Paul Cross Photography

     Link - Website Blog With More Images There’s something special about early mornings at Warnham Local Nature Reserve, but on 05/10/2025 the light offered something truly unique. As the sun began to rise, a soft golden glow spread across the water, creating the perfect conditions for one of my favourite photographic surprises — natural backlighting. While I was watching the activity over the lake, a group of black-headed gulls began gliding low across the surface. Each turn of their wings caught the sunrise at just the right angle, causing the feathers to glow along the edges. Instead of strong silhouettes, the light passed through the wings, revealing delicate structure and a warm, translucent halo around each bird. It was a completely different atmosphere from the high-contrast silhouette shots I often take at this spot, but equally rewarding. These backlit moments felt softer, calmer, and almost glass-like as the wings illuminated in motion. I’m really pleased with ...

     Link - Website Blog With More Images On the morning of 05/10/2025, Warnham Local Nature Reserve delivered one of those rare, unforgettable scenes that every wildlife photographer hopes for. As the sun began to rise, the entire reserve was washed in a deep amber glow — the kind of warm, golden light that transforms an ordinary moment into something almost magical. It only lasts a few minutes, but when it arrives, everything in nature seems to pause and align. During this brief window, the black-headed gulls were fully in their element. They skimmed across the mirrored surface of the water, diving and gliding effortlessly. Each movement created perfect ripples across the stillness, and the low sun turned their shapes into striking silhouettes. It was a chance to capture a series of atmospheric images where light, behaviour and timing all came together. These are the moments that make wildlife photography so rewarding — when the conditions shift just enough to create so...

     Link - Website Blog With More Images There are days in wildlife photography that feel especially rewarding, and my visit to Warnham Local Nature Reserve on 04/10/2025 was certainly one of them. From the moment I arrived, the reserve was alive with activity—birds moving across the water, sudden bursts of flight, and those fleeting moments that every photographer hopes to catch. A Morning Filled With Variety One of the highlights of the session was an Aylesbury Duck in flight, its bright plumage standing out beautifully against the soft morning light. Not far behind was a striking Black Swan, always a captivating sight with its dark feathers and vivid red bill. I was also fortunate enough to photograph a Common Teal in flight, its small size and fast movement making it a real challenge to track through the lens. A particularly entertaining moment came from a Coot sprinting across the water’s surface, those rapid steps creating a burst of energy across the still pond. O...

     Link - Website Blog With More Images On 4th October 2025, I spent a few peaceful hours at Warnham Local Nature Reserve, one of my favourite places for wildlife photography. Autumn had begun to settle in, and the cut reeds created perfect channels of still water — an ideal hunting ground for one of the reserve’s small but charismatic residents: the Little Grebe. Despite their size, Little Grebes are full of personality. I was fortunate enough to watch one working its way through the reeds, diving repeatedly with real intent. Each dive was quick and precise, followed by a brief pause on the surface before it slipped under again. Moments like these are what make wildlife photography so rewarding — witnessing natural behaviour up close, with no disturbance, just observation. I managed to capture several intimate shots as it moved gracefully between the reed stems. The soft light, calm water, and the grebe’s busy routine all came together to create a peaceful scene that w...

     Link - Website Blog With More Images on 04/10/2025 was one of them. The reserve greeted me with calm water, soft mist, and the kind of warm amber light that photographers dream of. It was the perfect setting for capturing silhouettes—those fleeting moments where shape, posture, and atmosphere take centre stage. As the sun rose, I managed to photograph a beautiful sequence of wildlife gliding across the glowing water. A Coot, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, and a Mute Swan all passed through the golden reflections, each offering its own unique silhouette against the fiery backdrop. But the standout moment of the morning was unmistakable: a Great Crested Grebe positioned perfectly within a natural ring of light. The timing, the angle, and the glow came together in one of those rare and magical scenes that you simply can’t plan—you just happen to be there at exactly the right moment. The conditions throughout the morning created a dramatic, almost cinematic atmospher...

     Link - Website Blog With More Images On 4th October 2025, I enjoyed a fantastic visit to Warnham Local Nature Reserve, one of my favourite places for wildlife watching and photography. As autumn settles in, the reserve is alive with activity, and this particular morning didn’t disappoint. I spent a good while observing a lively group of young Black-headed Gulls as they repeatedly dived into the water. They were full of energy — constantly on the move, squabbling, splashing, and displaying all the playful behaviour that makes this species so enjoyable to photograph. Moments like these remind me how much you can witness when you simply take the time to stop, watch, and let the wildlife come to you. It turned into a wonderfully peaceful and rewarding morning out with the camera, made even better by the dynamic action of these young gulls testing their flying and feeding skills. Below are a few of the images captured during the session — a small glimpse into the behaviou...

     Link - Website Blog With More Images Welcome to my wildlife photography journal! Warnham Local Nature Reserve never fails to offer fascinating moments, and the morning of 28th September 2025 was no exception. I was lucky enough to capture a Moorhen sprinting across the water — one of those fleeting moments that happen so quickly, yet are incredibly rewarding to witness and photograph. Observing its speed and agility in motion was a reminder of the variety of wildlife behaviour that can be found even on a seemingly quiet day. Warnham continues to prove why it’s such a special location for both birdwatching and photography, always offering the chance to witness something unique in the natural world. Thanks for reading! Be sure to explore my other wildlife adventures and photography from Warnham Local Nature Reserve and beyond. Every visit brings something new, and I look forward to sharing more moments soon.