Burdock

Burdock

1/250 @f5.6, ISO 400, 180mm
Canon 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L series Lens

How to park your Squirrel

Grey Squirrel in a car park.

1/80 @ f6.3, ISO 800, 400mm
Canon 7d, Canon 100 - 400mm L series lens

The sharp eyed Photographers amongst you will notice the camera settings. According to Photo-folklore the image should not be this sharp, both because of the low shutter speed/longish focal length and because it is a zoom lens - the only answer is good one Canon. Sorry about the tree though even Canon couldn't get rid of that.

Grey Squirrel

Do you mind this is private!

1/200 @ f7.1, ISO 800, 310mm

Swanning around

water skiing

1/640 @f6.3, ISO 400, 400mm

Rockin Robin

A Robin being as cheeky as usual  and watching me with my camera

1/320 @ f5.6, ISO 1600, 400mm

Egret

perfect pose

1/500 @ f7.1, ISO 800, 400mm

Damselflies

Can the female still be called a damsel after this?

1/1000 @ f6.3, ISO 400, 400mm

Going for a duck

Mallard Chick enjoying itself

1/500 @ f6.3, ISO 400, 400mm

Rare Bird - possibly

I was out the other day and taking pictures of chicks at watermead park. As is often the case all the water birds gravitated towards me hoping to be fed.

1/320 @ 6.3, iso 400, 200mm

When I took this not particularly good pic of a chic, I knew there was an adult on the edges and planned to crop her out at home. When I looked at her on the computer there was something that made me think it might not be a Mallard hybrid and I planned to go back a few days later to see if I could get some better pictures of her.

1/640 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

In the mean time, her offspring seemed to get very tired from charging around after tidbits and curled up to sleep in the middle of the pool.

1/100 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

The return visit was successful and she swam towards me as soon as I arrived.

1/100 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

 So I had plenty of time to get more detailed photos of her.

1/125 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

I cant be totally certain, perhaps someone will tell me if I am right. But looking at the pale cheeks, brown cap and dark bill with a pink tip makes me think it is a Red Crested Pochard. A bird that is very rare this far north.

1/800 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

By way of an easily identified bird, here is the Heron that is nesting by a weir not 2 metres  from the footbridge.

All taken on a Canon EOS 7d and EF 100 - 400mm L series lens

Birds at Watermead Park

We went for a trip round Watermead on thursday and found I could get the Trike through all the gates I was worried about. It attracted a lot of attention as well, luckily it has the website for them written on the frame. I don't mind the free advertising, they are a good company to deal with.

There were a number of young waterbirds about, some playing, others demanding food, all being closely watched by the parent birds. Like this cygnet. Its mother was just out of shot and the father was with its siblings.

1/2000 @ f6.3, iso 200, 400mm

No young here, just a Great Crested Grebe performing its ablutions, it's hard to tell which way is up with this one.

1/2656 @ f6.3, iso 200, 400mm

Another male Mute Swan was keeping a close eye on Skipper as he went past. No need to worry though, Skipper kept as far away from him and his young as was possible without falling into the lake on the other side of the path.

1/2656 @ f6.3, iso 200, 400mm

A fly past from a group of Mallards was a distraction for a while. They went round skimming the water surface three times.

1/4000 @ f6.3, iso 400, 180mm

The star of the afternoon was this young Heron. He was fishing on a small weir where the river Soar leaves the canal and turns towards Wanlip. He was no more than eight feet from me and in full view, as was I, but he made no move to leave. The camera didn't bother him, he just carried on fishing.

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

1/500 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

1/1328 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

We were returning to the car park when this Mallard chick came towards us obviously expecting to be fed, and when we didn't feed her she started rolling and washing herself. 

1/500 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

Seeing the Mallard chick, these two Canada Goslings dragged their parent across for a free feed only to be disappointed.

1/1328 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

Then it was like rush hour, the Coot chick tried his luck.

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

As did another Gosling.

1/1600 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

It was good to be photographing birds again, I thought they had all left Leicestershire.

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

The singing begins

There wasn't much to be seen at Watermead park, just the usual birds that never leave. I hope things will improve as spring approaches.

There was a Robin singing his heart out beside the path, he was completely undisturbed by people passing just a foot or so away.

1/320 @ f7.1, iso 800, 400mm

1/125 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

1/320 @ f6.3, iso 800, 115mm

all picture taken using 

Canon EOS7d, ef 100 - 400mm L series zoom lens

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Flies United - 20 June 2014

Watermead park was quiet, I don't know where all the interesting wildlife disappears to at his time of year. I know some of the birds return to Africa and elsewhere, but the non-migratory birds seem to go into hiding.

Anyway the  Damselflies were making up for it in the heat of the day, I just caught a flash of blue but with my current eye problem I couldn't focus on it properly and had to rely on the camera to do the work.  I was really pleased when I realised I'd got the female as well.

1/1000 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

1/1600 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

There were some of the more common varieties about like this juvenile coot.

1/400 @ f6.3, iso 400, 275mm

And this Mallard

1/1328 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

All taken on Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L series lens

A fishy story - 26 September 2013

We went for a walk around Watermead South yesterday, me in my chair and Maja struggling to push me.

All the way round we saw nothing to photograph. at one point we heard a group of Canada geese honking as they flew towards the lake. I readied my camera and sat poised, but they crossed the path too far ahead for any pictures of them in flight (they did the same as we were leaving).

As we were returning to the car park Maja exclaimed there's a grebe with a fish. I turned in time to get this sequence, it's not the best light but you have to take these opportunities when you can.

All taken at
1/2000 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm.

All pictures taken on a

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L series lens.

A mother's love - July 2013

Young animals are always cute, aren't they?

1/1000 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

And these Mallard chicks really confirm that

1/640 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

Cuddly and furry who wouldn't say ahh when seeing them.

1/1328 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

But a young coot, really can only attract a mothers love.

1/1600 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

They are very nearly bald with eyes so dark you wonder if you're looking into an empty skull.

1/2000 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

But, ugly as they are, they can be adventurous and are often getting seen off by neighbouring mothers.

1/2000 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

Their mothers must love them, they are very attentive and protective. They'll attack much bigger birds to protect their young.

1/1600 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

And they never seem to tire of finding food for their babies.

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

All taken on a 

Canon EOS 7d with an EF 100 - 400mm L series lens