Common Whitethroat

This Common Whitethroat, Sylvia communis was singing its heart out on the barbed wire perimeter fence at Finningley airport, (Doncaster Airport).







Canon 1D Mk2, 500 mm lens with 1.4 x extender.

Dippers

I've been a couple of times to Lathkill Dale, Derbyshire, to photograph the White Throated Dipper, Cinclus cinclus. So called because of their habit of dipping under to catch bugs and other tasty morsels. It's a strenuous walk from the car park in Over Haddon to the river, all downhill, and then you have to find them.
Don't forget the return journey, that hill is pretty steep. I usually carry all my kit in a Lowe Pro backpack, complete with tripod. Be prepared.



They're a smallish bird and usually keep their distance, a longish lens is best, these were taken with a 500 mm + a 1.4 x extender. Their habitat is shallow fast flowing water in upland areas, often in woodland. Lathkill Dale is ideal. Because of the tree cover and low light levels a flashgun is a handy item to carry, I sometimes use mine with a fresnel flash extender, to throw the light that extra distance.



Note the white coloured eyelids






Taking a peep.

I would say that no later than the latter end of April is the best time to go, before the leaf cover on the trees blocks out all the available light.

Bitterns at Potteric Carr

I live only a few miles from Potteric Carr Nature Reserve, it's a place I've visited regularly in the past, mainly to photograph the Bitterns that stay over Winter there. As many as 6 have stayed for the Winter months, but eventually the birds move onto the continent to breed. It is hoped that in future the birds will stay on to breed.

I've spent many hours in the hides at the Carr, my favourite being the one at Piper Marsh, the birds are very secretive and difficult to spot and move like a cat, very slowly and with precision.

Some bird watchers have been going for years and have never seen one, fortunately for me nearly every time I went to the Carr, I saw one or even two. Bliss. Mind you, these photographs do represent hours and hours of sitting in a hide.

Grey seals on the Isle of Mull

Some time ago whilst on the Isle of Mull, Scotland, I video this seal grabbing some snacks.
It certainly entertained the audience.

Grey seals at Donna Nook

Donna Nook in Lincolnshire, is a great place to visit to obtain photographs of Grey Seals. Between December and January each year the seals haul themselves out to give birth to their young.

Obviously it's best to be prepared, with good stout footwear i.e. Wellington boots, and a set of Tide tables. When the tide is out it's then possible to do the long walk across the claggy sand and mud to the waters edge, an eye has to be kept on the tides, on this coast they move fast and are treacherous, the previously exposed sand is soon submerged.

During the week Donna Nook is a RAF bombing range, so access is only available at the weekends.

The rewards are worth the trek though, the seals are approachable, but I wouldn't get too close, they are, after all wild animals.
The pups at this young age don't appear to have any fear of man, many a time after I plonked my tripod down, the pups would shuffle up and get so close I couldn't focus, I was constantly moving back.

When I was engrossed in photographing the seals, occasionally, I would hear a loud continuous thudding sound, on looking up I saw it was the large bull seals moving across the beach, these usually move in a straight line across any other seal, in fact within view I could see a dead flat pup. Life and death.

Photographic opportunities like this are now over until December this year, when I must go back.



Mrs. A faces a pup.

Robin and Crab apple blossom

Because of all the cold miserable snowy weather we're having in the UK, I thought I'd post this bright Spring type image, I took this a couple of years ago in the back garden.

This particular tree will burst into blossom in April which isn't far away and it always looks good.



To get this photograph I erected a small hide and waited for the Robin, I was certain it was aware of my presence. I don't think you can really fool a Robin as easy as that.

Angry Shoveler

I was at RSPB Titchwell in Norfolk when this Shoveler decided to show its displeasure to another male Shoveler.



After the other bird had done a dignified retreat, the angry bird did a wing stretching exercise, click on the video below.



Canon 1D Mk2 with 500 mm f4 lens.

Puffins galore

The favourite bird of many people, these Puffins, Fratercula arctica, I captured on the Farne Islands and also on Lunga one of the Tressnish Islands.
















And if you didn't know, Puffins nest in burrows



This Puffin was hanging onto its Sandeels in a brisk breeze and reminds me of Medusa's writhing snakelocks.

Canon 1D Mk2 with 500 mm f4 and 70 - 200 mm f2.8 zoom lens

Oystercatcher

The striking thing about the Oystercatcher is its brightly coloured bill which however, does serve a very useful purpose.

Herring gull

This beautiful looking gull I found at Bempton cliffs on a bright sunny day, there's a hint of malice in those eyes.

Black Headed gulls

To many people gulls are a boring bird and they have no particular interest in them, these Black Headed gulls, Larus ridibundus in Winter plumage, were captured behind the Spa theatre at Bridlington.

Turnstone feeding

This time, I was on the South Beach at Bridlington just behind the Spa theatre. A good place to go if you're interested in photographing birds and as usual the ever present Turnstones were there. I watched a small group foraging and this particular one was going from mussel to mussel having a peek for that tasty morsel.





I was particularly pleased with the first image, it won me 1st prize in a camera clubs photo competition.

Canon 1D Mk2, 500 mm f4 lens with 1.4 x extender all mounted on a tripod.

Turnstone

One September evening whilst walking along the beach at Scarborough, I noticed a number of Turnstones frolicking in the tidal pools. This was handy for me just what I wanted, armed with my Canon 1D Mk2 fitted with a Canon 70 - 200 mm f2.8 zoom lens.

Cuckoo Wrasse

I'm not quite certain where I took this photo of a Cuckoo wrasse, Labrus mixtus, but I know it's in the Western Isles around Oban way. In the mature fish the male and female differ in colour and pattern. This male has a blue head which extends onto the sides which in parts are orangish in colour. It's certainly a beautiful looking fish, this type of wrasse always had an inquisitive nature, once whilst I was diving in Gozo, they were following me around. Yes I know, looking for any goodies kicked up by the diver. Cupboard love.



Nikonos V with 28 mm lens and Nikonos close up lens, fitted with a SB 102 flashgun.

Meet George

Yes, he's an ugly bugger, but George was the friendly Wolf fish, Anahichas lupus. He has powerful jaws and teeth, which enable it to crush sea urchins and other shellfish on which it feeds. On seeing divers he used to come out of his lair to see if any freebies were on the go. At the time I took this photograph, George was living in 8 metres of water at St. Abbs, Scotland.



It's some years since I photographed this fish, I wonder if he's still there?

Nikonos RS fitted with 28 mm lens, Ektachrome 100, scanned with a Nikon Coolscan 5000