Blast from a distant past....

So, I'm still sifting through my hundreds of old transparencies to see how they're standing up to time. Despite the years they are in excellent condition, mostly because they have been stored in reels and boxed, so out of the light. I'd still like to get some of them scanned professionally as the little slide scanner I have is rubbish really. Found a few that brought memories flooding back today...

Hudsonian godwit, adult, Countess Weir, 1981 (far right) with two Blackwits.
If only I'd had the camera I have now back then! This was taken with a 200mm
lens, so you can see how close they were.

Little auk, picked up off a main road in Chard after a storm (1982).
Pity it's such a crap photo - too much flash. Taken in near
complete darkness as we released it at Seaton.
Couldn't check your pics and shoot again in those days.

Spiked speedwell, Avon Gorge
Risked life and limb climbing above the Bridge Valley Road
to see this rare beauty!

Dolomedes fimbriatus, Catcott Heath
Monster spider - what an amazing sight these are.

Must have been mad in those days. Many of the rarest plants involved dangerous escapades to see and photograph them. Much as I'd love to see them all again with a digital camera, I'm not sure I'd be foolish enough to try and get them all again...