Ian Hydon Photography of Wokingham

17/06/2026

I am well known amongst my friends as someone who likes to - if I can - save wildlife - all creatures great and small including insects.

Yesterday my group and I sorted through lots of plant pots.

In a large container was a Live, Female Stag Beetle so naturally, I had to rescue her.

She sat for a short time on my outstretched hand before deciding to climb up my arm!

I put her in one of our vegetable beds.

I have added her to the PTES Great Stag Beetle Hunt website citizen sciences project.

She makes my Sixth Stag Beetle I have seen in 2026 so far, three live ones - One Male, Two Females and sadly three deceased ones, two males and one female.

Wokingham Borough is a hot-spot for stag beetles, what is otherwise still an endangered species.

09/06/2026

Something a bit different this morning at Wokingham Railway Station: A South Western Railway Arterio train. Class 701 Train number 006 at Wokingham.

It has the brand new Great British Railways livery.

Photo by Ian Hydon.

I like the colours for this, eventually all the trains will adopt this livery on the outside of their trains, as more and more train companies come under public ownership again.

09/06/2026

I was reminded of the painting by Claude Monet of The Lily Pond when I came across this stunning scene taken from the first bridge across part of the University of Reading's Lake this morning.

Photo by Ian Hydon.

09/06/2026

Having taken part in an autism study at the University of Reading this morning, it was really lovely to explore the beautiful Lake and [open to the public to walk around] and grounds afterwards. Lots of biodiversity and nature.

The showers this time held off for my explore around the Lake.

09/06/2026

Again with the wildlife rescue: A successful rescue my second in a couple of weeks for stag beetles, of this beautiful male stag beetle [the last one I rescued was a Female]

Rescued from Denmark Street beside a shop and in danger of getting squashed, I safely transferred to Howard Palmer Gardens in Wokingham.

Thanks to Purple Butterfly in Denmark St in Wokingham [which is a ladies boutique shop] for the use of one of their little small gift bags for safe transport of him.

It must have been the most unusual request they perhaps have had this year, this kind wildlife loving gentleman in a multicoloured rainbow hat carrying [on a pair of banknotes] a huge male stag beetle.

At one point he rested on my hand but he was wondering what to do with his reinforced jaws [that look like antlers of a stag] but decided I was a friend helping him out.

Stag Beetles have rough segmented rather spiky legs as well so it's not so easy to hold them in one's hand if you are also carrying him any great distance.

Safely though put near the log pile area and chip bark in HPG.
I have added him to the PTES Great Stag Beetle Citizen Science project.

Wonder how many others I'll see in 2026? [so far it's Five: One live Male and one live Female Stag Beetle both of which I rescued & three deceased ones, one male and two females]

09/06/2026

I am well known amongst my friends, as someone who loves to try and save wildlife - including things like bees, spiders and snails and if gardening or doing my conservation volunteering and I see a creature in distress, I'll try and save it, temporarily halting work if I am with a group.

At the weekend you can see on the leaf at the bottom of this Beautiful Foxglove, a bumblebee I had saved from drowning.
The Sun is trying to come out to help dry her off.

It was sufficient she later flew off successfully.

She did have the option though to have climbed the foxglove to feed on the nectar within the deep flowers that are especially designed including the patterns on the flowers to help guide the bees in.

Rather like an airport landing runway lights. Bees see in ultraviolet as well so they can see the pattern even more clearly.
I do like helping and rescuing wildlife. All Creatures Great and Small.

09/06/2026

So sad to see there's now simply an empty space where the iconic Wokingham Railway Signal Box once stood.

I was able to capture this photo - which the Wokingham Today paper's used with my agreement, of the process mid-demolition of it.

Photo was taken on Saturday 30th May 2026.

One of Wokingham’s iconic structures disappeared last week, with netizens taking to carious social media channels to register their disappointment.Wokingham’s

07/04/2026

With everything that's going on in the World, having time with Nature is so good for us physically and emotionally, this beautiful flowering Cherry Blossom Tree always wows, in Broad St, Wokingham,

Such a beautiful day with sunshine and clear blue skies, it has been today - and tomorrow will be hotter still.

Photo by Ian Hydon / Ian Hydon Photography of Wokingham.

07/03/2026

One of the most iconic of steam trains, The Flying Scotsman 60103 pulled by a double HST engines and steaming along. It is going down to Alton for the Mid Hampshire Watercress Heritage Railway.

She was 10 minutes early ahead of schedule passing through Wokingham at 13:35 this afternoon.

She will be at the Watercress Line for a mixture of static and steam displays and running from 10 - 21 March 2026,

Photos by Ian Hydon / Ian Hydon Photography of Wokingham.

05/03/2026

Up early to capture the [almost] Full Moon over Wokingham this early Breakfast time on Thursday.

The actual Full Moon occurred on Monday night, but have missed getting a photograph of it with cloud or it not being clear enough.

Each month has a different name many from the Native Americans.

The Full Moon this month is the "Worm" Moon - as with warming ground temperatures means its easier for worms to get around.

That said with so much rain recently, the worms certainly have been plentiful!

Photo by Ian Hydon / Ian Hydon Photography of Wokingham.