Mixed bag at Bradgate Park

A trip through Bradgate Park proved more interesting than expected. About ten Pied Wagtails descended on the field at the back of the house, I'm not sure of the collective noun for Pied Wagtails. Maybe a Crust or a waggle or some such, does anyone know.

1/800 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

1/800 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

The Stags seemed to be resting, maybe storing up energy for the forthcoming rut.

1/800 @ f6.3, iso 800, 160mm

I couldn't resist this "chocolate boxy" pose of a young Fallow Deer

1/250 @ f6.3, iso 800, 100mm

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

I'm back!

There haven't been many entries lately because of my poor health and being confined to the house. Here is a couple I took last week when Maja took me through Bradgate Park on the disabled drive through day.


That's not the Herons nest in the picture, but I think it was hoping there would be some Coot chicks in there for tea.

1/250 @ f6.3, ISO 400,  400mm

A young Fallow stag, in need of some growing and some antlers.

1/320 @ f6.3, ISO 400,  200mm

Both taken on Canon 7D, EF 100 - 400mm lens

Bradgate Park

Sorry this has been a long time coming, with my bad health, the terrible weather and a lack of birds, everything seems to have ground to a halt. But yesterday I managed to get out to Bradgate park and took some pics of Widget - the Widgeon who thinks he is a Mallard and various of the deer.

1/200 @ f6.3, ISO 800, 400mm

Fallow deer on a cold day when there are few tourists and they can relax.

1/250 @ f6.3, ISO 800, 300mm

1/250 @ f6.3, ISO 800, 300mm

1/250 @ f6.3, ISO 800, 260mm

All taken on Canon 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L series lens

Bradgate Park

I don't do much video but sitting at the back of Bradgate House I decided to have a play.

A mother's love

At Bradgate Park a Fallow Deer mother looking after her baby.

1/1600 @ f5.6, ISO 800, 400mm

Bradgate Park - 27 April 2013

We had a, not very, fruitful cycle through Bradgate Park, the deer were widespread in small groups, there was one large group of Reds but they were in the middle of a wide open space ant approach would have them moving away.

We did find some solitary fallow deer, the first having a good groom.

1/500 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

Seemed a bit miffed at being watched.

1/400 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

The next two seemed to be grazing, but the vegetation didn't seem very green for them

1/800 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

1/640 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

The buildings in the park are quite interesting, for those outside Leicestershire, this is Lady Jane Grey's family home. There is a myth that when she was beheaded, for being queen of england for a few days, the woodsmen of the Charnwood cut off the tops of the Royal Oaks. But in fact the Oaks have been regularly coppiced for wood for the Navy etc. So any such protest would hardly have been noticed.

1/800 @ f7.1, iso 400, 100mm

Old John, on the hill behind the house, is now considered a folly. All sorts of suggestions have been made for its existence including that it was a mill and named after old John the miller.

1/800 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

It's easy to see it is the wrong shape for a windmill and there is no water on top of the hill to drive a waterwheel, so I don't think that idea works. the apparent ruin at the left, is an illusion, inside those walls, a rock-face pretty well follows the angle of the walls, so nothing could have happened between them. I think they were built to look like a ruin.

All picture were taken with a 

Canon EOS7d with an EF 100 - 400mm, L series zoom lens.

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.

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