From a sunnier time - 27 December 2012

The weather at the moment isn't conducive to good wild life photos. So I decided to look back over the year, to some of the interesting pics of the summer and autumn.


These two of the blue tit are favourites of mine, they may not be technically perfect, but the action in them is interesting. The first one, as you can see, is about to take off. He seems to be working his wings up to launch speed.

This one is interesting because of the folded wings, it was difficult to get him properly framed, so the tip of his tail is missing. He was dropping like a stone before spreading his wings to settle.

This mallard chick was very precocious, always off on its own and that's what allowed me to get such a good shot.

This young Fallow Deer in Bradgate park was asleep, I managed to approach behind a wall and as I took its picture it looked around with the dopey look that seemed to ask 'who woke me?'

Finally for now this autumn picture of Thornton reservoir and an angler trying his luck.

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No-Go

Well after all that effort and the mix up over dates, the Beeb only used 3 otter stills and none of them were mine.

I am of course slightly miffed about it, but what the heck, I probably reach enough people through this forum anyway.

So as soon as I can find some more of the elusive wildlife we'll have some more photo's for you to view.

Otterwatch special

The Otterwatch special is on BBC2

20th of December at 8 pm

I have amended my original post but this is in case you don't see that.

Winter is Here - 13 December 2012

There has been some good frosts recently and most of the lakes are frozen. The birds are keeping under cover so after a hard year for finding wildlife, it has now got harder. The other day I did see a Goosander, but it was being swept rapidly down a swollen river and the light was going, so I didn't get any pictures.

Today I went out in the frost, I only managed a few photos.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/250 @ 5.6, iso 400, 400mm

By the bridge at sheepwash lane,  I saw this Burdock plant coated with frost. It'd probably make a good Saturnalia decoration if the ice didn't melt.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/200 @ 5.6, iso 400, 100,mm

We moved on to Swithland woods, but the only bird we saw was this Robin

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/80 @ 5.66, iso 800, 390,mm

Otter Watch

Otters

If you are interested in Otters, the BBC spring/autumn watch team are doing an Otter special on December 20th at 8pm.

With luck one of my pictures of this Otter will be shown.

Bradgate Park - Friday 23rd November 2012

We decided on a visit to Bradgate Park to see if there were any deer about. But the first thing we came across, just inside the main gate, was this Red Tailed Hawk being exercised by the owner. Unfortunately he had to keep it on a long leash, it was part of the agreement with the park trustees. 

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/200 @ f5.6, iso 800, 400mm 

It attracted a lot of attention and sometimes it was difficult to get pictures without people in as well.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/250 @ f5.6, iso 800, 400mm

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/400 @ f5.6, iso 800, 400mm

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/320 @ f5.6, iso 800, 400mm

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/250 @ f5.6, iso 800, 400mm

The flight photos were more difficult, with trees and people in the way.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/160 @ f5.6, iso 800, 400mm

It's interesting watching a bird of prey flying straight towards you.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/160 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

At rest it seemed to enjoy posing and wasn't nervous about the people close by.

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

In the open area between the rocks and Lady Jane Grey's house there were several small groups of deer and this Red Deer stag seemed to be keeping watch over a group of does. So maybe the rut isn't over.

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

On the way back to the car, Maja noticed a red head in amongst the green heads of a group of mallard, of course it belonged to this Widgeon.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/40 @ f6.3, iso 3200, 190mm

And Finally this Fallow deer was by the stream and close to the gates

Stocking up for winter - 18 November 2012

We decided on sunday to go to Watermead park and while Maja took Skipper for a walk, I stayed in the car park and put some nuts etc on the fence posts. I was hoping to get some photos of small birds feeding up for winter. But after quarter of an hour, there was no sign of any birds, not even robins.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens.
1/50 @ f5.6, iso 1600, 200mm

Then this chap came along and was busily stuffing his face when...

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens.
1/64 @ f5.6, iso 1600, 260mm

company arrived to share his bounty, he didn't seem too happy and when the newcomer started taking more than his share...

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens.
1/32 @ f5.6, iso 1600, 115mm

There followed some threats being thrown around then ...

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens.
1/32 @ f5.6, iso 1600, 100mm 

an all out fight. I was working with low light and when they fought it was over in the click of a shutter and you can see from the blurring in the picture.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens.
1/125 @ f5.6, iso 1600, 250mm

And of course the spoils went to the victor who made the most of them.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens.
1/160 @ f5.6, iso 1600, 220mm

One squirrel had gone and the other was on the ground looking for overspilled food when this Magpie arrived to look at the empty table.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens.
1/40 @ f5.6, iso 1600, 220mm

There is no doubt where the food went though.

Autumn - Saturday 10 November 2012

Not much in the way of wildlife about but the colours of autumn at Thornton Reservoir were worth seeing.

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

And looking across the water, the reflections were great.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400 mm L series lens
1/160 @ f6.3, iso 400, 100mm

I was hoping to have some pictures of the Red Deer rut at Bradgate Park but it's getting late in the year and I've seen no sign of it.

Thornton and Bradgate - 19 October 2012

A trip out to Thornton reservoir found little in the way of wildlife. There was a lone cormorant on a post but shielded from the camera by bare branches.
A large male mute swan trying to drown an juvenile, the young one had a neat trick to get away and something I've never seen a swan do before. When the adult jumped on top of him, he went down and swam under water for about twenty metres before resurfacing, he repeated this three times before another adult from the other side of the water came to his rescue. Unfortunately it was  too far away to get any photo's

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400 L Lens
1/160 @ f7.1, iso 1600, 235mm

On the way back to the car park we spotted this fungus, I cant find it in my books but it looked interesting.

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

I was about to get in the car when I saw this black headed gull in winter plumage and it seemed to be trying to tie itself in a knot.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400 L Lens
1/200 @ f7.1, iso 1600, 400mm

On the way home we were passing Bradgate Park and spotted this fungus at the side of the road. I think it might be a honey fungus.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400 L Lens
1/250 @ f7.1, iso 1600, 400mm

Looking over the wall we spotted these fallow deer. There was a large white stag as well but he was mostly hidden so I couldn't get a decent picture

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400 L Lens
1/500 @ f7.1, iso 1600, 400mm

The Rut must br near starting but we've not seen any signs yet.

A Couple of common birds 5 October 2012

There's still not much in the way of variety around, but here are a couple of birds I took the other day.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/1000 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

This one looks unusual, but a close look reveals it is a Mallard hybrid. The amount of different mallard Hybrids I see they must be the most promiscuous of birds.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/2656 @ f6.3, iso 400, 100mm

I always like to see a Mute Swan at full sail, this one was trying to scare off the other birds from food that some children were throwing for them.

Look away now! 29 Sept 2012

If you don't like Hairy Creepy Crawlies

Look away Now!

We have a visitor who decided to set up home outside our back door, She/he has made a good job of his temporary home and seem s to be having a lot of success feeding himself.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm, L Lens
1/2000 @f 6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

It's a common, Garden Spider, but I do like the patterning on its back. it arrived a couple of days ago and seem settled in for a while.  it'll keep the flying nuisances down for a while.

Thornton Reservoir

My movement is a bit restricted at the moment and the few times I've been able to get out There hasn't been a lot of wildlife to see. So I thought you might enjoy this sequence shot at Thornton water a while ago.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400 L lens
1/400 @ 6.3, iso1600, 400mm

Watermead Park - 1 Sept 2012

As usual there wasn't much birdlife in evidence at the park, but I got to the "hole in the wall" hide just as this cormorant surfaced. I'm not sure what it has caught, but it seems to have quite a struggle swallowing it,

They were all taken on the same settings, using the Canon 7d with my ef 100 - 400mm lens at it's maximum length. The settings were: 1/1600 @ 6.3, iso 1600.
Sorry the quality isn't as good as I'd like, The light wasn't the best and I didn't have time for the niceties. I would have liked to drop the iso to 800 but didn't want to miss the action.

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Kirby Muxloe Castle - 24 August 2012

A quiet stroll round the castle between showers made a pleasant afternoon. As soon as we stepped out of the car we saw this bracket fungus on a tree in the middle of a field.

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/100 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

The water-lillies were filling the corner of the moat, unfortunately most of them had their faces away from us, but there were a couple that presented their best aspect.

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/800 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

A mallard, trekked across from an adjacent field, followed by her chicks,  and launched into the moat. Another late or second brood, there seem to be a lot about at the moment.

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/64 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

Someone nearby started feeding the young chicks and it wasn't long before all the other Mallards took an interest, this male making a mess of his landing, a real splashdown.

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/200 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

Finally a Heron showed itself, I have seen very few of them over the summer and this one was particularly devious. Every-time I got into position for a picture, it took off and landed further away. It took some chasing to get this one.

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/125 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm