There's nothing quite like morning mist to provide exciting conditions in which to photograph amid the woodlands and wetlands. The forecast hinted at a misty start to the day so I took a trip locally to enjoy a spot of landscape photography.

The mist delivered a double dose that morning, dissipating and then reappearing; I was also treated to the sight of a deer, never before seen here on the Moss.

During the film I talk about the importance and benefit of revisiting local landscape location, returning when the weather conditions are just right and you can see how the changing landscape through the seasons plays a major factor in composition creation.

Just compare the images in this film to my previous visits:

Making the most in Composition | Whatever the Weather | Landscape Photography

   • Making the most in Composition | What...  

Landscape Photography | A Local Winter Walk in the Mist | Woodland & Wetlands | Cheshire

   • Landscape Photography | A Local Winte...  

Landscape Photography | A Local Winter Walk in the Snow | My Last Outing Prior to Lockdown 3.0

   • Landscape Photography | A Local Winte...  

You may also see me rant about the ineptitude and disregard by certain elements of the human race to respecting the countryside.

So join me on my walk through the area known as Highfield Moss which offers a diverse insect, wildlife, flora and fauna habitat.

This fascinating habitat is all thanks to Robert Stephenson, who dug a railway line right through the middle of this large peatland and left behind sandy banks of spoil. But this isn’t the only thing that makes Highfield Moss unique. It is a lowland raised valley mire: a rare type of wetland for Greater Manchester and an important link in the Great Manchester Wetlands area.

Unique peatland plants like sphagnum moss, carnivorous round-leaved sundew, cross-leaved heath and lousewort grow out on the mire lawns. However, it is marsh gentian that sets Highfield Moss apart. This stunning blue plant is rare right across the UK, and the Moss is a major North West stronghold for these trumpet-shaped flowers.

Of course, such an unusual habitat and unique collection of flora nurtures a thriving insect population that doesn’t just include solitary bees. Heath bumblebees meander from flower to flower, while black darter, common hawker and four-spotted chaser dragonflies zip over tranquil pools, one of which is rumoured to be bottomless!

Emerald damselflies dart around hare’s-tail and common cottongrass, while deep in the vegetation, male meadow grasshoppers serenade the females.
As for birds, you are in for a treat. Whitethroats and linnets sing loudly from the trees and perch on top of coconut-scented gorse bushes, golden plovers potter around on the ground and, up above, birds of prey rule the skies. Buzzards soar serenely overhead, kestrels hover, locked onto prey, and hobbies fly in hot pursuit of dragonflies. Visit at dawn or dusk during autumn and winter and you may even spot short-eared owls quartering the Moss.

My channel aims to inspire you to get outside, into nature, into the countryside, enjoy the great outdoors and experience the landscape from where I share my photography thoughts, experiences, insights and observations hoping to encourage and motivate you to take a few images along the way - if you have enjoyed this video please consider subscribing to enjoy future episodes.

Thank you for watching

Filmed on April 4th 2021

Music

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Gear
Stills Camera: Nikon D5300
Vlogging Camera: Sony ZV1
Aerial footage: DJI Mavic Pro
Audio: Rode Wireless Go Mic

Lenses:
Nikkor 10-24mm f3.5
Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8
Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8



Lenses:
Nikkor 10-24mm f3.5
Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8
Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8