Familiar Faces

 

I sometimes think that we undervalue some of our most common species of birds. We might go to a local park or walk along a river bank or canal and frequently see Mallard ducks, Mute Swans and even Tufted Ducks and think its "just a swan" or "just a duck" but get more excited when we see something a little more unusual. Maybe I am wrong but familiarity does often mean we take things for granted and  in doing so we can miss out on how special these birds are.

Take a look at the colours of the sleepy mallard's head and the lustrous sheen of its breast feathers, as it rests in the shade of a tree. It is nothing short of spectacular.

And how about the pure white feathers of the tufted duck contrasted with its shiny dark wing feathers, not to mention that impressive plume and the bold yellow eye. It is more than just a black and white duck it is beautiful and elegant.

Talking of elegance the mute swan is so serene as these three head shots show. They look majestic when they sail along a river with their wings curled round but they have really impressive features too and are worth a closer look.

So next time you are out for a walk, in the park or by a river or lake take not of the ducks and swans and appreciate what makes them special. They are not "just anything" they are a thing of beauty.

Fowl Portraits

 One of the features at Hestercombe Garden is a mill pond, which is home to a number of ducks and swans and other wildfowl.

I know that Mallard ducks and Mute Swans are really familiar birds and maybe not the most interesting of subjects simply by virtue of the fact that they may seem commonplace. However, take a closer look and they have really expressive faces.

When I say take a closer look I really did get close for these shots. I had a bag of seed in one of the pockets of my camera bag and so I threw a few seeds down and the ducks flocked around me trying to pick up a few scraps. They were so fast and close it was actually very difficult to get a decent shot. I had to be careful not to step back onto an errant duck.

The swan really did get close to me, at one point s/he reached forward almost touching the lens and in the third image you can see just how close, it has a slightly menacing look, which was backed up by a warning hiss. In profile s/he looks a little more serene

Having saved these images as JPEG files they lack some of the detail in the original Raw files but they are still nice images.

Swimming In The Mist

These two shots of the same swan were taken firstly in the mist of a dusky evening and secondly in the golden light of the early morning sun on Colemere.

Swans are so elegant and beautiful and they always look their best in the soft light at either end of the day. I think the mist rising off the mere adds something extra to these images.

Float On

There is something about swans, they're so elegant, and regal as they glide through the water seemingly effortlessly.

I like the way this one is lit by the early morning sun.

Sail On

Early morning on the banks of the River Ribble just outside of Preston I was photographing a beautiful Mute Swan on a stretch of the river that was mirror calm, the only movement being the gentle ring of ripples around the swan.  Then out of the corner of my eye I spotted this other swan coming, steaming in. Head down and wings curled he looked quite intimidating. Also with the rising sun breaking through the trees on the opposite bank this shot is beautifully lit. 

This image contains some of my favourite elements, ripples, reflection and wildlife. What more could you wish?

There once was an ugly duckling...

... but it turns out it wasn't a duck at all; it was a swan, a beautiful swan!

Earlier this year I paid a visit to Dunham Massey and I photographed a pair of swans on a clutch of eggs (click here) so today when I went back to visit the park although my main aim was to photograph the deer I wanted to check on the swan family.

To my delight the adults were still there and they have successfully raised three handsome cygnets. I had hoped to get a family portrait as they were all sat together on the nest but as I was preparing the shot another visitor to the park arrived and started hurling lumps of bread into the water disturbing the piece and ruining the opportunity.  

Although they didn't return to the nest as a family group I waited patiently and managed to get a few nice shots.

Regal

Tamron 150mm - 600mm f/5:6.3

ISO250   552mm  f/6.3  1/320 sec

ISO 160  400mm  f/5.6   1/320 sec

The swan is such a majestic bird and always look so serene. Even when having a stretch as in the first shot or when chasing away a goose as in the second image. 

This bird was one of a pair that was nesting on a small island at the far end of the pond and s/he was very protective of the nest chasing away any potential threats. 

After a little while I watched the changing of the guard on the nest and was treated to a nice view of the clutch of eggs (more of that another day). But I wanted to share these pictures because they are really good and I love the reflections.

Mute Swan

I love swans, they are such regal and graceful birds and walking along the canal near Garstang I spotted this solitary bird swimming between the boats which were moored along the canal side. 

I approached to take a few pictures and getting down low to get the shot the swan made the most unusual noise, a rasping sound that made me think it had something stuck in its throat. It seemed friendly at first but as I leaned forward to get a better angle it lunged forward a couple of times almost hitting the lens so after a few shots I left the swan to itself and went for a brief but very pleasant walk along the canal and a happy ending to my day out.

Graceful Swan

I really like swans, they are so graceful and serene (when they're not hissing at you).  They will often pose obligingly for a photo as in the first of today's pictures and then they swim away so gently leaving barely a ripple.  I am really pleased with the second picture because it captures the reflecting well.  A few moments later a strengthening wind broke up the water's surface and there was no chance of getting another reflection. As always timing is the key.

Brick Croft

A couple of years ago a friend introduced me to this place. It's called Brick Croft Nature Reserve, in Longton, Lancashire and as you can see it's a peaceful spot.  I've been back a couple of times and enjoyed myself immensely.

At different times of the year different birds visit this spot and on this occasion there were a few swans and a breeding pair of Great Crested Grebes.  The grebes had a chick in tow but unfortunately it stayed too far away from the banks and so I was unable to get a decent shot. So for today these pictures will have to do.