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.

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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

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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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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

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

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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?

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And these Mallard chicks really confirm that

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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All the pictures taken on

Canon EOS7d with EF 100 - 400mm L series zoom

Swithland and Watermead - 24 June 2013

There wasn't much about at Swithand woods, where do all the birds go when the young have fledged?

The juvenile Blackbird below seems to be collecting for a late brood unusual for a juvenile, not sure about the white feather over its eye though.

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Robins, of course, are always around and ready for a free feed.

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We moved on to Watermead South and caught this Mallard flying by the car park.

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I thought this female was going to fly as well but she was just stretching her wings.

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The male wasn't too happy when she was at full stretch though.

All taken on a 

Canon EOS7d with an EF 100 - 400mm L series lens

When the birds are away - 3 June 2013

We went back to Swithland woods yesterday and loaded the stump with seed and nuts. Then while Maja was off taking the dog for a walk, I settled down to await the visitors.

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It was a long time before anything arrived, I was buzzed several times by Blackbirds but they didn't hang around. This Robin collected his mouthful on his way across the track. He hopped onto this post, next to the stump and seemed to be looking across at it. But when he took flight, it was away from the stump and he never came back.

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In the last few minutes before Maja returned, this Grey Squirrel turned up. First he hid behind a car and surveyed the area and I thought he wasn't coming out.

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But he suddenly dashed across the track and up onto the stump.

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Where he proceeded to eat as much as he could, taking his time and ignoring a passing car. Being summer he wasn't rushing off to bury his loot and he stayed for about ten minutes.

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I'm not sure if this was a pause for breath or a burp, but he looks happy.

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I think he could hear a dog coming up the path and a few minutes a Jack Russell appeared and he was off up the nearest tree.

All taken on 

Canon EOS 7d, EOS 100 - 400mm L series zoom