St Helens Star - Star Nature's Way - Features and Photographs

Swan Fancy a breath of fresh air...

Welcome to the very first Star Nature’s Way. Before I go any further here is a brief explanation of who I am and what I do.

My name is John Fairclough and I am a professional photographer addicted to natural history and wildlife and now I aim to share my passion witn Star readers and hopefully encourage you to contribute to this new venture. My photography began as a hobby during the late 80s when I became a member of St Helens Camera Club and, to date, still am. My earlier work was primarily general photography, however I decided to specialise in British natural history and wildlife around 1998.

During my time as a wildlife photographer I have gained numerous awards and achievements, two of which I feel very honoured and privileged about:

1: First prize in an international wildlife competition which took me on a 14-day round trip to the Falkland Islands.
2: Last year I happened to be in the right place at the right time to be able to witness the hatching and first few hours of life of five Mute Swan cygnets. More about the “Mute Swans” in a future blogs.

Star Nature’s Way is a new column in paper and online that will bring you features on subjects and species from locations around the borough of St Helens, and surrounding areas