Goose

 This was one of the first images I captured on my morning visit to Brockholes. I had been watching a couple of Brown Hares nearby when I spotted this greylag goose through the reeds, enjoying the early  morning sun. It was sitting so calm and serene and I think this image sums up how I felt in that moment with the sun on my back and total calm all around me.

Looking at in now I am also drawn in by the warm layers of colour (which actually are misleading because it was pretty cold at just 3C or 37F).

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.

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.

Flying Things

Today I took a trip to Bwlch Nant Yr Arian Forest Centre near Aberystwyth where they have a feeding station for Red Kites.

The Red Kite is one of my favourite birds and it is always a thrill to see one as they have clawed their way back from near extinction to a healthy population (at least in some parts of the UK).

But before I got to see any birds I spotted these two beautiful dragonflies. The first is a Southern Hawker which is a large and brightly coloured species, this one is a male.

The second is a common darter, it is smaller and less brightly coloured but it is one of the most common varieties so it is highly likely you will have seen one at some point.

I have yet to sort through my many photos from the day and hope to have some good shots of the birds to share but I couldn't resist just one sneak peek below...

 

Little Beauty

 So I only have one photo for today.

I recently went to a spot where I had previously seen a couple of pairs of Goldcrests and I was hoping that I would get a chance to photograph one as they are beautiful tiny birds and I have only seen them a handful of times. 

I had waited for a little while and although I could hear one rustling around I almost gave up because it was almost impossible to see. I was at the point of moving on when this bird flew past me and gave me a brief chance to snap a few shots. Sadly I couldn't get a clear shot of its wonderful gold crest from which it gets its name but even so I was quite pleased with this one image. 

It is Britain's smallest bird at about 9 cm (3.5 inches) so you can understand why they are hard to spot. They prefer coniferous woodland and they feed on insects and spiders. This species is increasing in population so the chance of spotting them is possibly increasing but you have to look hard because they are so small. I hope this wont be the last shot I get of one...

Sweet Songbirds

 At this time of year with the buds emerging on trees and bushes it is still fairly easy to spot birds as they find a perch and sing out to mark their territory or try to attract a mate. That being said you do still need to be patient because they don't always stay still for long and it can be difficult to actually locate where a particular song is coming from. It can be really frustrating when you finally spot the bird and then it flies off to a new vantage point and you have to start again.

The greenfinch in the first of these shots was a case in point. I could hear him singing for ages before I spotted him and just when I did he flew off, luckily I was able to follow him and got close enough to fire off a few frames. I know that I probably don't see the full beauty of his vibrant plumage but I do appreciate what I see and being able to enjoy his song.

The bird in the next two images is a Dunnock. It is an easily overlooked bird given that it has fairly drab colouring but it has a really beautiful song which more than makes up for its lack of colour. It is still quite a handsome bird although in the second shot with it looking straight at the camera it does look a little fierce.

Turnstone

 I love wildlife photography, patiently waiting and getting up close to beautiful creatures is so rewarding and something I have really missed doing. Yesterday when I went out I was planning on photographing the lighthouse (see yesterdays' blog) and the sea defences along the beach at New Brighton but I always go out prepared for any eventuality and I was so glad I did because I spotted a small flock of Turnstones taking a break among the concrete structures.

I cautiously approached hoping not to spook them and trying not to get wet or snag my clothes on the barnacles etc. I guess the birds felt quite safe because although they were certainly alert and paid attention to my presence they didn't fly away so I managed to get a few really nice shots.

Canada Eh!

Well, Canada Goose...

This is the same goose as I shared a picture of recently but on a different day. In the first shot it looks so serene gliding across the pond, barely creating a ripple and with a sharp reflection. I loved the light in this image and from the colour of the water you can see that it was a sunny day with clear blue sky.

A fem moments later it decided to preen itself and take a bath and I captured a few shots as it stretched its back and its wings. You can see how it uses its tail to balance as it rises up out of the water and it keeps its neck bent to keep its centre of gravity just right, perfectly poised.

Fabulous Finches

Out for a walk I spotted these beautiful finches, I heard them first because they are such noisy little things.

It was really windy so their perches were getting blown around a lot so they are not necessarily the sharpest images but they are such beautiful birds. Getting out into nature, even briefly when things are the way they are right now can give an enormous lift.

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.

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.

So Serene

I don't think anyone can deny these are truly beautiful birds. They are so elegant in the water, they glide along seemingly without effort and then they power themselves into a dive without a splash before surfacing in a distant spot usually with a minnow or small fish in their powerful dagger like bill.

The diving also forms part of the courtship ritual that can be observed at this time of year but instead of fish they come to the surface with weed in their bills which they offer to each other.

I really enjoyed watching these birds as they serenely cruised past bringing a splash of colour and beauty.