Right mixed Bag

Over the last few weeks I have not really travelled too far which to be honest with my work load has been a blessing.
I did however drop onto a goldcrest last weekend which was not planned for.  This is prob the first good shot I have got.

I also managed to get my first ever shot of a Muntjac which made a double for me.

Cannock chase has been producing some great views of the Bullfinches and as I live so close I just couldn't resist with visiting a few times.

LTT have also been showing well at the chase.

With the first snow of the year now here I hope to get some different shots tomorrow???

First Post of 2012

2012 started off slow as per last year.  I spent five hours in a hide waiting for a Bittern which didn't turn up :(
The following few weekends was a lot better though. 

A few quick trips to the chase produced my first nice pic of a Yellowhammer perched off the ground for a change.

The Saturday was spent at my local reserve Doxey Marshes which it located just off JN14 of the M6.  I had seen a pair of Stonechats a few week ago there and they were showing very well so we decided to give it a visit.  The male Stonechat is a great poser and a delight to photograph.

The female also showed but was more distant.

The following morning we decided to give Slimbridge and the Bittern another go.  This time we didn't wait much more than 30 mins before two of them appeared.  When I say they appeared they spent approx 3 secs each in the clear.  I however did manage some shots which I am happy of. 

Quick review of 2011

2011 has been a great year for me in regards to photography.  If you had asked me at the beginning of 2011 what photo's I was hoping for; then I would had never of dreamed to list some of the images I have managed. 

Below I have chosen a few special moments from each month. 

The year started fairly slow as it always does due the weather but during Feb I managed my first good shot of a SEO.  A drive up north to Warbly Carrs where I met Pete proved to be the right choose.  We both nearly missed the shot due to being the wrong end of the lane, all I remember was a walk turned into a stroll and then a jog and then a near full sprint.  I will not forget that day for many years to come.

During March I made my first ever visit to Norfolk as I was working on the east cost.  I had a great time there although it was a very short time but following this brief visit I decided I would be visiting again several more times during the year.

 April was a special month for me as I had the opportunity to photograph a lone male Dartford.  I spent the afternoon in great company with some friends but the star of the day had to be the Dartford.  What a great experience.



May came and so did spring.  This spring seemed to be a great year for Redstarts and before long everywhere I looked there seemed to be Redstarts.  I really can't wait now until spring 2012 to see these guys again.

June was a good month on my local patch Cannock Chase.  I was told about a sighting of a tawny owl on the chase and a few hours after I was sitting beneath a tree watching this great looking Owl.  This was a delight to see and espically as it was only 10 mins from my house.  A few weeks later I was also lucky enough to see two young fledge.

July is when it seems to go quiet on the birding front but this gave me time to spend with my foxes again.  I spent several hours each early morning and late evening walking the chase to find some cubs.  After about a week looking I was lucky enough to come across a den with good cover where I would hopefully get some photo's.  On the first visit I was not disappointed.  July also gave me time to visit the Red squirrels which is always a delight to photograph.

Looking back at my pics from Aug it seemed to be a quiet month, this is prob due to holidays etc.  Aug whoever did bring the Swallows to Cannock Chase and they were quite happy to be photographed feeding the young. 

During Sep I made another trip to Norfolk but things were still quiet there.  A little Egret at Clay marsh showed well but the highlight for me was when the Spoonbills flew straight past us.

Oct and time for the Bucks to show on my local patch again.  A few early mornings produced some great light and this was a photograph I had been after for a while now.

Nov brought a surprise to my local patch again in the form of a Great Grey Shrike.  On my third visit to the area and sitting away from the crowds the Shrike showed very well for me.

December was all about Short Eared Owls, until now I had not got any good shots of owls in flight.  I visited the site several times during Dec and must have hundreds of shots but always looking for that one which is better than the last.  This was the perfect way to finish year 2011 off. 

Christmas Break

Over the Christmas break I managed a few days out.  Firstly I took the family to Donna Nook to see the remaining seals, all in all we had a nice day.

The following day I visited my fav place at the moment to see the SEO's again :) Sorry to bore you with more pics.  The light wasn't great at all but it was great to see them again and this was the first time I have managed to get a photo of a owl with a vole.

 A quick few hours to the local chase where the norm birds where showing but I had to get a nice Robin as it is that time of year.

A mixed few weekends.

Two weekends ago I took another trip to see the SEO's as the weather forecast was good.  On arrival the weather was good and there were perhaps already around 10 people there.  A quick scan around and we noticed some familiar faces whom we hadn't seen for a while so it was nice to catch up with them. 

By approx 2pm more and more people turned up to the point when there was approx 20 + people present.  This didn't stop the owls showing but they didn't seem to come as close as the previous weeks.  This was not surprising due to the number of people and the noise also. 

The light did make up for this and this time I managed to get some shots at ISO 400 rather than the typical ISO 800 I had been shooting the weeks before.

 More pics of the owls can be seen on my flickr site. 

This weekend the weather forecast was also good but we opted to visit my local ground Cannock Chase in the hope to get a few Redpolls and Siskin.   I got up there early morning and the sun was out but we could see some  bad weather coming in.  In wasn't long before it started snowing heavy :(
By the time Ken arrived the weather had changed again and it looked like we were in for some better.  The next few hours were spent in sun, rain and hail :( along with our friends John and Trev :)

Although we didn't see any Redpolls or Siskins and the light conditions being hard most of the time I was happy with the outcome.

Woody and Short Eared Owls again

After last weekends disaster we decided to visit the short eared owls again :)
As we had a few hours to kill we opted to call into Whitacre heath to see if anything was around.  On arrival there didn't seem much but a Great spotted Woodpecker was returning on a regular basis so we managed a few shots. 

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Around noon we headed off to hopefully see the SEO's although the wind was quite strong.  On arrival we met with good friends Ian and Joe :)

The sun was out but so was the wind.  we waited with only a quick viewing of one before it settled back down.  As Joe said the minute the wind died down the owls came out to play :)

This was prob the closest we had seen then and for the last 45 mins of light we were treated to some great views.

A few of my favs from the day.  I just can't get enough of them :)



Catch up time (but not alot)

I haven't really had alot of time to post due to work commitments etc so here is a catch up from the last few weeks. 

Following the Short Eared Owl visit I was lucky enough to visit again a few times and the light was
better whilst the owls also came a little closer.

The following weekend Ken and myself headed to Knypersley to hopefully get a few shots of the Bramblings.  Upon arrival with met with Steve S and he gave us directions to where they were along with a few tips.  We opted for the car park area and it wasn't long before we got to see the Bramblings through the bins.  Trying to get good pics of them was another things though.  This was the best I managed but hopefully more to follow soon.

On Sunday we decided to head to Conwy to photograph the snow buntings.  This was a good idea as the sun was out but what we hadn't looked at was the 40+mph winds :(
Ken took a walk to locate the snow buntings but came back "sand blasted".  It was so bad he couldn't even keep his eyes open. 
A wait in the car and then a breakfast didn't help as the wind was still to strong and there was no chance of talking any pics. 

We decided to leave even though we hadn't even got the camera's out.  A quick call into Knypersley again on the way home but yet again the wind was too strong and all the birds had taken cover.  Oh well there is always another day I kept telling myself.