Wet 'N' Windy 16 September 2013

It was a wet and windy weekend and not much about, but Saturday morning had a dry spell and this Butterfly fluttered by and settled on the stone crop beside our house. A small Tortoiseshell, it stayed on the flowers for some time, enough time for me to go into the house and fetch my camera. Usually in these cases I arrive with my camera in time to see the subject disappearing into the distance.

1/1000 @ 6.3, Iso 800, 400mm

1/800 @ 6.3, Iso 800, 400mm

1/400 @ 6.3, Iso 400, 400mm

1/400 @ 6.3, Iso 400, 400mm

The wet weather meant I could finish my latest book and now Maja is editing it. It will be released as soon as I can create a cover for it. The title is "The Bristol Cross Murders." and it's a who dun it. It will be available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats.

All pictures taken with a 

Canon EOS7d, and EF 100 - 400mm L series lens 

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

Bird Bath 27 August 2013

I have seen many birds of different types having a bath, Tuftys and Mallard are particularly keen on cleanliness. I have even seen Great Crested Grebe having a bit of a dip, but this GC Grebe must have thought he was particularly dirty. He ducked and preened for about ten minutes, shaking the extra water off in between.

1/800 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm

1/800 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm

1/1000 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm

1/800 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm

1/1328 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm

1/1000 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm

1/1328 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm

1/1328 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm

1/1328 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm

1/1600 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm 

1/1600 @ 5.6, iso 400, 380mm

All pictures taken on

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

Bradgate babies - 12 August 2013

1/1328 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm

A quick trip into Bradgate park, late in the day and all the Fallow deer seemed to be gathering along the stream. The best sighting and one that I've never seen in the park before was this young one suckling. I didn't have the best angle for the pictures, there was a tall stand of grass blocking the side view

1/500 @ 5.6, iso 400, 400mm

1/800 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm

1/800 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm

1/800 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm

1/800 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm

This stag popped his head up not far away, a good show, he must be getting prepared for the rut.

1/160 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm

It's interesting that as the rut comes closer there are still a lot of young about some, as we've seen, still suckling an others posing. This young un stood there for some time looking like the picture on a babycham bottle.

1/400 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm

And I can't help but mention my amazing border collie, Here he was playing with a log and when we called him, he dropped it and looked at us as if to say "What, me, I wasn't doing anything." The log falling to the ground behind him gave it away though.

Skipper is nearly six, we got him from the Border Collie Trust, near to Rugeley, when he was eighteen months old and he has been the best and most intelligent companion we could have.

Apart from being loving and caring and everyone that meets him says what a beauty he is and makes a fuss of him, he loves to play and chase a stick or a ball.

He seems to know what we want him to do without our telling him. One of his most amazing tricks is, when I'm photographing wildlife, he will sit at my feet and do nothing to disturb them. On this trip the deer were sometimes less the thirty yards away and Skipper didn't move or do anything to scare them.

1/200 @ 5.0, iso 800, 100mm

All taken on a 

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

High Speed Chick - 8 August 2013

An interesting afternoon at Thornton, as soon as we arrived we heard there was a rare visitor that seemed to have settled at the waterside. A Night Heron, we don't get many of them in Britain, but this one was shy and I couldn't get a picture of him. I did manage to see him through a twitchers scope, but as they are active mostly at night I couldn't wonder that he wouldn't show himself.

1/1600 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm

Back at the car park this Great Crested Grebe chick provided us with some entertainment.

1/1600 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm

The mother seemed to want to cut the apron strings, but this young un was having none of it and the speed he could travel through the water was amazing.

1/1328 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm

She would dive and come up great distances away, the chick would be searching all round for and screaming for her.

1/1328 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm

When he spotted her he would swim at amazing speed, he looked like one of those bath time wind up toys as it sped through the water.

1/1328 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm

When he found her, she would often dive again and he would be left looking around and screaming

1/1600 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm

Eventually he caught her and tried demanding food from her, despite being able to dive and feed himself.

1/1328 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm

These birds turned up and the nearest to identifying them I can get is they might be Scaup, but they are a bit dark.

1/1328 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm

If you have any suggestions please put it in the comments.

1/1328 @ f5.6, iso 400, 400mm

All taken on

Canon EOS7d with 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

To Bee or not to Bee - 6 July 2013

Tern, Tern, Tern first although only two pictures it wouldn't fly so I couldn't get a flying shot. A Common Tern at Watermead Park

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

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

I wouldn't normally show a picture of the back of a Bee, but if you look at the pollen she has collected you might wonder how she flew away. If you haven't see a Bee's collected pollen before, it's the two sandy coloured "stones" you can see either side of her.

1/1328 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

On the way back to the car park I spotted this coot with her new chicks, shortly afterwards they all disappeared under her into the nest and she settled down on top.

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

Coots can be great parents here the male returns to help her.

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

All the pictures taken on

Canon EOS7d with EF 100 - 400mm L series zoom