Nuthatch

 

I really love nuthatches, there is something bout the way they move about the trees often hanging upside down and almost always on the move. I love their colours and the bandit face mask.

I think the first time I photographed one was in the walled garden at Royden park not far from where I live, it was feeding at a bird feeder and going back and forth to a nest. I have a nice memory of seeing several in the grounds at Sizergh Castle too and I sat for ages watching them.

This one was spotted in Boilton Wood at the edge of Brockholes nature reserve near Preston. It is probably my favourite shot that I have captured of a nuthatch because of its pose, the colours and lighting which is enhanced by the early morning sun behind me and the carpet of bluebells in the background.

Boys and Girls

 These little cuties are Reed Buntings, the first is a male and I know its not that great of a shot but I have included it just to show the comparison between the male and female in terms of their plumage. He was moving about so quickly among the reeds it was really very hard to get a clear shot. 

The female on the other hand was a little closer but hopping around in the grass and shrubs and blending in so well so she was also quite difficult to photograph, although I think they're not too bad.

Great Tit

 I was trying to photography a young Roe Deer buck that was sneaking around in the woodland when this beautiful great tit flew onto a post right in front of me, pausing just long enough for me to get one shot before deciding I was not interesting enough (I didn't offer him any snacks) and flying off.

Although it was quite shady along this stretch of the path there was enough morning sunlight to illuminate his brilliant colours.

Common but Beautiful

 

Last weekend I went over to see my son and daughter-in-law and took a number of pictures of their exotic pets. I have sorted out several to share on this page however I just haven't got round to it during the week so I will need to get more organised because there are some really interesting shots that I am sure you will love (or maybe they will give yo chills).

However today I was off work and for the first time in a while I felt really motivated to go out and get some new pictures. I got up at 5:30am and headed off to a reserve near Preston called Brockholes. Getting there early was a good idea because there was lots to see, from Brown Hares, Roe Deer, Longhorn cattle, all manner of birds and lots of wild flowers. The conditions were perfect and I had a fabulous time and got a really nice selection of shots. I would say it is the first time in a long time I have felt so positive about an outing like this and I can't wait to share some of my favourite images.

The first pictures I wanted to share were taken about 45 minutes to an hour into my visit. I had spotted this Common Kestrel hovering in the distance and I watched it settle in a tree off to my left. As I tried to get closer it kept flying off along the treeline and settled just out of range. It was so frustrating but as I very slowly made my approach it had obviously worked out that I was not a threat and it stayed settled for some time.

I was really pleased with the first image because moments before it had pooed (too much information???) so I knew I didn't have long before it took to the air again. I wasn't wrong.

What surprised and thrilled me most however was that the bird flew almost directly towards me and went into a stoop almost directly above me allowing me to get the next two images, before it realised it was just a bit too close and then flew off.

For me the second picture is my picture of the day, possible even picture of the year so far, it is almost definitely going to feature in my calendar for 2023. I love the shape of the kestrel as it hangs there in the sky, I love its piercing glare. I love the way its tail is fanned out so you can see every detail. The light on the underside of the wings is perfect and the shadow of its claws... This bird is so so beautiful. 

OK, I will stop gushing now.

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do.

Something Creepy

 Isn't this little chap adorable? 

This is one of my favourite woodland species, a Treecreeper. Although they are quite widespread (214,000 pairs in the UK) they are really difficult to spot. They are very small, and they are constantly on the move as they almost scurry up and down tree trunks and along branches in search of food. They cling tight to the bark, often using their tails to give additional support, their brown plumage is perfect camouflage and that curved beak is just right for probing the cracks in the bark for the insects that make up its diet.

When I spotted this one I was also pleased to see a second treecreeper further up on a neighbouring tree which is unusual as they are normally solitary birds; although as we are at the start of spring it is possible this was a breeding pair out foraging together. Anyway whatever their story I think this is a little woodland gem and I am definitely very pleased to have captured these images which I can share with you.

Garden Beauties

 The beautiful blackbird in the first image stopped by to feed on some seed that had been put out on a tree stump. Blackbirds are easily overlooked because they are a common species and they lack the bright plumage that many other garden birds have. However they really are quite beautiful and their feathers have a gorgeous sheen so every now and then they deserve to be noticed.

The robin appeared in the window of the hide where I was sat, he was a fearless little chap and happily took a mealworm from my fingers and ate seed from the palm of my hand. I think you will agree he is a handsome specimen and although they are a very familiar sight I couldn't resist sharing these lovely shots.

TITS!

 Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit and my favourite... Long Tailed Tit

I was able to get out for a couple of hours today to visit Mere Sands Wood where despite the biting wind the sun was shining  I was able to photograph a few different varieties of our beautiful birds.

These were all some distance away, at the limit of my lens in some cases nevertheless they are all rather nice.

The Holly and the Bokeh

 So, following on from yesterday here are a few more shots experimenting with bokeh.

This time instead of lichen I have used holly as the subject but the naturally fragmented light in the shrubs behind the holly has created marvellous bokeh. 

I love the rich tones of the first two images but I also think it works well in high contrast black and white as in the third image.

A Little Bit of Bokeh

 After the Goldcrests (see yesterdays post) had flown away I hung around for  little while and tried to make use of the sunlight through the trees. 

I spotted a little bit of lichen on a broken branch so tried to get a nice image of it, in doing so I noticed the bokeh created by the light breaking through the trees and shrubs in the background. So I spent some time experimenting trying to capitalise on this interesting effect.

I practiced with some other plants as well as the lichen and I will share them in my next posts.

These were shot using my 100 - 400mm telephoto lens and 1.4x converter at F8, 1/1000 sec and ISO 3200 

Gold Crest

 A few weeks ago I saw a pair of Goldcrests while I was out for a walk, I managed to get a few photos on my phone's camera because they had flown onto a bush right next to me and stayed around for a little while. I wanted to go back and capture some more images using my DSLR so I went back to the same spot and waited.

Although it was a sunny day the light in the woodland was not that great and also the large number of dog walkers on my chosen day meant there was a lot more traffic than on my previous visit. The birds did appear after a short while but they were more skittish and wary than the last time so I was pushing my equipment to get these shots. They were all taken at 560mm F8.0 1/1000 sec and 10,000 ISO. Due to the high ISO there is a lot of noise in the RAW images so I have removed some of that in lightroom resulting in some loss of detail. Nevertheless, I was thrilled to see these beautiful birds again and I am fairly pleased with the above images. I am sure to go back again in the hope of getting some more, and better, shots of these stunning little beauties.

Robins Appear when Loved Ones are Near

 

Meet my new friend.

One day in December I really felt the need to get out and take a little time to myself so I headed off to Burton Mere. I wasn't really bothered about taking photos and for much of the time I just walked or stood quietly to enjoy the peace of my surroundings. 

I had spotted a small, noisy flock of Long Tailed Tits in a tree next to the path so I stopped to watch them and as I stood there this beautiful Robin flew down to the railing next to me. For the next 15 minutes he kept me company, even flying onto my outstretched hand twice, despite the fact that I had nothing to feed it. As I spoke to it it cheeped back at me and it posed nicely for photos. In that short space of time I was totally absorbed in the moment, I felt at complete peace. Even now several weeks later when I recall the experience I feel that same feeling of peace. It was such a simple thing but it has had a big impact on me and my sense of well-being.

I am so pleased with these images too, the detail and the lighting are perfect and I am so pleased to be able to share them, I hope they give a little lift to your day.

December Days

 I could have called today's post "Tits and Teasels" but decided against it.

These three pictures were captured at Burton Mere, the Blue Tits were waiting patiently but noisily to feed on sunflower seeds at a feeding station. I love these little birds with their black bandit masks. Talking of masks I have used a mask in the third image to create a black and white background so that I can show of the beautiful coloured plumage.

In the second image I have also chosen a black and white finish because I think it best shows off these wonderful plants.

Deer Fern and Baby Beech

Here are two more images from the Black Forest.

The first is a lovely clump of deer fern which is nicely framed by the trees front and back. The second is of a tiny beech tree shoot. The pale leaves stand out really well against the damp leaf litter on the ground. It also looks good in black and white.

Patience My A***

 This is a rather fine specimen of a Griffon Vulture, or Eurasian Griffon which is found in southern Europe and across Asia. They can grow up to 122cm tall with a wingspan up to 2.8m so quite a formidable bird. I remember watching a vulture in a zoo ripping apart a goats leg, stripping the tendons away from the bone, it was really impressive to see the power in its claws and beak.

I like the watchful pose of this bird, hunched as if ready to launch into the air and catch some thermals in search of the next meal.

It reminded me of a picture on a t-shirt I saw many many years ago that had two vultures sitting in a tree surveying the dry landscape, they were scrawny and obviously very hungry and one was saying to the other "Patience my ass, I'm going to kill something".

This one won't have to worry about its next meal as it is resident at the National Centre for Birds of Prey at Helmsley where it obviously receives excellent care.

Eagle Eyed

 I think that in the natural world my favourite things are birds of prey and I always get a buzz of excitement when I see them in the wild. There are several birds on my bucket list of birds I want to see and hopefully photograph in their natural habitat. In reality I don't expect to get to see many of them so I am grateful for places like the National Centre for Birds of Prey at Duncombe Park where they do great work for the conservation of so many species that I would never get to see in the wild. 

I visited with my mum recently and although we got caught in the rain we got to see some beautiful birds and enjoy a wonderful flying display. Of course I took loads of photos some of which I will be sharing.

For today I have just one image of a Tawny Eagle a species which is more at home in sub Saharan Africa. While in some regions the population is fairly strong in other areas it is considered as a threatened species with population loss due to poisoning and shooting or from traffic.

I  think this is a stunning looking bird, I love the intense expression.

I have had to do a close up image because this bird was in an aviary and I was shooting through the mesh of the enclosure so it is quite a soft image but I think by doing so I have been able to emphasise the intensity of its stare and get across something of the power of this beautiful bird.

Oh Baby

 I had spent the morning defrosting the freezer, not the most exciting way to use a valuable day off work that's for sure, so after lunch I decided to head off to Dunham Massey for a walk around the deer park.

I am lucky to have some really nice places to visit close by where I can enjoy the wildlife. While you might think that photographing deer in a managed herd is not as special as photographing them in the wild it still has its challenges. Although the deer are used to people they are still wild and quite timid so it is important to respect that and keep a sensible distance. At this time of year as the rut is under way that is even more important because they are on high alert.

It was a real treat to spot this youngster in the first image, it was so cute.

Later on it was wonderful to spot another youngster feeding from its mother, it was such a tender moment to witness. I stood really still so as not to disturb this mother and child.

It was so good to get out even just for an hour or two and I need more moments like this to help clear my head and get a break from the pressures and concerns that sometimes can wear me down.

Black Headed Gull

 This is a pretty common sight around out coastline, a black headed gull. "Black headed ?"you say, "surely not! " But yes, it is a non breeding adult, the black head you would expect to see is actually the breeding plumage.

This might seem a fairly boring subject for my blog pictures when there are more exciting species to go in search of, and to be honest I would much rather be photographing more exotic species. However wildlife photography involves a lot of patience and a lot of effort and sometimes you just have to shoot what is there. 

I had gone out onto the beach waiting for the tide to come in and to see the flocks of waders that come in ahead of the tide. It was a little further out than I had expected so as I waited I tried to get some practice with the gulls.

In the first image you can see that it was calling out, maybe a warning to keep my distance, look at that long floppy tongue. In the second image it had walked a little further away before launching into the air as flying away as you can see in the final image.

Autumn Colours

 While waiting for the red kites to arrive  amused myself by taking a few shots of the autumn colours, the red, yellows and greens of the woodland. 

I love the sights and smells and sounds of the forest there is so much to delight the senses and it is a wonderful place to unwind and to get away from the pressures and stresses of daily life.