A pictorial diary of my walks around the parks and wild areas of Leicestershire, and occasionally farther afield.

If you're new to my blog, you might like to have a look at the pictures in the older post as well (click on button at the bottom of the page).

I am also a writer, using the pen-name John Gwynant, and I'll occasionally announce my latest book release on the blog.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Bird Bath 27 August 2013

I have seen many birds of different types having a bath, Tuftys and Mallard are particularly keen on cleanliness. I have even seen Great Crested Grebe having a bit of a dip, but this GC Grebe must have thought he was particularly dirty. He ducked and preened for about ten minutes, shaking the extra water off in between.

1/800 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm
1/800 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm
1/1000 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm
1/800 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm
1/1328 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm
1/1000 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm
1/1328 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm
1/1328 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm
1/1328 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm
1/1600 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm 
1/1600 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm

All pictures taken on
Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm, L series Lens

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Bradgate babies - 12 August 2013

1/1328 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm
A quick trip into Bradgate park, late in the day and all the Fallow deer seemed to be gathering along the stream. The best sighting and one that I've never seen in the park before was this young one suckling. I didn't have the best angle for the pictures, there was a tall stand of grass blocking the side view

1/500 @ 5.6, iso 400, 400mm
1/800 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm
1/800 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm
1/800 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm
1/800 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm
This stag popped his head up not far away, a good show, he must be getting prepared for the rut.

1/160 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm
It's interesting that as the rut comes closer there are still a lot of young about some, as we've seen, still suckling an others posing. This young un stood there for some time looking like the picture on a babycham bottle.

1/400 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm
And I can't help but mention my amazing border collie, Here he was playing with a log and when we called him, he dropped it and looked at us as if to say "What, me, I wasn't doing anything." The log falling to the ground behind him gave it away though.

Skipper is nearly six, we got him from the Border Collie Trust, near to Rugeley, when he was eighteen months old and he has been the best and most intelligent companion we could have.

Apart from being loving and caring and everyone that meets him says what a beauty he is and makes a fuss of him, he loves to play and chase a stick or a ball.

He seems to know what we want him to do without our telling him. One of his most amazing tricks is, when I'm photographing wildlife, he will sit at my feet and do nothing to disturb them. On this trip the deer were sometimes less the thirty yards away and Skipper didn't move or do anything to scare them.

1/200 @ 5.0, iso 800, 100mm

All taken on a 
Canon EOS 7d with an EF 100 - 400mm L series Lens

Friday, August 9, 2013

High Speed Chick - 8 August 2013

An interesting afternoon at Thornton, as soon as we arrived we heard there was a rare visitor that seemed to have settled at the waterside. A Night Heron, we don't get many of them in Britain, but this one was shy and I couldn't get a picture of him. I did manage to see him through a twitchers scope, but as they are active mostly at night I couldn't wonder that he wouldn't show himself.
1/1600 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm
Back at the car park this Great Crested Grebe chick provided us with some entertainment.

1/1600 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm
The mother seemed to want to cut the apron strings, but this young un was having none of it and the speed he could travel through the water was amazing.

1/1328 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm
She would dive and come up great distances away, the chick would be searching all round for and screaming for her.

1/1328 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm
When he spotted her he would swim at amazing speed, he looked like one of those bath time wind up toys as it sped through the water.
1/1328 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm

When he found her, she would often dive again and he would be left looking around and screaming
1/1600 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm
Eventually he caught her and tried demanding food from her, despite being able to dive and feed himself.

1/1328 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm
These birds turned up and the nearest to identifying them I can get is they might be Scaup, but they are a bit dark.

1/1328 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm
If you have any suggestions please put it in the comments.

1/1328 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm

All taken on
Canon EOS7d with EF 100 - 400mm L series Lens