Watermead Park - 24 May 2011

We went back to Watermead today, hoping to get some more photos of the Little Grebe.

I was just focussing on a Coot chick, when Maja called me over to the side of the pool and pointed to a movement on the surface. I had to be quick and the photos aren't perfect but this is what we saw.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/320 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/500 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

It was about two feet long and moving quite quickly, friends think it is from the Carp family, I've never been a fish person so I don't know but I did hear there was a ghost carp in one of the pools a couple of years ago.

When it had disappeared we started to walk on and were immediately confronted by a Mallard family with eleven chicks. We were pleased to see them because we think they are the family we saw a couple of weeks ago, but we didn't think she would manage to raise all eleven. They usually lose a few to pike, heron etc.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/200 @ f6.3, iso 400, 100mm

The trouble with them was I could never get a picture with them all in shot, there were always a few delinquents off exploring on their own.

As I walked around the pool looking for the Little Grebe, which never showed up all day, I saw this Bullfinch fly into a bush. Luckily it stopped just inside the outer branches and I was able to get this shot, it's not the best but there was no way to get closer, the lake was between us.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/320 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

Time to go home and I made my way to the car park where, on the ground in front of me was a Chaffinch.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/500 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

And a few feet away was this fledgling.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/640 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

A good tip for taking wildlife pictures - don't put the camera away until you leave the area, you never know when something interesting will pop it's head out.

Watermead Park - 23 May 2011

The weather looked as if  it was going to get wet, but Skipper needs his walk and doesn't seem to worry about getting wet. So Watermead park was decided on. The wind was blowing a hoolie as we arrived at the car park and before we crossed the bridge the rain was coming down in bucket loads, cant really complain we need it.

I walked most of the way round before I took the camera out of the bag. What prompted me was the sight of this mother Coot feeding her babies.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/125 @ f6.3, eos 1600, 400m

The chicks again look bigger than their mother with a head that looks too small for the body.

When they were younger, they really are the Ugly Ducklings, with a face only a mother could love.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/200 @ f6.3, eos 400, 400mm

In the next lake this Grebe and reflection caught my eye.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/250 @ f6.3, eos 1600, 400mm

And on the other side of the path, these two Little Grebe were fishing and keeping company with each other. They are so small, I'll have to keep an eye open for their chicks.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/32 @ f6.3, eos 400, 400mm

I saw this Sedge warbler fly into the reeds and waited for it to emerge. When it came it was flying quite fast so apologies for the less than perfect image. I had difficulty keeping it in focus, even with the 7d's tracking facility.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/1328 @ f6.3, eos 1600, 400mm

As I crossed the bridge on my way back to the car park at Thurmaston, I spotted this white throat hopping about in a small dead tree. It wouldn't keep still and it was hard to predict where it would jump to next

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/800 @ f7.1, eos 1600, 400mm

Kirby Muxloe Castle - 16 May 2011

A visit to Kirby Muxloe Castle was decided on for our walk and although the castle interior and car-park weren't open in the week, the grounds are.

Through the gate our first sight was some Canada Geese and goslings on the bank close to the main entrance bridge.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 28 - 105 Lens
1/1328 @ 6.3, iso 400, 105mm

This gosling was particularly plucky and came quite close, despite my lying on the ground, to get a goose eye-level picture.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 28 - 105 Lens
1/800 @ 6.3, iso 400, 28mm

It's only a short walk around the castle, we had to take skipper round several times to give him some exercise. But there are nice views of the ruin and the fields beyond.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 28 - 105 Lens
1/500 @ 6.3, iso 400, 28mm

There were not a lot of people about, just a few walking children and dogs.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 28 - 105 Lens
1/500 @ 6.3, iso 400, 28mm

Maja spotted this pigeon through the old window.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 28 - 105 Lens
1/1000 @ 6.3, iso 400, 105mm

A quiet day at Watermead park - 15 May 2011

It was a quiet day at Watermead, the weather wasn't ideal for photography and most of the birds seemed to be staying at home in their warm nests. The only picture worth taking on my walk round was this Coot feeding its chick, interesting the way the chick is almost on its side to receive the food.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/125 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

When we got back to the car park, there were a few small birds about, mostly Robins, a Chaffinch and a sparrow. I put some bird food on the fence and waited to see what would come, a squirrel wandered across the tarmac but didn't come near to us and I was about to give up when a Robin landed on the fence nearby.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/64 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

I took some pictures but I already have a lot of Robin photos and wasn't too worried about getting more. This one kept coming and going very quickly, instead of posing as they usually do, so I thought something was different. Then this little (?) fella appeared.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/64 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

At first I wasn't sure what we were looking at but it was obviously a fledgling and it kept on opening its beak or gaping for food and it was soon rewarded for its efforts.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/50 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

Given the young one's size it would be easy to think it was a cuckoo, but that is the right size for a Robin fledgling and in fact it's not as big as it looks - the feathers are all puffed out (much like an adult in winter), I suspect it's to keep it warm and make it look bigger to a potential predator.
Apologies for the slight softness of some of the images, it was very low light in the car park hedges.

Blackbrook Reservoir - 13 May 2011

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/400 @ f6.3, iso 400, 100mm

We took Skipper for a walk by Blackbrook Reservoir (near Loughborough) where the farmer of the adjacent land seems to be growing a crop of Canada Geese.

On the walk in we saw a duck with a family of chicks, but she was very shy and disappeared into the bushes on the other side of the water. As she was going I caught a flash of light coloured feathers on the side of her face.

Fortunately, when we returned, I was ready for her and managed to get this shot as she again set out for the far bushes.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/3200 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

 We identified her as a Mandarin Duck and when we saw her mate, we were certain of our identification.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/1328 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

He was swimming a little to the side of his family and keeping a close eye on us. This is the first time we've seen Mandarin here and certainly the first time we've seen one with young. They are beautiful birds, let's hope she manages to raise most, if not all, of her brood.

Watermead park again - 10 May 2011

Blame the Dentist, I had to visit him yesterday and as his surgery is close to Watermead Park I decided to spend the remainder of the afternoon there. But it was worth it, there seem to be a lot less waterbirds about but there are other attractions to take my interest.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/1000 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

This Azure Damselfly flew in front of me then posed in the sunshine, it was difficult to get focus on it because a light breeze was moving the stalk.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/1000 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

As we walked towards the 'hole in the wall' hide, I peered through the gap and in the opening view I saw a Heron take off and fly away over the trees.  Luckily, when we got to the wall, he circled round and landed in a nearby tree. 

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens

1/1000 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

No apologies for yet another Robin, there seem to be a lot of them about this year. There are three or four males competing for areas of the small car park. This poser sat on a fence post about 6 - 8 feet from the car I was sitting in and helped himself to the dried mealworms I'd left there.

Watermead Park - 4 April 2011

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/250 @ f9, iso 800, 100mm

Close to the Meadow Lane car parks we saw these two enjoying the sunshine, it just looked so idyllic I decided to record it.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/160 @ f9, iso 800, 235mm

The mother of these Mallard chicks had her work cut out, she has eleven. It would be nice to think she'll raise all of them, but it is probably a vain hope.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/100 @ f9, iso 1600, 400mm

Robins seem to be everywhere this year, they'll soon be more common than sparrows. This one serenaded us by the crossroads near the car parks.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/3200 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

For some reason lots of Canada Geese took to the air and flew towards King Lear's Lake as we were walking past the Worcester Crescent Lake. A few minutes later, they returned and were close enough for this picture.

Thornton Reservoir 3 May 2011

The Reservoir is very low, at the top end it is almost dry. There are beaches all the way round. Having said that there is a lot of wildlife about.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/1328 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

These loved up grebe necked for several minutes but didn't go for the dance, I suppose it's a bit late for their mating rituals. They're still nice to watch though.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/1328 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

On the edge of one of the beaches, these Terns had a battle with a Herring Gull for the position on the beach. Two against one, they had to win, then they went fishing.

Further round we had a fabulous display by a Heron, but he was too far away for any decent pictures.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/64 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

Perhaps someone can name this tree for me, the collection of young cones caught my imagination.