eachsectionwith4Asand4Bs.AshasbeennotedinThe aschairman,committeememberandforthreeyearsthe Irisbefore,cutetitlesarespreadinglikeadiseaseinboth editorofTheNewsletter,theprecursorofTheIris.Hewas nationalandinternationalexhibitions.Thishasneverbeen alsoahighlyrespectedmycologistasIobservedinarecent aproblemforusandthecommitteewishestokeepitthat bookreview.Iwascontactedbyhisson,Richard,inJulywho way.Soanyentrywithacutetitlewillbedisqualified.Also, saidthathisfatherwasnow93yearsoldandveryfrail.He noonelikestofindthattheirprintshavebeendamaged askedifIwantedsomeveryearlypublicationsbytheGroup. byothers,soanyprintswhichareconsideredadangerto AneatbinderarrivedcontainingmainlyTheNewsletter otherswillalsobedisqualified.Therearealsorequirements startingwithNo.1from1976.Thiswasfollowedbyasecond regardingmountinginorderthattheprintscanbedisplayed andincludedabriefnotesayingthatGordonpassedaway