Rock

A Rock in Reflective Mood

1/1600 @ f6.3, ISO 800, 250mm
Canon 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L series lens

Reflections

Moorhen at Kelham Bridge

1/320 @ 6.3, ISO 800, 400mm

Kelham Bridge - 22 May 2012

A boiling hot afternoon and we set off for Kelham bridge, the bushes were full of bird song, mostly warblers and Buntings.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm l Lens
1/1600 @ 6.3, iso 200, 400mm

I tried some pics of reed buntings that were shouting from the middle of a field but they were really too far away. then this reed bunting flew over the path and sat on a reed on the other side of the path. the contrast is not the best but he was only there a few seconds and I had to use the settings I had.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm l Lens
1/1000 @ 6.3, iso 200, 400mm

There was nothing to take at the first hide, but had a nice chat with the locals before moving on to the second hide. Beside the path, on the way the light caught this dandelion clock and tempted me to take it.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm l Lens
1/1000 @ 6.3, iso 200, 400mm

At the second hide I was alone for a while and scanning the area for what might be hiding, when I became aware of an eye looking at me. This female pheasant, kept ducking back into the undergrowth and popping up in a different place. It was funny to follow as she moved around out of sight the grasses and flowers above her waved wildly. So I always knew where she would come out. But she always stayed close to one place and returned to it regularly, I could n't see so I cant be certain but I wondered if she had a nest there

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm l Lens
1/500 @ 6.3, iso 200, 400mm

Finally I liked the reflections in this picture of the moorhen.

Kelham Bridge - 6 November 2011

Canon EOS 7d, ef 100 - 400mm L lens
1/50 @ 5.6, iso 400, 400mm

A visit to Kelham Bridge proved quite interesting, the first hide there was some activity on the water but a young mother arrived and pointing sideways through the viewing window whispered to her child "look there, it's a pheasant."

Canon EOS 7d, ef 100 - 400mm L lens
1/64 @ 5.6, iso 400, 400mm

I had been so distracted by the water that I hadn't noticed the bird feeders under the trees to my right. The female pheasant, being too big and ungainly to hang from the feeders was scavenging for anything the smaller birds and squirrel might drop.

Canon EOS 7d, ef 100 - 400mm L lens
1/125 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm

The acrobatics of the squirrel were next to catch our attention as he climbed all over the swinging basket of nuts.

Canon EOS 7d, ef 100 - 400mm L lens
1/125 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm

He was mobbed several times by a coal tit, unfortunately the tit was flying so fast and from different angles and I didn't manage to get a picture of it hitting the squirrel.

Canon EOS 7d, ef 100 - 400mm L lens
1/125 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm

You would think it would hurt the bird more than the squirrel, but the tit was clever and only seemed to hit the ears and the tail, enough to be annoying but not hurt itself.

Canon EOS 7d, ef 100 - 400mm L lens
1/100 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm

The Blue Tits were quite happy with the fat balls and kept away from the squirrel.

Canon EOS 7d, ef 100 - 400mm L lens
1/500 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm

The sun started to slip from the sky and I was thinking about leaving when I noticed a Moorhen trying to pull out a feed

Canon EOS 7d, ef 100 - 400mm L lens
1/25 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm, flash

On the way back to the car, I could see a shadow in the bushes which seemed to be keeping pace with us. So I let Maja and Skipper walk on ahead and as I waited, this Robin popped out onto a post.

Kelham Bridge - 15 October 2011

Skipper is  well again and we celebrated by taking him out to Kelham Bridge, near Ibstock. The first hide was pretty deserted, the only birds being across the other side of the pool.

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400 L Lens
1/1600 @ f6.3, iso 800, 250mm 

But Skipper enjoyed running about on the grass paths and at the second hide, there were quite a few people and lots of birds. Apparently we just missed a Kingfisher and a water Rail, but while we were watching for pictures I noticed this rock, which with its reflection made a good picture.

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400 L Lens
1/320 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm 

A moorhen, standing on the raised ground near a wooden post, needed to flap so it wouldn't overbalance and as luck would have it, I was watching it through the camera at the time.

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400 L Lens
1/2000 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm 

Then I spotted a Teal (going into eclipse) and as he was posing thought it worth a picture. While Maja took Skipper on a bit further, I stayed in the hide but the Kingfisher didn't return, we thought we heard him calling but he didn't put in an appearance while I was there.

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.