Rollers

European Roller is for me one of the most enigmatic European bird. These birds were trying to nest in amongst a dozen or so pairs of  Lesser Kestrels. The interactions between the two species were dramatic with the male of one of the two pairs doing what appeared to be totally out of control tail spins.  They were too far away for my 400mm lens and with no tripod I was forced to use a fast shutter speed to reduce camera shake. This resulted in the first shot being too dark.  The next two shots are the result of over lightening in Photoshop, but with very pleasing results. The last shot I had the correct exposure but could get no closer.  This was a favourite place a few rocks giving them a complete 360 degree view,       

Too Dark

A Pleasing Effect

Possibly more Dramatic

Their Favourite Place

Rabbits

Common as Muck!  Must be easy to photograph!  Try it!!!!

Wheatear - Three Different Crops

Having spent some time trying to improve this particular shot I could not decide which cropped shot I preferred.  I have placed the three best and hope someone will help me decide.None of these have been processed other than cropping from the original.

Portrait Matches Erect Stance of the Bird

Landscape Shows Off Dead Grass Flowing like Water

Cropped to the Maximum to show Feathers

Original No Cropping

Black Darters

It is possible to see these in September,but the weather we are having  is stopping me from improving on these shots.  There is always next year.

Emerald Damselfly

I originally went to watch the Ospreys at Foulshaw Moss, but they were too far away to keep my attention hence these photographs.

Male and Female  (Lestes sponsa)

Some one previously had been gardening to Photograph at this site

Pleased with this shot.

Wryneck

Up to present I have not shown photographs of birds in the hand on this blog..  This is simply because they are never natural poses. You can see below why I decided to break this rule.

Hence The Name

Feathers on Eyelids ?

Unusual but Normal Tail Moult for Wryneck

Brent Geese - Foulney Island 23/03/2011

These Dark-bellied Brent Geese were following the tide out of the bay to the right as you come off the causeway. There were approximately 60 of these and 100 light bellied.

Aware and Waiting for the Signal

The Ones Close go the "C" of the Click

The Tail End Charlies

A Turnstone Tale 22/03/2011

One of my local patches is Foulney Island. It is an island joined to the mainland by a causeway which is covered at high tide.  This gives the waders some protection from casual disturbance by dog walkers etc. Below is a series of three pictures.  The first one shows a Turnstone in summer plumage that has, just gone over, to use a flower arranging term. The second shows a bird still in winter plumage, plus ring.  This was taken last week .  The bird appeared tired possibly from a long migration flight. As I approached what appeared to be  another ring was on the same leg but above the knee.  I was unsure at what I may have seen.  The B.T.O. have not ringed this species on the tarsus for many years .  This made the bird almost certainly one with a foreign ring. I decided to move the bird gently along the beach.  It hopped along on the other leg for 5 minutes.  I did not want it to fly, just put it's other leg down. I thought the bird I was looking at was a one legged Turnstone and I had got it mixed up within the flock with the first bird.  Eventually it swapped legs although I did not see it do this and then it flew into the centre of the flock.  Only when I got home and viewed my shots did I see the flag on the tibia.  This is a white flag and that denotes a Canadian ringed bird probably Ellesmere Island.  I have sent off the details and am awaiting confirmation  

Summer Plumage

Winter Plumage Notice Ring

White Flag On Tibia

Purple Sandpipers - 23/03/2011

Not seen as often as they used to be, and normally on rocky headlands, it was a surprise to see three birds in a small flock of Ruddy Turnstone.Only the second time on Foulney Island I hve even seen Purple Sandpipers. I  have been waiting for some time to get photographs and conditions were perfect. Close approach was possible as they and the Turnstone were exhausted. Two tricks were used. They will let you get close if they have the sun in their eyes and if you are at the edge or in the water.  

Decided To Leave The Sleeping Turnstone  In The Shot

As Drawn In Bird Field Guides

Wet Stones Always Improve Photographs

A Brambling 13/03/2011

A joy this winter has been the number of Brambling.  They have appeared in areas you would not associate with these winter visitors.  The shots below are of one bird that is the last remaining at a feeding station.  I have photographs of him before Christmas but he was much less attractive then.  He has a ring on and you can read 3 characters of probably 7.  This enables me to know it is not one of the few Brambling I have ringed. You should always enlarge photos of birds rings and try to read them.  If you are able to read enough numbers the BTO may be able to identify the bird.  

Notice the Spots 

Not One Of My Rings

At last An Otter.

An ambition has long been  to see a live wild otter in daylight and if possible to photograph one.  Only having seen them in refuges and at a distance in Scotland it was with great pleasure I took these photographs on England's largest lake and in one of the busiest areas of that lake, the pier at Ambleside.

Notice the reflection of the eye. 

Otter Watch - Jaws Duck Style

Poor Light Causing Picture Noise.

Berries and Birds

Sunday 30 th January was a miserable day after a week of sunshine.  Typically it was then when a single Waxwing decided to visit my neighbours garden.  I have always been a fair weather photographer but decided to roll my car down the front street and use it as a hide.The compromises between speed, aperture  and depth of field are much more critical in poor light.  This Waxwing had the choice of  two types of Cotoneaster, Firethorne and another heavily berried bush.  It returned time and time again to the same bush rapidly swallowing berries and leaving.  Whilst waiting for the Waxwing to return a small flock of Goldfinches arrived and proceeded to peck open the berries on the same plant ignoring the other plants. An overwintering female Blackcap visited the same bush and pulled off berries swallowing them whole,notice how it left part of the berry on the bush.  All the time these visitors came and went a Blackbird sat in the bush taking an occasional berry ,swallowing it whole.  I decided to check these different berries out and realised that the ones being taken were very soft.  The berries on the other bushes were ripe but hard. See below some of the birds in the bush. I did photograph the Blackbird but it was not a good enough to include.   

Adult Male Waxwing

Female Goldfinch

Female Blackcap

Waxwings What Else?

When these birds arrive bird ,wildlife and photography websites crash.  I have tried to show shots with something different than other people's fantastic shots.  See the captions for why they are included.

Colour Ringed (see B.T.O. website on how to report sightings of these)

 Crest Feather Moulting

Not the usual Blue Background 

Linnet

Male Linnet

Rival Male

Blood Spuggy
This is what they were known as locally with Spuggy being our name for Sparrow.  These names are disappearing along with, I am glad to say bird nesting

Siskin

Male Siskin

Male Siskin
Photograph aesthetically spoilt by ring on leg.  I put the ring there, so yes I shot myself in the foot.

Female/Juvenile Siskin
In the hand it is possible to tell adult females from juveniles.  Whilst doing this you see the true beauty of
these wonderful little finches.

Twite

A Twite in the hand is worth ten on the beach,

This was taken in our early days of trying to catch these birds.  We soon realised that although the flock may be one hundred strong you take what is under the net as adults are much more wary.

Although not as sharp as above a much more natural pose.

Less white on the wings indicates an older bird than the one above

Greenshank

This shot shows how elegant they are even when stretching

Included to show fish

My best shot where you can see the legs