Updating the Slide Show, and the photographs used.

What is the purpose of the slide show? On the home page of the website a slide show is introduced with a photograph of a Heron striking at prey, its wings outstretched to provide shadow. The photograph was taken at Alexandra Lake on Wanstead Flats, and apart from cropping to adjust for the dimensions of the slide-show presentation, is unmodified.

This photograph was a "grab-shot" taken in 2005 - the Heron made its move and I aimed and shot. As the heron is a symbol of Wanstead (it is said that they were introduced in the 16th century by Sir John Heron, owner of Wanstead Park - but I suspect they'd have introduced themselves anyway), and I'm very pleased with the resulting image, it seems a fit photo to use as an introduction.

The following photographs in the slide show are intended to represent the wildlife that may be evident in the area at the time of viewing. Usually - given that I am able to get out and photograph something at the time - they are photographs taken on the day as captioned. Occasionally, if I know something is out there but I haven't gained a contemporary photograph, I will use one from my stock. But it will be of a local wildlife aspect, and it will have been taken locally. When a photograph gets outdated, it may be transferred to another section - "Photos Month by Month"

Sometimes I will throw in a picture that isn't wildlife - a scene, cloudscape, or maybe even an issue. But the overall purpose is to show what could be seen by getting out there and looking.

Paul Ferris, October 2010