Hoverfly

Can I have fries with this?

1/500 @ f7.1, ISO400, 400mm

Here there be Dragon(fly)s

There was a lot of activity at Thornton reservoir yesterday, masses of Coots collected near the fall on the north west end. I don't know the collective noun for coots - maybe it should be a 'belligerence of coots' because where more than two are collected there is usually a fight. This time though there was peace, during an hour or so watching there were only a couple of short chases.

1/640 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

I just missed a bee coming out of the Bind weed flower and was just about to leave when this hoverfly obliged.

1/1000 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

1/1000 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

These two Scaup females were mixed in with the coots and later were joined by six more. There was obviously something attracting them, they didn't seem to be feeding any more than normal.

1/800 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

1/500 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

Like the Coots, this Migrant Hawker (I think that's what it is, the brown shoulders don't seem to fit anything else) didn't behave normally, they are usually too fast for a picture but this one settled right in front of us.

All photos taken on a

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L series lens

A short walk at Watermead - 31 July 2011

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/500 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

The Lakes at Watermead were so quiet, I thought I would only get a few photos of Mallard and Swans. But this Hoverfly decided to settle for a moment and allow his pic to be taken.

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

When I first saw this mother with her chicks I didn't realise what she was so I took a picture anyway. It wasn't till I got home and put it on the iMac that I realised it was a Scaup.

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

This Heron seemed unconcerned that it was standing in a position that allowed a good view of it from the path. Then it opened it's beak and gave us a good view of the rather odd shaped tongue.

Kelham Bridge - 22 June 2011

A short walk at Kelham Bridge, in bright sunshine and there was plenty to be seen. Almost as soon as we were out of the car we started seeing butterflies and hoverflies. We also saw a Kestrel, but although I got a photo of it, it was too far away and the image wasn't good enough to reproduce here.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm
1/640 @ 5.6,  iso 800, 400mm

I saw this hoverfly flitting from flower to flower until it finally settled and I was able to take this photo.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm
1/1328 @ 5.6,  iso 800, 400mm

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm
1/1328 @ 5.6,  iso 800, 400mm

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm
1/400 @ 5.6,  iso 800, 400mm

The Small Tortoiseshell butterflies were keen to catch the rays of the warming sun and easy to get pictures of. Although I had just achieved focus on one, which had settled on the path in front of me, when Skipper rushed back to see why I'd stopped and very nearly trampled it.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm
1/800 @ 6-3,  iso 400, 400mm

In one of the hides, there was the usual friendly greeting from the locals and a chat about what had been happening. Then as we were watching a Buzzard in the distance, this Heron decided it would be a good idea to balance on a post. It didn't look comfortable and had to keep flapping to maintain it's balance. After a while it flew to the next post, but suffering the same problems there, it disappeared while the Buzzard was holding our attention.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm
1/2656 @ 6.3,  iso 400, 400mm

Although this picture isn't perfect, it is as close as the Buzzard came to the hide, I intend to go back and try to get closer to it's hunting area.