Crosby First Light

Went over to Crosby Marine Lake at first light on Sunday morning to mainly see if there were any unusual gulls to photograph. However, I got quickly distracted and decided to concentrate on some other birds on the small lake in some very good early morning light.

Started off with some coot which is something I normally overlook but they were lighting up well with the low sun

A cormorant came in to dry off a little

Some Goldeneye caught my eye but the drakes remainded elusive and distant. An immature bird and a female were more accomodating.

and the female

and some Tufted duck to finish off an enjoyable morning in some sun for a change.

Jay at last

Finally managed to get a close although brief encounter with a Jay and in some rare UK sunlight as well.

Some other shots from this week are a Reed bunting on some of its habitat

a Cormorant obviously waiting for a fish to drop from the sky

a male Great-crested grebe

and to finish off a normally shy water rail unusually out in open water as it swam between two reedbeds.

Marshside Waterfowl

Went over to Marshside RSPB near Southport on Sunday at first light, my first visit with a camera. I opened the hide flap to be great my a site to raise any bird photographers spirits

This is not the easiest place to photograph in the morning with the hide facing east and the rising sun creating backlighting. After a couple of Black tail godwit shots I decided to concentrate on the abundance of wild waterfowl but it would have to be potraits and there was not enough light for action. So here are some of the ducks that came my way during the morning.

A teal drake

Pintail drake

Shoveler a duck species I have never really got any shots of before.

not forgeting the females of course

and some whistling wigeon to finish off.

An immature bird

and a well grazed adult drake

Quiet Week

Its been a quiet week mainly because the weather remains so bad for photography here at the moment with very little light under heavy overcast skies. I have tried again for Redwing and Fieldfare and am slowly getting closer to some very shy subject and found a new site which offers some potential.

So just some common birds for this post..

Dunnock


A couple of Blue tit shots

and a Long-tailed tit

Start the Year

After the terrible weather over Christmas, I was determined to get out on New Years Day. The light however was still not great and the wind blowing well. I went over to Pennington Flash and found some Goldeneye in close. A good way to start the year as they are so often out of range and one of my favourite ducks.

Unfortunately the light was to poor for some close encounters with both Shoveler and Gadwall. The place got busy really quickly and a stop a short while at the feeding station.

A bullfinch eating sunflower seed.

A Blue tit

and a female Reed Bunting

Overall an enjoyable start to 2007, and I wish you all a very Happy New Year.

Goldeneye duck have remained elusive to me. These shy birds I have always seen at a distance, except in waterfowl collections, out in the middle of a large lake or far off the beach. I came across a bird at relatively close quarters at the local marine lake which gave the first opportunity to take some photos of a wild bird. Fortunately it was a beautifully marked drake, the only downside was the light conditions were very poor.

A young Great Northern Diver appeared at the local Marine Lake on Friday which I was alerted to early Saturday morning by text (many thanks Steve :)), but it was Sunday before I could get out there to try and photograph it. The bird gave really close views for only a couple of minutes during the session and of course during a torrential downpour which saw everyone running to the shelter of their cars.

The bird was doing some fishing and came up with a small crab which was causing it a few moments of difficulty...

Especially as the crab seem to latch on to the birds tongue.

I have been working on a mini project over the last couple of months to get some curlew shots. They are a very nervous species and have noticed them moving away even when on sand banks well offshore in the local estuary. I managed to locate a flock of birds on a nearby field which conivently has an adjacent car park to allow me to use the 'mobile citroen hide'. Even so it has still taken quite a bit of time spent before the birds have come within sensible photographing range and the light was good enough under the grey winter skies. Having said that I have enjoyed watching them and learning their behaviour. Here are a selection of shots from a 10 minute period, after many hours of watching, when it all came together.

This is the only flight shot I have managed to get so far

I was also treated with watching some birds bathe in one of the puddles in the field.

There have been three Shag that have taken residence up on the local Marine Lake and but conditions have created some difficult shooting. The rough water added some mood to the shots though.

On the local beach there have been some impressive gatherings of Knot and BLack and Bar tailed Godwits.

I am working on a plan for getting close to the Godwits but at the moment have just settled for shots off the seawall as I arrived a little too late on the receding tide.

Sanderling are always fun to photograph as the scurry around the tide line.