Down Low

Tamron 150mm - 600mm f/5 - 6.3

ISO 400   600mm   f/6.3   1/640 sec

When I first spotted this beautiful male Great Crested Grebe from my favourite hide at Mere Sands I thought that it might have been sitting on a nest but actually he is just sitting really low behind the reeds.  He's really beautiful and I hope that he found a mate although he didn't appear to be doing too well on this particular day.

Thirsty Bird

Tamron 150 - 600 mm f/5 - 6.3

ISO 500    600mm   f/6.3    1/200 sec

This solitary Carrion Crow looks very regal standing proud on the path through the woods. He had been watching me from a perch high up in a tree but as I passed beneath him he flew down to take a drink. I approached cautiously not wanting to scare him away and was pleased that he didn't feel threatened by me and allowed me to get fairly close.

Doesn't he look smart with his little white bib? Also look closely at those beautiful feathers across his shoulders.

No Apologies

Tamron 150mm-600mm f/5 - 6.3

ISO 1000   329mm    f/6.3   1/250 sec

ISO 1000   600mm    f/6.3    1/250

I said yesterday that I have well over 100 pictures from my morning walk at the Formby squirrel sanctuary and I can't not share them (well some of them anyway).

I think they're so cute and looking at them now these little critters make me smile and remind me of a wonderful woodland walk.

Beautiful Big Cat

Wow

This is one of my favourite big cats and I think these are really lovely pictures, especially the second shot.

I love the expression on his face, he is very clearly concentrating on something as he was patrolling his territory.

Hide n Seek

I love this shot of a Bush Dog peeping out from its underground den. He was uncertain whether to come out and join the rest of the pack or not and he kept popping in and out before  finally making the decision to come out to play.

These little creatures are really playful and it is fun to watch them running around often playing a game of follow the leader but here it is much more a game of hide n seek.

Shelduck On The Wing

Today I wanted to continue the theme of birds in flight and today's choice of bird is the beautiful Shelduck. 

These were some way off and so I have cropped in quite close to get the best image. You can see from the first two pictures the fantastic markings on the underside of these handsome birds, seen here in breeding plumage. In the  first two images we have a male bird and in the other two shots there are two males and one female. The way they can be distinguished from each other is the male has a raised knob on its bright red bill.

These birds are more commonly seen around coastal estuaries so seeing them at Mere Sands was a treat. They will be busy rearing their broods of 8 to 10 young around about now. They like to nest in a variety of places including in holes on the ground, under brambles or between straw bales but they are also known to nest in trees.

They like to hang around in small family groups but can be seen in larger groups towards the end of the summer before the adults head off to the North Sea where they moult.

Living on the coast I am quite used to seeing these birds but surprisingly I haven't photographed them very often but having taken the time to find out a little more about them today I am inclined to go out and look for them again quite soon.

Cool Cormorants

As I said the other day I had a go at photographing some birds in flight and I managed to capture a few shots of these cormorants. I know they are not the sharpest images but looking at them I think I can see what I need to do differently next time.

I almost decided against posting these but I thought that in spite of the lack of sharpness one of the features I wanted to capture is the shapes of the birds in flight and these shots show that off well. 

Tracking birds is challenging and getting the focus spot on is difficult especially when the lens is quite slow. In the third of these pictures I think the focus point is on the top surface of the wing and that looks good, it's just a shame that it's not sharp across the whole image.

Just Hanging Around

There is something funky about these Silvery Gibbons and watching them swing their way around the massive enclosure was totally awesome. They move so effortlessly and climb to the top of the trees chasing each other around.

Yesterday with the pictures of the Sumatran Orangutan I was struck by the sadness of seeing them in the zoo when their numbers are declining due to the impact of humans on their environment and after I posted it I wondered whether I had been too negative. Today however posting these pictures and doing just a little research about the Silvery Gibbon I wonder whether I didn't go far enough. I didn't start this blog to make comment about the world or humanity, primarily it is about the photography but the natural world and wildlife photography is so important to me and every now and then some of the pictures I take give me cause to think more about issues beyond the picture.

These Gibbons are really cute and amazing but they are incredibly rare, it is thought that there are just 2,500 remaining in their natural home in Java, the only place on this planet where they can be found in the wild. They're endangered because of the activities of mankind which has caused the destruction of 96% of their natural habitat. As if that wasn't enough they face a further threat from the illegal trade in wildlife because babies are captured and sold off as pets.

I don't want to be negative, I want people to appreciate these beautiful creatures, I want people to enjoy my photography and hopefully I will achieve that but as a race we really need to clean up our act and value this world and all it offers.

A Jungle V.I.P.

The Sumatran Orangutan really is a jungle V.I.P. 

It is one of three species of orangutans and they are critically endangered with the population in serious decline due to the relentless destruction of Sumatra's rain-forest.

At dinner tonight I asked everyone if they could choose to see any sight in the world what would it be, when it came to my turn I said that it would be to go and see orangutans living in the wild. I think that would be an amazing experience but the opportunity to do so is becoming ever more remote. I hadn't planned on posting this picture today but after my dinner time conversation it seems fitting to do so.

I was going to try and find something funny to comment about both of these pictures but I don't know about you but to me the orangutan in my first picture looks pretty sad, or fed up and the youngster in the second shot looks bored and while I love these pictures I couldn't find anything funny to say.

We are blessed to live in such a beautiful world with such diversity, it is sad that as a species we do so much to damage the world and harm its helpless inhabitants. I am glad to have had the chance to photograph these creatures at Chester Zoo, the conservation work they do there is so very important but wouldn't it be so much better if we didn't need places like zoos. 

Soaring

These common gulls had stopped by to share in my in-car picnic on the beach at Black Rock Sands. I had eaten a delicious Scotch Egg and a Stromboli bought in a local cafe/deli and there was no chance they were going to get any of that. 

I had also bought a cherry bun for "dessert" but I didn't really enjoy that so I threw a chunk out of the window to the waiting gulls thinking that they would tear it apart. To my surprise and amusement one bird swallowed it whole and then seemed to stagger around with a hugely swollen crop. I was a bit more careful to throw smaller pieces for the other birds and was again surprised to see the already stuffed bird fighting with his comrades over the other scraps in a disgusting display of greed.

I was impressed by the aerobatic skills of the birds as they snatched tasty snacks midair.

I took a number of pictures of the birds in flight as they were soaring effortlessly in the strong easterly wind. I think these shots capture the supreme skill of these birds and I particularly like the light in the first image.

Anyone who has had a seaside picnic will have been pestered by gulls and they're widely considered as pests but they are really quite attractive birds.

Noisy Nuthatch

I have seen nuthatches many times and they are really beautiful birds. 

I love the way they cling onto the bark or branches of trees lying flat against the surface or hanging upside down, they are so agile. I love their black mask giving them the appearance of a bandit.

This particular bird was spotted during a walk in the New Forest, I was actually stalking a herd of Fallow Deer at the time and it was pretty wet and grey so the lighting wasn't great. The noise in the title to this post doesn't relate to the birds' song but to the "noise" in the image because it was shot at an ISO of 20,000 so inevitably it was very grainy and nowhere near as sharp as I had hoped it would be. 

I had almost discarded these shots as worthless but after a little bit of tweaking in Lightroom I have found that they could be salvaged and they are closer to what I had pictured when I took the shots. I really like the poses in both shots so I am glad I was able to "rescue" them. Now that I know how I will be able to go through some older files and see if I can apply this fix to other shots that previously I had discarded.

Red Panda

One of my favourite mammals; the Red Panda. 

OK it may be a bit cliche because they are just so cute but they really are beautiful and whenever I visit Chester Zoo I am drawn to see them. 

I love this shot, I think the lighting is spot on with the sun coming in from the right and the shaded areas helping to frame the panda as it was trotting towards me.

Cool Kestrel

Hopefully you saw the pictures I posted a couple of weeks ago of this beautiful kestrel at Brockholes reserve. Today I have chosen to post a few more shots of the same bird, firstly perched on top of a post that he had visited for food and the other two as he sat at the top of a wicker arch surveying the landscape. He was acutely aware of my presence but as long as I didn't approach too close or too quickly he was quite content to sit and pose for me.

Everybody's Favourite

It would be hard to argue against the Robin being everybody's favourite bird and these three spotted in Mere Sands Woods help confirm just how beautiful and endearing the Robin is.

Last year I took a photo of a fledgling Robin in the same spot as the first of today's images and given how territorial Robins are I wonder whether this is the same bird, it is nice to think that it is.

The second of today's Robins was a noisy and curious little chap and he looks in fine condition.

As I was stood on the path watching the birds I spoke with a couple of other visitors to the reserve and together we tried to tempt one to feed off our hands. We managed to tempt him to  a small pile of seeds and mealworms on the floor at our feet but he couldn't be persuaded onto a hand.

Reed Bunting

The first of today's pictures is of a cute little male Reed Bunting with a beak full of seed, he really is a handsome chap but I think the female in the next two images is actually a much prettier bird.

They are so delicate and light and I love the way they cling to the reeds. I like the way they use their long tails to keep their balance and love the expression on the face, particularly in the third picture as the bird is looking directly at the camera.

All Day Breakfast

A few weeks ago I shared a series of photos taken at an owl and bird of prey sanctuary and while it was a thrill to see so many beautiful birds of prey up close it cannot match the thrill of seeing one of these birds close up in the wild.

Today was my first chance to get out with my camera for a while and I was hoping for some good photo opportunities. I went to the Lancashire Wildlife Trust reserve at Brockholes near Preston. 

Top of my list of species I hoped to see was the Kestrel and so I was really excited to see this male Kestrel as I pulled into the car park. The bird in all four pictures is the same one, the first image though was taken at the start of the day when it was very dull, the other shots were taken about an hour later when the bird was tempted back by a handful of tasty mealworms put out by another visitor.

As you can see from the second shot he didn't waste any time at all snatching his first mouthful before he had even settled on the post and then in the third shot that expression seems to say "stay back, these worms are mine!"

These pictures were shot at 300mm (or thereabouts) but with fairly low shutter speeds and high ISO because of the poor light meaning they are a little grainy. I was able to get really close though so I haven't needed to crop these pictures at all.

Kestrel

You may remember (if you saw it that is) that in a recent post I spoke about how I had watched the film and read the book Kes which inspired my love of birds of prey. On that occasion I shared some pictures of a beautiful female kestrel and so today here are a couple of shots of a young male kestrel.

It is a small yet powerful bird but hunched up on its perch it looks quite timid. Close up though you can see its piercing eyes and vicious looking beak. 

I just love these little birds and I love to see them hovering along the roadside or hedgerows while hunting for their prey.

Visiting a bird of prey centre once I was told that kestrels (and possibly other birds I don't remember) are able to track prey, such as mice, through the grass by being able to detect the trail of urine that mice leave behind. How's that for an interesting fact of the day.

Standing Proud

Here is another shot of one of the Dunham Massey stags. It really is such a beautiful creature and I was so lucky to be able to get close and appreciate how truly beautiful it is.

It is easy to forget seeing them so close that these are wild not domestic animals. Because they live in a large estate where there are lots of visitors they have become used to people but while they are not as timid as deer that truly live wild for example in the New Forest or Forest of Dean or in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland they can still be skittish and need to be treated with just as much respect.

I think that herds like this are an important part of our nations wildlife and really are a national treasure.

Little Hunters

Another change of theme today, but in case you missed yesterday's post it's well worth taking a look because I think it is one of the best pictures I have shared for a long time.

Today though I have selected these beautiful portraits of two small but very powerful hunters.

The first is an American Barn Owl. It differs from the European Barn Owl by having much darker plumage down its back. I love its sweetheart face and its peaceful expression.

The second image, my favourite, is of a White Faced Scops Owl, in this shot he is sitting on a fence post about to fly to its handler. It really is a delightful little bird with a huge personality.

Behind Bars

I think today's pictures are incredibly sad. I almost decided not to post them but I thought it was important to do so.

This beautiful Great Grey Owl is one of my favourite owls, it is largest owl species and recently I have enjoyed seeing posts by photographers in Canada (John Ongaro for example) with shots of these superb birds in the wild against beautiful snowy backdrops. I would be so excited to see a Great Grey Owl in the wild, I can't tell you how excited, it is beyond words. They are so beautiful, graceful and majestic. 

I have taken pictures of them in the past, at Chester Zoo where they are housed in a large aviary where they seem quite comfortable and content but they are still captive and it feels wrong somehow. I was talking to a friend recently about just this point. I think zoos and wildlife sanctuaries have a place for supporting conservation and rescuing sick or injured animals but some species such as this owl don't necessarily need the protection that these places offer. Of course they give people an opportunity to see the birds for themselves and that is good but at the same time I feel sad when I see them restricted when they should be flying free.

The aviary that this particular bird is in isn't particularly small and I am sure that it complies with all "industry standards" but the front was made of wooden bars which made it impossible to get a clear shot and as you can see from the second image the face is framed by the vertical bars. The first picture is a cropped image for the purpose of showing the reflection of the bars in the owls' eye and that is what gives these pictures such a sad quality.

Well having said all that I hope the tone of today's post isn't too depressing or preachy but the pictures are actually technically good and have some merit and also  I promise that tomorrow I will post something much more upbeat.