On The Move

 I think I am spoiling you yet again with this selection.

This great white egret is such a stunning bird and having shared the pictures in my previous post of the bird actually feeding these shots show it in the process of hunting and were all taken moments before it caught a fish.

In flight the egret keeps its long neck tucked back over its body and its legs outstretched but when hunting it keeps its neck stretched forwards as it remains focused on its target.

There is so much that I like about these images, the graceful shape of the bird with wings outstretched, the movement in the feather; as they are affected by the updraft when it lands and the way the ends of the feathers curl upwards as they act as air brakes, I like the blue tint on the feathers in certain light, and the warm glow of the wings as they are backlit by the afternoon sun and then in the final image I like the shadow of the birds curled neck seen through the wing.

It was hard to walk away as this beautiful bird continued to fish close by but I hoe you will agree that the pictures I have shared over the last few days have made it worth the time I spent observing and photographing it. It felt like a real privilege to be there at just the right time.

Beautiful Bluebells

 I have been so very busy at work in recent weeks and I have had barely a moment to relax, as different emergency situations developed I was getting more and more behind with things I need to do. On Friday afternoon as I closed down my laptop I decided I needed to get out for a while to end the working week on a high.

The sun was shining and so I put the top down on my car and drove down to Burton Mere Wetlands. I didn't actually make it to the reserve itself because I first went for a walk through the woodland to look at the bluebells and spent quite some time taking the stunning display, the scent was wonderful too although a couple of people complained they couldn't smell them which in these times of Covid 19 made me wonder if they should get tested...

Seeing these bluebells brought back many happy memories, among them memories from my youth in Kent walking with my family in Bluebell Wood, and more recent times of Boilton Wood in Lancashire.

I love to see the wonderful carpet of blue but I also like to look closer and see the detail of each delicate flower and you can see that as they open out they really are little bells. These are the native English Bluebells and they are a protected species. As such I was unable to wander freely in the woods and had to stick to the marked footpath, I was able to spot a couple of trails through the bluebells which marked the route of badgers that live in the woods.

I was so glad I took a little time to myself to end the week on a high note.

Long Tailed Tit

Such a cute little bird, long tailed tits are often seen flying about in noisy little flocks as they chatter to each other non-stop. They are quite hard to photograph as they are small and are easily hidden in the branches of trees and the hedgerows so when I spotted this one taking a brief rest I was really pleased to get the opportunity to take his portrait. For his part he didn't seem to mind posing either.

Soaring

Today I am posting my 1500th blog post!  That is something of an achievement and when I realised yesterday that I was going to reach this milestone I wondered what I would be able to share, I hoped to find something special in my portfolio but as it happened the three images I have fopr you were taken today and they are a fitting choice.

I have had a busy day today but I found time this afternoon to visit Burton Mere. I wasn't really expecting to see very much but there was quite a variety of species to be seen and with it being the hottest day of the year so far it was good to get out and soak up some sun.

Towards the end of my visit I spotted this buzzard soaring overhead, this was quite a surprise and I didn't have the settings quite how I would have wanted but as it swooped and soared above me I managed to get a few shots the three above being the most usable.

I had snapped a Sparrowhawk earlier in the day but it was too far away to be any good, and just after the buzzard flew by a Marsh Harrier also took a low pass but it was too quick for me to get anything other than a snap as it disappeared in the distance.

Although it would have been great to get pictures of all three the fact that I saw them all in such a short space of time was enough to put a smile on my face.

Sleepy Duck

Tamron 150mm-600mm F/5-6.3

ISO 400  600mm  f/6.3  1/250 sec 

ISO 400  600mm  f/6.3  1/640 sec

These are male tufted ducks spotted at Burton Mere Wetlands. They have lovely plumage and even though they are just black and white the markings are really quite striking. This is set off by the bold orange eyes, which stand out all the way across the mere.

You can see that the bird in the first shot sleeps with his eye open, not a bad idea I guess although I am not sure what predators might pose a risk in this spot.

In the second image you can clearly see how the duck gets its name.

Flying Together

Here are a couple of shots of a pair of Canada Geese in flight, they had just taken off from the wetlands at Burton Mere and I think they look magnificent. It amazes me that such bulky birds manage to get off the ground and still look so elegant.

In the second image you can see that the geese are communicating with each other, they were certainly making a lot of noise but I am sure they weren't just making noise but they were actually "talking". Perhaps the lead goose was saying "keep up".

These shots were taken with my Tamron 150mm - 600mm F/5 - 6.3 lens

ISO250 600mm f/8.0 1/640sec

I have decided that I will try to include more details re the settings for the pictures I share,  I know that some of you won't really be interested in that so I will include this detail at the end of each post or maybe under each picture. It really is for my benefit because I think if I pay more attention to these settings it will help me review the things that work well and what I might need to do differently in future.

Patient Hunter

I was really lucky a few weeks ago as I was able to get out with my camera several times during a week off work and I got loads of great shots. I then had a bit of a lull until today when I went out to Formby and the National Trust reserve there to photograph the red squirrels. I had a lovely time and I can hardly wait to share some of the pictures because I can promise there are some really good ones.

However I still have lots from my week in March to share so I will have to wait, and therefore so will you.

I still have some good shots from my last visit to the zoo as well but for today I am mixing things up with a couple of shots of this magnificent Little Egret who was using the utmost stealth in his search for a tasty meal at the RSPB reserve at Burton Mere.

I like both of these images but I really like the second shot because of the birds' pose and also the warm colouring which has been achieved by shooting through the reeds which reflect some of the morning sunlight.

I was able to watch the bird for several minutes and I can say that he was a very successful hunter.

Knock On Wood

As I walked along the path at Burton Mere in search of a Merlin that I knew had been spotted nearby I was distracted by a loud hammering sound above me. At first it was quite hard to pinpoint the source because the knocking was reverberating around the woodland. I was really pleased when I did eventually spot it, this beautiful Great Spotted Woodpecker.

It was moving quite a bit and using my long lens handheld was quite tricky but I am happy to have got a few half decent shots.

Little Egret

I had stopped to look through one of the screen hides at Burton Mere and at first glance there was virtually nothing to see but then I spotted this lovely Little Egret a little way off in the distance. I could see that it was working its way slowly towards me as it was searching for food so I hung around for a bit in the hope it would get close enough for me to get a few shots. 

 Well as you can see my patience paid off.

This is a really elegant bird with its pristine plumage and fierce long black beak. I love the plume on its head and the wispy feathers on its breast and back. Although here it looks perfectly still it was in fact shuffling its feet constantly stirring up tasty treats.

Lone Lapwing

I used to see large flocks of Lapwings when I was younger but seem to see fewer of them now, this lone bird was patrolling the edge of the mere searching the muddy shoreline for scraps of food. I think this is a female, in winter plumage and she was constantly on the move and in these cold conditions I am sure the search for food never stops. I love the wispy crest, the gorgeous green feathers on her back and the markings on her face. I am amazed that a bird that spends so much time paddling around in the mud can keep its white feathers so clean and crisp.

A Shoveler Shaking It

I had been watching this Shoveler feeding along the edges of the mere. It swims low in the water dipping its characteristic broad beak under the surface to scoop up a tasty meal. 

Then after a while it just stopped moving and I could tell it was shaping up to do something, I thought it was going to take flight so I was ready to try a shot of it taking to the air but instead it just had a good old shake to limber up those wings. It makes a nice series of pictures and I love the way he holds his head perfectly still, always alert for predators and the way he uses his tail feathers to maintain balance. I am sure that under the surface his feet are working away too but you can't tell from these shots.

Flock In Flight

Today's shot was taken at Burton Mere Wetlands on Thursday afternoon, just as I arrived this noisy flock of Canada Geese flew in. I love to see geese in flight, the way the birds work together and the shapes they make and of course the noise as they announce their arrival before splashing down.