Wet Fortnight

Well here we are nearly two weeks of bad weather, today we get sunshine and I'm full of cold and in no fit state for taking decent pictures.

So I've dug out some archive pictures to post.

A Mallard mother was so proud of her brood, she put them beside the main gate to Kirby Muxloe Castle.

Canon EOS 50d - EF 70 - 300mm Lens

1/500 @ f10 iso 800, 300mm





Canon EOS 50d, EF70-300mm Lens

1/500 @ 7.1 , iso 400, 300mm

And in July this peacock was so intent on the flower head that it didn't notice the lens looming up.

I haven't been idle during the bad weather, after a lot of studying tech specs and discussions with the right people, I brought a new computer. It's an Apple iMac and I'm now trying to customise it in just the way want it. I haven't sorted the internet on it yet so I'm typing this on my venerable IBM Lenovo Think Pad.

The difference a good display makes is fantastic and some pictures that I almost rejected on the old screen now look really good and worth tidying up and keeping. I still need some Mac compatible photo editing software (Photoshop), but all in goo time. I can use DPP for now.

Slimbridge WWT - 10 November 2010

Canon EOS 50d, EF 100-400mm L lens

1/2000  @ 6.3, ISO 400, 115mm

We spent the day at the "Nature in Focus 2010 Seminar" at  WWT Slimbridge with well known photographers Ben Osborne, David Ward, Phil Malpas,  Charlie Hamilton-James. It was put together by "Wild Arena.com", Canon, Paramo clothing and others. The talks were very interesting particularly David Ward on landscapes, because the information he put over applied to all aspects of photography. Something worth repeating here is his assertion that you should look for something, in a photo, that will engage the viewer. Take the photos above , I could have taken a picture of the Ruddy Shelduck just swimming along, as ducks do, but I wouldn't have needed all my equipment to do that, a camera phone would have done it nearly as well. Instead I waited - as I usually do - until it did something interesting.

Canon EOS 50d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens

1/1250 @ 5.6, ISO 400, 400mm

At lunch time and again in the afternoon (3-4.15pm in time for the best light) we were out in the wetlands centre taking pics of anything that appealed to us. It's easy to get distracted at Slimbridge, there is so much to see, both native and non-native species. But although I took pictures of some of the Non-Native collections they were wing-clipped so don't qualify as wild life. I took over 200 pictures and feel I only scratched the surface of what is available, for instance we never got as far as the larger pools and hides.

Canon EOS 50d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens

1600 @ 5.6, ISO 200, 400mm

As you see, there were some common species around, species that I could easily photograph around my home county of Leicestershire. But they offered a chance to get something interesting and I saw no reason to miss out on a good picture just because I'd travelled around a hundred miles for something different.

Canon EOS 50d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens

1/3200 @ 6.3, ISO 200, 400mm

And finally, although this species (below) isn't a bird and is an import from America, I couldn't resist taking it. As I approached the enclosure, it must have thought it was feeding time because it rushed towards me and gave me the chance of some close up shots. The quality isn't the best because there was a glass barrier all round the enclosure and I wasn't expecting the Otter to oblige so readily, that's why the settings are so low, I didn't have time to change them.

Canon EOS 50d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens

1/125 @ 7.1, ISO 200, 100mm

Sence Valley Country Park - 7 November 2010

Canon EOS 50d, EF 100-400mm L lens

1/400 @ 7.1, iso 800, 400mm

Today turned out to be surprising and gave me a lot of photos to trawl through. We arrived at Sence Valley at about midday, and walked round to the hide. There's rarely anything close enough to be of interest, but we always look and hope. Today there were a few Mallard and Coots but the light was wrong and they seemed to be dozing in the sun Further away there was a Heron sitting on a rock, I didn't think it would be a good pic, but I tried anyway.

Canon EOS 50d, EF 100-400mm L lens

1/400 @ 7.1, iso 800, 400mm

Then Maja pointed and said, "look there are two Pheasants fighting!" I turned the camera to the direction she was pointing and sure enough, two male Pheasants were having a right old ding-dong. They were a long way away and at an awkward angle from the hide windows, but they were in a fenced off area surrounded by bushes and trees, so the hide was the only place they could be photographed from - so I set too. The fight lasted a long time and eventually disappeared from view behind bushes and a bit of raised ground, but not before I'd taken over 40 pics.

After a walk round with Skipper, we drove back up to the upper car park to use the Loo's (it's a god stiff walk up a steep hill). But as we drove back down, we spotted a falconer and his son exercising his Harris Hawk and stopped for a chat. He was happy for me to take pictures and keen to show his beautiful birds, as I would have been if they were mine.

CanonEOS 50d, EF 100-400mm L lens

1/2500 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm

While they prepare for the next flight the hawk, which was nearly a year old, sat on a fence and posed for me. Then, rewards prepared the hawk flew and I was able to get some good, in-flight shots. But the hawk was so fast I managed only 10 shots for a flight of perhaps 100 yards and had difficulty keeping it in the viewfinder.

Canon EOS 50d, EF 100-400mm L lens

1/1000 @ 5.6, iso 800, 100mm

After those two experiences, the dozing ducks seemed a bit of a disappointment, so after another walk with Skipper we made our way home.

Watermead Country Park - 6 Nov 2010

Today started out looking unpromising, we entered at the Wanlip entrance to the park and went to Merril's lake. It looked deserted, just a couple of swans and a pack of gulls. So we drove further in and I walked across to plover hide. The lakes from here were deserted as well. I carried on walking and as I came out of the gate near King Lears lake Maja, who'd walked round the other way with Skipper, was just come along the path. There was very little on this lake as well. So we carried on round, only pausing for a chat with my old boss from the hospital where I used to work.

Carrying on we crossed the wooden bridge and walked down to Moorhen Marsh, which was under water after the rain yesterday, but there was a lot more life on the lake. Here Maja and Skipper left me and returned to move the car to the Meadow Lane entrance, while I continued round the lake.

Three Cormorant were posing on the rafts in the middle and I took some pics of them. Then I noticed a bird I'd not seen on this lake before, it was swimming with some coots and about the same size. The light brown patch on it's forehead made me wonder if it was a hybrid but then I realised it was a wigeon and shortly after a female joined it.

Canon EOS 50d - ef 100-400mm L Lens

5.6 @ 1250, iso 400, 370mm

The only birds flying where a long way off at the other side of the lake, so no chance there. From there I walked through to the hide wall and got some photos of a heron roosting in a tree, but there was nothing else there. Walking back towards Meadow Lane, past the pond where Paul saw a Kingfisher a few days ago (non in evidence today), I spotted another Heron on an island in the middle of the last lake before the car park. Tried a few pics but the sun was in my face making it very difficult.

Maja arrived at Meadow lane just before me and was getting the flack of coffee out as I arrived, so camera gear in the back of the car we sat in the front to enjoy the hot drink. Almost immediately a blue tit landed in the bushes and had me wishing I had the camera up front with me. Then it flew off and we spotted a grey squirrel just below where it had been. We have never seen squirrels there before, always thought they would be, but never seen them.

Canon EOS 50d, EF 100-400mm L lens
1/40 @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm

I waited, sure that if I got out of the car to get my camera the squirrel would disappear into the woods. Eventually he moved round so there was another parked car between me and him and I took a chance. Whether he saw me or not I don't know, but he moved back to the place we first saw him and leaning against the back of the car for stability I managed to get some photos.

Canon EOS 50d, EF 100-400mm L lens
1/80th @ 5.6, iso 800, 400mm

Then he came round the perimeter fence and behind the cars, almost to where I was standing and I managed to get some close ups.

Canon EOS 50d, EF 100-400mm L lens
1/60 @5.6, iso 800, 400mm

I know a lot of people regard them as vermin and blame them for the loss of our native reds. I also know that I would have to travel a long way to get pictures of reds (which I will do eventually) and that the greys are not only photogenic, but they are also the only option in Leicestershire. So I don't apologise for taking photos of them or saying that they can look cute.

Charnwood Water 3 November 2010

It was bright sunshine when I went out to my car and loaded my photo gear. When We arrived at Charnwood Water, Loughborough (only a few miles away), it was overcast and looking like rain.

Someone was sitting on the ramp feeding the birds and there was a lot of squabbles going on, mainly between Gulls.

I'm told that when food is being given out, birds often fly in to get their share. But, as is usually the case when I have a camera at the ready, all the birds at that end of the lake were either swimming or walking, so no BIF's today. We walked the dog round the lake instead and on the way round noticed what could be good places to set up the camera at, or near, water level. But that will have to wait for another day.

Most of the way round the lake a Great Crested Grebe obliged and and I managed some reasonable pictures.

Canon EOS 50d, EF 100-400 L lens

1/100 @ 5.6, iso 800 focal length 285mm

A bit further round the lake and someone else was feeding the birds, there wasn't much of interest until I noticed a couple of Moorhens on the periphery of the group, they were keeping out of the main melee and only nipping in to steal a stray bit of bread when a piece presented itself.

I sat down with my back against a tree and waited, Moorhens are usually quite shy, but these two didn't seem to mind me and let me get several shots before the heavens opened and everyone beat a hasty retreat for cover.

Canon EOS 50d, EF 100-400m L lens

1/100 @ 5.6, iso 800 Focal Length 400mm

Canon EOS 50d, EF 100-400mm L lens

1/30 @5.6, iso 800, Focal Length 400mm

I'd decided that today I'd work entirely in manual exposure instaed of my usual AV. I was really pleased with the results, it's marginally slower but the pics are sharper and I got a bigger percentage of keepers.

Watermead Park 1 November 2010

Canon EOS 50d, EF 100-400 L lens,

1/400 @ 6.3 iso 400

I was short of time today and only managed half an hour with my camera. But the Grey Heron obliged with a fly past (albeit at some distance). I thought I saw a male shoveller but it disappeared and I couldn't find it again.

Woodrolfe Creek 27 October 2010

Canon EOS 50D, EF100-400mm L lens

400mm - 1/4000 @ 5.6 iso400

I've just spent a few days at Tollesbury in Essex. I have an oldish boat in a small creek off Woodrolfe Creek and I had to move it to a new mooring, further away from the marina.

There are no other boats close by, but several small salt water ponds and on the other side of the sea wall there are the Saltings which is a great wetland that attracts a lot of migrating birds. From the rear deck of my boat I look out over Woodrolfe Creek where it joins "The Leavings" and, a short distance east of us is the Blackwater Estuary.

When the tide goes out and the mud starts to be revealed, the seabirds, waders and ducks move in.

Canon EOS50D, EF 100-400mm L lens
400mm - 1/640 @ 5.6 iso 400

The Curlew was taken quite late and the light was going, not that it had been much good all day, it was still a little way off when I got the picture and wouldn't come any closer, maybe when it's used to the boat I'll get some close ups.

The Egret, I took as I walked back from an excellent midday meal at the Tollesbury Cruising Club (worth a visit if you're in the area, good food, not expensive and the staff are really helpful). The Egret was looking for food and took off just as I got him in the viewfinder, the sky was overcast most of the day but cleared, for a few moments and the sun caught him just as I was pressing the shutter, I dont think they are the best quality pictures, but he did a few short hops like this one and gave me an amusing display.

Watermead Park 22 October 2010

The sun had gone, the storm cloude were rolling in and I was packing my gear away. Behind me I heard a splashing, reaching for my camera as I turned, I extended the zoom.

I didn't have time for worrying about settings, the whole thing lasted about 12 seconds. But I was surprised at the images, the saying "Your eyes are bigger than your belly" springs to mind.

The quality is pretty bad but I felt the subject matter was worth showing.

Thornton Reservoir Wednesday 20 Oct 2010

Canon EOS50d, EF 100-400mm L 1000 @ f5.6 ISO 400

Canon EOS 50d, 100-400mm L, 400 @ f5.6 ISO 400

I went for a sit by the Thornton this afternoon, there's often a good collection of fairly common birds hanging about in the water by the car park, hoping for tit-bits from the visitors. At first I couldn't see many, last time I was there it was full of Canada Geese but they all seem to have flown. There was only one Canada and the resident Barnacle goose along wit a few coot and a couple of mallard. But as I got out of the car a couple of children started to throw bread to them and suddenly the area was full of Gulls, Mallard and Coots with a female swan and five juveniles from a late brood.


The light was a bit awkward, there is only one place, by the car park, to get down near to water level and that was in shade from the large trees that surround the area. I was only there for about an hour and took over a hundred shots (couldn't afford that in the old film days). Back home I immediately deleted about 40 of them and in the second cull there will probably be a lot more to get rid of. I'm particular about what I keep from a shoot, plus I try shots that sometimes don't work. On an exceptionally good day I might keep ten percent of the pictures I take. This is quite high some wildlife photographers recon on about one percent.


I was using my 50d with the 100-400 L mounted on my Benbo tripod, but instead of using a tripod head I have made a flat support from a cheap plastic chopping board cut down, drilled and tapped. That screws on to the top of the tripod and I rest my beanbag on top with the camera and lens on top of that. As the camera isn't actually fixed to the tripod, this gives me steady support for the camera, while still having the ability to react to anything going on around me, like birds flying overhead (I'm indebted to Paul (http://www.alulawildlifephotos.yolasite.com/) for this idea and I know he won't mind my sharing it).

swanning about

Canon EOS50d, Canon EF100-400mm IS USM Zoom

8000 @ f8 ISO400 - Handheld

Sence Valley Country Park near Coalville 15/10/2010

My Background
I've been interested in photography for many years and got my first real camera when I was in my mid teens. It was a Canon FTbQL 35mm film camera. Trouble was I couldn't afford any lenses for it and soon had to sell it and buy something cheaper.

It wasn't long before I realised my mistake, I tried several different makes but was never happy with any of them. Then came the time when I was a little bit better off and decided to have another Canon. But which one, I'd always wanted an F1 but it was way beyond my means and even now I couldn't afford one.


So I went to Jessop's Photographic HQ, when it was on Hinckley Road in Leicester, to try out a few different models, The A1 was top end of my budget, but I was uncertain about the LEDs in the display (in those days LEDs weren't too reliable and were prone to vibration failure).


But Jessop's salesman new his stuff and seeing that I was uncertain and why, he suggested an F1. When I said I'd love one but hadn't the money, he replied "Canon have released the F1n an instructed us to reduce the price of the old F1."

The new price was only about £20 more than an A1, it didn't take much time to make up my mind and I walked out with a Camera that would be my constant companion for over twenty years.


At work the following Monday, I told a friend. He said he'd always wanted an F1 as well. He rang Jessops to reserve one and was informed that they'd received a fax from Canon to put the price back up - apparently there were professionals running around the photo stores buying F1s by the bagfull. My friend borrowed my Amateur Photographer magazine and phoned round the country until he found a shop in the North East that hadn't yet had the fax. Using his Credit card he managed to get one as well.

Over the years I added lenses to my F1 and took some interesting pictures. Including the back of the head of a professional at a friends wedding - who seeing my camera, tried to always be between me and the happy couple, including backing into me when I tried to get a pic of the cake. I could understand why though, my friends relatives preferred my pictures, which I gave to the happy couple, along with the negatives.


I also added a couple more cameras, one out of nostalgia, a Canon Demi half-frame a beautifully engineered piece of photo history. The other a Canon AS6 Aquasnappy, which was waterproof and took some great canoeing photos. I still have all three cameras, though now I've gone digital they don't get much use.

Now, I'm going to try and post a blog every time I go out with the camera and get some decent pictures.