Paul's Bird Images

April 27 2011 - Moore Little Brown Jobbies

paul.weston@birdimages.co.uk (Paul Weston) — Tue, 03 May 2011 09:55:51 GMT

Another trip to Moore Nature Reserve today - arriving at 8.00am and leaving at 7.00pm. More little-brown-jobbies than I could shake a tripod at.

It was another beautiful spring day - mostly clear blue sky and sunshine. April came and went so quickly and without many showers; so much for the May flowers. Can I foresee another water-shortage?

When out and about with my camera, I don't like bright sunshine. It produces harsh results and requires extra effort (and it's sometimes impossible) to get the right side of the subject. I also get very warm lugging my gear around.

The constant cool breeze helped a lot and also filled the air with Goat's-beard seeds and the scent of Hawthorn blossom.

In places, the air was also full of little black insects. I've Googled to find out what they are, but without success. The one shown below flew into one of my shots; any ideas? Fortunately, they didn't bite. I remember photographing Black-necked Grebes at Moore and coming home with red-raw face and arms thanks to the Horse Flies.

The little brown jobbies were out in force. The harsh, scratchy call of Whitethroat, the continuous rasping and clicking of Reed and Sedge Warbler, the melancholy, cascading voice of the Willow Warbler, the mechanical reel of the Grasshopper Warbler, the varied, bright notes of the Blackcap, and the slurred, repetitive chirp of the Chiffchaff could be heard almost everywhere on the reserve. Heard but not always seen, unfortunately.

I did get close to Whitethroat (though sat on a wire fence), Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. I also got very close to Grasshopper Warbler very briefly, but he was a bit shy. I've managed images of Grasshopper Warbler before at Moore.

The Cuckoo was calling for long periods in the afternoon and I was lucky enough to see him fly over me when walking the canal walk next to Hawthorn Wood.

All in all a beautiful day, but not very productive from a photography point of view. This time of year is great for bird life - so much activity. Just wish I could get out more.

Birds seen or heard today: Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Chough, Collared Dove, Common Sandpiper, Coot, Cuckoo, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Grasshopper Warbler, Great Tit, Great-crested Grebe, Grey Heron, House Sparrow, Jay, Kestrel, Lapwing, Little Grebe, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Robin, Rook, Sedge Warbler, Song Thrush, Starling, Tufted Duck, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Wood Pigeon, Wren.

March 14 2011 - A Blue Day on The Great Great Orme

paul.weston@birdimages.co.uk (Paul Weston) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 10:35:34 GMT

I was dropped off on the summit of the Great Orme at around 9am. Although windy, it was a beautiful morning. The sky was clear and I don't think I've seen a sea so blue.

living on the edge

I started (as I usually do) by dropping south-southwest from the summit, following the stone wall, which turns ninety degrees to run west-northwest, and then drifting away from the wall to get better views across the bay to Llangoed.

When I reached the west-most point of my walk, I met a man looking for the reported Lapland Buntings. I stayed for a while, scanning the rocks and shrubs, but there was no sign, so I wandered east towards the limestone pavements, where I'd often seen Wheatears in the past - I'd seen a report that they were back and had been seen at the weekend.

As I crossed the pavements there were no Wheatears to be seen, but plenty of Meadow Pipits. I headed north towards the old lighthouse and then east along the cliff edge.

Out of the corner of my eye a caught a glimpse of two dark grey birds flying below me along the cliff face. As they flew closer I saw the moustaches and realised they were Peregrine Falcons. I watched them until they flew out of sight below the cliff and then I walked back in the hope of seeing them landed. The cliffs are steep at this point and it was impossible to get a good look at the cliff face - I needed to be below the cliff. I looked for quite a while, but no joy.

that time of year

Continuing east I came to overlook St Tudno's Church. To the left is a large area of Gorse, which is usually alive with birds, so I decided to settle there with my camera at the ready, as much out of sight as possible, and eat my lunch. I had my 1.4x extender attached today - plenty of light and not much cover on the Orme.

Of the birds that came close - Blue Tit, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Great Tit, Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Song Thrush, Wren - I was able to photograph the Goldcrest and Wren. Wrens are like Robins to me, they always want to pose! Goldcrests are like Long-tailed Tits, in that they'll often come quite close while feeding if you stay still and quiet.

I walked through the churchyard and followed the path towards the farm. Just before reaching the farm I saw a flock of Fieldfare in the hedge next to a field. As I got closer they took flight - they're very striking birds in flight. One on them perched on a tall twig at the far side of the field and I remember thinking what a stunning image it would make.

Karen was picking me up by the tram station at 4.15pm and it was getting close, so after walking east a little further, I turned south toward the station.

From a photography point of view, the day hadn't been as good as I had hoped. I was hoping to see Wheatear, Stonechat and Redpoll, and the sighting of Peregrine and the talk of Lapland Bunting and Chough (a fellow walker had seen them) had given me high expectations.

However, it was a beautiful day to be walking the Great Orme and I travelled home happy and exhausted!

Birds seen today: Blackbird, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Crow, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Fulmar, Goldcrest, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Gulls (various - still can't motivate myself to ID these!), Jackdaw, Linnet, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Peregrine, Robin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Wren.

Feb 17 2011 - Moore Again, and Every Cloud has a Grey Lining.

paul.weston@birdimages.co.uk (Paul Weston) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:17:55 GMT

I wanted to go to Hilbre Island today, but high tide was just a bit too early. It would have meant getting there at 7am and walking over to the island, perhaps in the dark, to be there for 8am, two hours before high tide (recommended if you're to avoid being washed out to sea!). If I wasn't feeling so lousy and if I was sleeping a bit better, I might have tried it. Another 20-minute drive to Moore instead…

Light was always going to be in short supply today - the BBC forecast was for 'white cloud' all day. Now white cloud is good for photography generally - it results in evenly lit subjects without harsh shadows - but at this time of year there isn't much sunlight behind it to make it truly white; more of a muddy grey!

At just after 8am I headed for the feeding station, as I often do in the morning at Moore. It was gloomy and quiet; there wasn't enough light about yet to get any good images. Perhaps more importantly, there weren't any birds about. It wasn't until about 10am that thing livened up a bit. The usual suspects arrived - Great-spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Reed Buntings, etc, but nothing came very close.

I was hoping to try out a different technique to capture the Jays in flight, as described in my last post. This time, I used auto-focus to focus on the top-centre of the bird table they always used. I then switched auto-focus off and aimed the camera at the area just in front of the table, where the birds would always brake before alighting on the table. With this method I didn't even have to look through the viewfinder - just watch until the birds were almost at the table and then press the shutter.

Well, it worked to a point, but I have nothing good enough to show you. The Jays only made a few trips today, and seemed to take a different approach - flying in from the side rather than from the back and towards me. This meant that the shutter speed needed to be quicker to freeze their flight - at least 1/1000 I bet - but the light just wasn't good enough. I'm encouraged by this though, so perhaps I'll try again when the light is better.

I had a lucky escape at the feeding station. The warden arrived to fill the feeders, so I stood up to stretch my legs. As a walked from the bench, I heard this feint splat. I looked at the bench, and there, exactly where I had been sat, was a larger green and white bird dropping. I looked up and high in the tree sat this huge Wood Pigeon - I could swear he had a look of disappointment on his face. It was a bit milder today so I wasn't wearing my hat. I sent him packing with an old tree branch.

Nothing doing at the feeding station today, so I wandered east along the canal walk. From there it was possible to see the vehicles pushing around waste on the local landfill site, and the literally thousands of Gulls, all looking for a free meal - an incredible site.

I stopped at the hide to the west of Birchwood Pool, which was also alive with Gulls. There were also Gadwall, Teal, Pochard, Great-crested Grebe and others on view.

I walked though Birch Strip and around the top of Birchwood to the hide on the west side of Pump House Pool. I had heard earlier from a regular visitor that Green Woodpeckers had returned to Moore after being absent for two years, and could be seen to the east of the Pool. I had intended to go take a look, but I didn't get there. I stood in the north-west corner of Birchwood watching the Gulls on the Pump House Pool. Every so often they would all rise from the water as one and do a few circuits of the Pool before landing in the water again.

For the first time in the day, the clouds had parted and blue sky could be seen to the north. I was looking up at the sky, watching two Buzzards being harassed by a small flock of Gulls, when, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted what looked like a rapidly moving black cloud. It was a flock of Starlings - a 'murmuration'. On my previous visit a fellow photographer had mentioned this happening that day at around 2pm, and he showed me a few images on his camera. I had my 1.4x extender on my 400mm lens, and couldn't capture the full cloud. Even without the 1.4.x I struggled to capture the whole spectacle - I had to wait some time before the starlings moved into the distance. It was fascinating to watch, however.

Just as the spectacle came to an end, I heard a flock of Long-tailed Tits approaching. They landed just a few metres away, so I was able to take a few pictures. I'd managed a few pictures of these birds on my last visit, but it was dark and they weren't very satisfactory. The light was better today, and I'm happier with the images (I've uploaded just the one). I find Long-tailed Tits to be quite tolerant of my presence. If I stand still behind my camera they often come within easy reach.

I thought about setting off to the East of Pump House Pool, but decided instead to walk the canal walk to the west. However, on the way back I started to feel very tired and weary. My back and legs ached and I was full of the cold. I headed back to the car park, only stopping briefly to take a look out over Lapwing Lake. The light was fading fast and the Lake was very quiet and still. The small island in the centre of the lake, usually occupied by Mallards or Canada Geese, was empty.

And so ended another day at Moore Nature Reserve. It's a big reserve with lots of places to settle down and wait for opportunities. It doesn't matter what choices I make on the day, I always come home wondering whether I should have chosen a different place to wait and see.

Birds seen today: Blackbird, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Jackdaw, Jay, Little Grebe, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Nuthatch, Pheasant, Reed Bunting, Robin, Rook, Starling, Teal, Tufted Duck, Various Gulls, Woodpigeon, Wren.

Where have you been lately? Did you have any luck? Leave a comment below.

Feb 03 2011 - Jays in Flight Too Challenging

paul.weston@birdimages.co.uk (Paul Weston) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 14:05:37 GMT

I arrived at the reserve at 8am and made my way to the feeding station in Pond Wood. I prefer to visit the feeding station in the morning, when any sunlight is not directly in front. In fact, when I got there this morning, there was very little light at all.

I like the Moore feeding station, as it's usually possible to get some nice images there. It's not quite on a par with the Bunting Hide at Pennington Flash, which is covered and keeps me dry if it rains, and has mush closer trees and shrubs. At the Moore station, I almost always fit my 1.4x extender to my 400mm lens.

The only early opportunities were with a Robin - they are such poseurs. I almost feel embarrassed posting pictures of Robins, but I can't resist them when they sit there looking back at me!

At around 10am, a gentleman arrived to fill the feeders. It took him a while, not least because of the amount of water under the feeders - I've never seen it so deep. Shortly after he left I became quite annoyed with myself for not asking him to drop a few seeds and fat onto one of the three tree stumps close to the hide. I remember in previous years these stumps were used more often as birds arrived at the station, but this has changed recently, perhaps because the wardens have cut away most of the brambles beneath the stumps that provided cover for the birds.

They've also cut back a lot of the trees and shrubs at the back of the feeding station. I'm not sure why, and during the day I heard different opinions on the benefit, or otherwise, of doing this. What it did mean was that I could see the Jays flying from the distant trees towards me as they swooped in to take peanuts from the feeders.

It was fascinating to watch them. They would swoop in, fill their gullets with two or three peanuts, fly back to the trees, hide the peanuts, and then repeat the process.

On one occasion I kept the Jay in sight as it settled on the ground beneath the trees and I watched it walking back and forth, pressing the peanuts into the soil. I always thought this was an autumn ritual with acorns - creating reserves for the winter - but it seems it happens with peanuts in the winter too.

I set my auto-focus mode to AI Servo and tried desperately to catch the Jays in flight as they came towards me. It was difficult to know where the Jays would come from - often they entered and exited the trees at different points - and then focusing on them early, when they were small in the frame, was almost impossible. If I managed this, keeping them in the centre of the frame as they undulated and then veered off to the feeder, was also too challenging - as soon as the focus point drifted, the camera would focus on the background and the game was up. I tried for over an hour, during which time each of the two Jays must have made a dozen trips, but I was unsuccessful. Perhaps it just needs lots of practise.

Apparently Jays can hold up to nine acorns in their gullets! More often, they will carry two or three, with one in the bill. Studies have shown that individual birds will store as many as 5,000 acorns in one season.

The Great Spotted Woodpeckers - male and female - also spent a lot of time at the station, mainly interested in the slabs of fat that had been rubbed into the bark of two trees. I managed a few shots of these.

After whiling away a lot of time at the feeding station, talking to a number of very pleasant people about birds, reserves, photography, and so on, I wandered to where the Tawny Owl is known to roost. Different people have different opinions on the Owl's status - some saying he's been seen recently, others that he hadn't been seen this year. One gent told me that the female had been found dead on the reserve and that the male might have moved on. Either way, the Owl wasn't to be seen today.

A little later I came across a large flock of Long-tailed Tits, all flitting about and doing their 'trrp trrp trrp' thing. Unfortunately, the light had faded fast and I was shooting at 1/40 sec, which was too slow for these restless little birds. I managed one acceptable shot.

I wandered back along the canal walk and passed Lapwing Lake to Hawthorn Wood. I returned via Hillcrest Quarry and Hillcrest Meadow, stopping for a while to watch the fields and farm buildings just south of the canal for any signs of Barn Owl.

When I got back to the car-park I met a warden who had just arrived to lock up. I was pleased to learn that he would never lock anyone in and that he was locking up to prevent people littering overnight (whatever that means - I'm not sure I want to know).

I asked him about Owls on the reserve. He said the Tawny Owl had been seen recently, but not the Barn Owls and that there was some doubt about whether they'd survived the winter. I wanted to ask more, but felt I was holding him back.

I'm not overly happy with the images I got from the reserve today, but I've uploaded a few. A Robin, a Woodpecker with a little too much tree, a distant Reed Bunting balanced between two branches (doing the splits), and a Long-tailed Tit - not a very bright eye and the only image of around thirty of the Long-tailed Tits that was useable.

Birds seen (noticed) today: Blackbird, Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Jackdaw, Jay, Little Grebe, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Nuthatch, Pheasant, Pochard, Reed Bunting, Robin, Rook, Sparrowhawk, Teal, Tufted Duck, Various Gulls, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren.

Do you have any tips - Moore Reserve, Birds in Flight? Leave a comment below.

Jan 28 2011 - Angry Wren Saves the Day

paul.weston@birdimages.co.uk (Paul Weston) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 19:45:52 GMT

I visited Inner Marsh Farm on the Dee Estuary once before - back in 2006 I think. I didn't have my camera with me at the time, but my memory of it was that it was a great reserve for spotting, but not for photography. However, I wanted to go back and take a second look.

I arrived at the reserve at 8am to see a notice on the locked gate stating that the hide opened at 9am. Feeling annoyed with myself for not knowing that, I started to set up my tripod to take a picture of the sunrise. Before I could finish, a warden arrived and said it was fine to follow him in.

On its Inner Marsh Farm reserve guide under 'facilities', the RSPB describes the site as "good for walking". I suspect this is said because the only hide at Inner Marsh Farm is at the end of a fairly long downhill walk from the reception. My view is that people who enjoy walking would look for something different - circular with alternative routes, for example. Perhaps once the new hides being built at the other side of the pools are completed - May or June I was told - the walks might become more interesting. That being said, the views from the walk down to the hide can be spectacular.

The hide is very much as I remember it. Excellent views of the wetland and pools and great for spotting / listing, especially with a scope. The range of species seen there at any one time can be large.

From a photography viewpoint, the hide is not ideal. The birds are generally too distant, even for the longest of telephoto lenses. I attached my 1.4x extender (the 2x would be better, but I lose auto-focus with my 400mm lens). To be fair, the water closest to the hide was frozen this morning, so that might have influenced any birds that use this area of the pool, although the hide is a little high for pleasing images of birds close to the hide.

Please bear in mind that my comments about the hide from a photographic viewpoint are not complaints. I appreciate that hides are not built for photographers, but are built with bird-lovers, scopes and binoculars in mind. This is how it should be and I wouldn't expect this to change. However, I want to state it as it is for photographers.

I would imagine that with lots of patience and some luck, good images can be obtained at Inner Marsh Farm when the Peregrines and Harriers arrive or when birds drift close to the hide, but if you want to improve your chances of success for a given amount of time spent waiting, there are better options.

The people on the reserve, including the wardens, were very friendly. I was just about to leave for Moore Nature Reserve, when Graeme walked in with his camera and telephoto and we whiled away an hour or so talking about photography and birds before walking back to the car park. On the way back we saw a Buzzard perched on a stone gate post so we stopped to take a picture or two, but he was a little too distant with his back to us.

So I made my way to Moore, arriving there at about 1:30pm, and walked to the nearest hide - the hide on the east-side of Lapwing Lake. I don't usually spend much time at this hide. I've taken a few images of Mallards and Canada Geese resting on the small island and I've seen the Kingfisher here, but nothing much has happened for me at this hide. Also, the water near the hide was frozen, so birds would not be coming close.

Today, however, I sat at the hide to have some lunch. After a while, a Wren appeared on the fence behind me and seemed intrigued to know what I was doing. He began that aggressive, warning chirping call and flitting between shrubs. I don't know what was upsetting him, but I was able to get a few shots. Wrens don't exactly fill the frame usually, but I still had the 1.4x extender on from Inner Marsh Farm, so that helped a bit. I was also surprised by how close the Wren came to me.

So I had a reasonable image to show for the day. This is enough to make the day worthwhile for me from a photographic point of view (I know, I'm easily pleased).

I saw a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers flitting about in the trees in Pump Station Wood. I stood at the ready for a while and although they were in the area for quite a while, they were never close enough.

At about 3pm I walked up the lane between Lapwing Lake and Middle Moss Wood and turned left to walk along the canal path. I intended to walk along the canal path and take the left turning over Hillcrest Quarry and Hillcrest Meadow back to the car park. I realised I had less then two hours of daylight left.

I stopped to have a look through the hide to the north of Lapwing Lake and my sudden appearance startled a Heron, two Shovelers, and several Teal. When will I learn!

I then came to the hide overlooking the scrub to the north of the canal path. Now, I've never really understood this hide, perhaps because I've never seen any signs of life there. The field is huge and full (at this time of year) of tall dead grasses. Today was no different, in that the field was lifeless. Moss Side Edge Wood to the right was teaming with Gulls, Corvids and Pigeons, and huge flocks of Gulls could be seen hovering over the landfill site, but the field itself was as still as the grave.

The hide is uncovered; having a front with open windows and solid sides. On top of the front of the hide I saw what looked like a food pellet - perhaps regurgitated by an Owl, and it struck me that the field might be ideal hunting ground for a Short-eared or Barn Owl. Although I walked a little further along the canal path, I soon decided to return to the hide and stay until the light had all but gone in the hope of finding an Owl hunting over the field.

Well, needless to say I didn't see an owl. In fact, I didn't see any life at all in, or over, the field! What I did see, as the sun was setting, the sky was turning pink and the light was slowly fading, were flocks of Gulls, some small and some huge, flying over Fiddlers Ferry Power Station in the distance. I thought it made an interesting image.

At 5pm I began to panic; wondering if the car-park would be locked. I quickly got my things together and headed back.

On the way back I told myself something I've told myself many times before. I must find out where the different species can be seen on the reserve. I know the reserve has all five species of Owl present, but I only know where the Tawny Owl roosts (or certainly used to roost). Where are the others? I think this is very good advice for any reserve. It's easy to wander around a reserve in the hope of seeing something interesting, but why make it more difficult? I resolved to ask the wardens where these Owls are best seen.

I also thought about the lengthening days. It was 5pm and there was still some light about. Although still mid-winter, this is a real sign to me that the spring, with its longer, lighter, warmer days, is not so far away.

I've listed the birds I spotted today below. Please bear in mind that I don't make a point of scanning every inch of a reserve looking for birds (as a good birder should), so these cannot be considered exhaustive lists!

Inner Marsh Farm: Buzzard, Canada Goose, Coot, Curlew, Grey Heron, Lapwing, Little Egret, Mallard, Mute Swan, Pintail, Ruff, Shelduck, Sparrowhawk, Teal.

Moore Nature Reserve: Blackbird, Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coot, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Little Grebe, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mute Swan, Pheasant, Robin, Rook, Shoveler, Starling, Teal, Woodpigeon, Wren.

Have you obtained good images at Inner Marsh Farm? If so, I'd love to hear from you.

Jan 25 2011 - A Dismal Day at RSPB Conwy

paul.weston@birdimages.co.uk (Paul Weston) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:02:31 GMT

Karen, a friend of mine, was working in Llandudno for the day, so she offered to drop me off at the Conwy RSPB reserve and pick me up on the way back.

The BBC weather forecast for the day stated that a huge black cloud would hang over virtually the whole of Wales all day and that the rain would be persistent and at times heavy. Well, despite this, I decided I couldn't miss the opportunity. So armed with a huge flask of coffee and a packed lunch lovingly prepared by Lucia; off I went.

I arrived at 8:30 or thereabouts, and because I thought the shop and main entrance wouldn't be open yet, I walked along the estuary to the Benarth hide to get out of the rain. On the way to the hide (and in the gloom) I saw what I think was a Rock Pipit hopping about among the rocks on my right.

Needless to say the hide was empty. I decided to stay here for a while - perhaps until the rain had eased off. The outlook was bleak. The very dark sky, the poor light, the low water level, and those sheets of blue plastic weighed down with stones (what are they?) all combined to paint a very dismal picture. In the past I've taken pictures of Lapwing and Heron here, when the water level was much higher and the sky much brighter.

A Heron stood in the shallows beneath the distant reeds and a Little Egret flew in to join it. I've seen these species brawling in the past, but it was all very civilised today. When I returned to the same hide at dusk, the Heron was still there. Had it been stood there all day?

When I was under the impression the rain had stopped, I decided to walk around to the hides on the other side. The rain hadn't stopped completely, but it was a lot lighter. However, when I had only a wandered a hundred metres from the hide, the rain began again in earnest. Here's to my waterproof coat and trousers and my wellies! My camera has a water-resistant body, but I keep it covered in a waterproof sleeve anyway.

The rain became much lighter between 11am and 4pm and for prolonged periods held off altogether, which was a blessing. I spent the rest of the day wandering backwards and forwards between the hides and standing and watching the feeding station. There were the usual culprits on the feeders along with a small flock if Siskin. I can't help feeling they should create a hide next to the feeding station, as people are very reluctant to walk the path next to the feeders. It would be popular.

At dusk, I stood and watched the Starling display (murmuration). It was quite unspectacular and combined with the now heavy rain, summed up the day quite well.

From a photographic pint of view, it was not a successful day. As I stood and waited for my lift and tried my hand at a night-time picture of Conwy Castle across the estuary, I thought to myself that I should make more effort to look for and record the different species I see, rather than simply looking for photographic opportunities. This might make my blog posts more interesting for some readers.

I'll make a point of doing that in future. In the meantime, here's today's list from memory in alphabetical order:

Blackbird, Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Coot, Curlew, Dunnock, Gadwall or Wigeon (I know these are very different, but I can't remember which of the two I saw!), Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Gulls (various - I find it difficult to pay them much attention), Lapwing, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Long-tailed Tit, Mallard, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Robin, Rock Pipit, Shelduck, Shoveler, Siskin, Starling, Teal, Tufted Duck, Wren.

Oh, and this one, if anyone can tell me what it is? Greenshank?

The Long-tailed Tit Attack

paul.weston@birdimages.co.uk (Paul Weston) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 18:26:54 GMT

The first time it happened it took me by surprise. I assumed it was just a one-off, or a bird with some kind of mental disorder. However, when it happened three days in a row, I thought I would try to capture it on my old Nikon Coolpix.

It was the same pattern each morning. Within seconds of stopping the car, as though he (or she) were perched somewhere waiting for me, he would fly either directly to the mirror, or to the door and then the mirror, and start pecking his reflection vigorously.

He and his partner had built a nest in a Gorse Bush just out of shot to the left. It was within a few metres of the entrance to my office building, so it was impossible to avoid driving and walking within a metre or two of the nest. The nesting attempt was successful – al least three chicks fledged (and perhaps more, I like to think).

If you've ever seen a Long-tailed Tit's nest, I'm sure you'll agree it's a work of art. A soft, elastic ball of lichen, moss, cobweb and feathers tightly squeezed into a prickly Gorse Bush for protection. The small side-entrance looks barely big enough for the bird to squeeze through and the nest chamber is certainly not big enough to accommodate that long tail, unless it is folded.

Long-tailed Tits are also unusual in their cooperative behaviour. In autumn they get together in flocks containing a pair and its youngsters from the previous season, and some siblings perhaps. During the winter the females from one group swap places with the females from another group. In the spring the group splits into pairs to make nesting attempts.

If a nesting attempt fails, as they often do, the pair will split and each will seek out a blood relative with young and assist with feeding those young. This increases the chances of breeding success and is beneficial also for the adults, because they don't have to work as hard to feed and protect the youngsters.

Getting back to the reflection-pecking behaviour, I later discovered that it isn't so unusual. We saw similar behaviour with a Great Tit nesting in a neighbour's nest-box. His pecking on our bathroom window at daft-o'clock in the morning would often wake us up!

I can't help thinking that it's such a waste of valuable energy at such an important time.

Reference:

Couzens, D., 2004. The Secret Lives of Garden Birds. London: Christopher Helm.

Welcome to My Blog

paul.weston@birdimages.co.uk (Paul Weston) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:55:54 GMT

Thanks for dropping by. I hope you find something of interest on my site.

About birdimages.co.uk

I created my birdimages site in 2005, when in the final year of a part-time degree in IT. I built the site from scratch using a popular web-development package and uploaded it to a cheap Internet Service Provider (ISP). It was hard work to create and maintain, but I remember being quite proud of my first website (first if I exclude the pretend websites I created at uni).

Back in those days, it was considered sufficient by most to have a simple website with a few pages of text and some galleries to show-off one's photos. At the time, I don't think I was really aware of blogging, and the Facebooks and Twitters of this world had only just been created and were still considered by many to be mere fads that would soon pass us by.

Things are different now. Many have abandoned the idea of a Website in favour of a blog, and integration / communication with social media sites is considered the norm. Because I was starting to feel left behind, and because I found the idea of building and adding these features into my own website daunting, I decided to move my site to a Content Management System (CMS).

This site is now hosted with levelhorizon.co.uk. It allows me to have a website incorporating a blog (the best of both worlds) and allows me to add Facebook and lots of other widgets / features. Designing and populating the site still required a bit of effort, but maintenance is much easier. Now someone else can feel responsible for keeping the features up-to-date!

About My Photography

I think bird photographers sit somewhere between two extremes.

Photographer first, birder second. At one end of the scale there is the artist who has an interest in birds. For this individual the art of photography is more important than the subject matter. For example, this photographer will be happy taking pictures of Robins and Blackbirds if the result is a beautiful image that any viewer will appreciate, whether interested in birds or not. This photographer is unlikely to jump in the car, travel hundreds of miles, and join a throng of people trying to get an image of that blown-of-course Glossy Ibis (or similar).
Birder first, photographer second. At the other end of the scale is the 'twitcher' with a camera. In this case the camera is a means of recording a sighting; a method of proving to others that a sighting has been made. The word twitcher is a British invention I think, used to describe a serious birder / bird-lister who is prepared to travel hundreds of miles to record a sighting.

If you are a photographer and you don't think you relate to either of these definitions, like most, you probably fit somewhere in-between the two extremes. You're a photographer who likes to produce artistic images, but also likes the challenge of capturing difficult to photograph / rarer species, or you're a serious birder who likes to produce beautiful images whenever possible, but is equally happy simply to record any sightings on camera.

Myself, I lean towards the first definition, so if you've arrived here in the hope of seeing images of rarities, you might be disappointed. I've been interested in birds since childhood, but I think I'd rather produce a beautiful image of a Robin than a distant and / or poorer quality image of a Lapland Bunting, for example (not that I wouldn't very much enjoy seeing one).

Having said this, it is my intention to challenge myself more and attempt to capture the less common British birds. I'll update the blog with my progress.

Paul Weston

November 26 2010 - Another Day in the Bunting Hide, Pennington Flash

paul.weston@birdimages.co.uk (Paul Weston) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:21:44 GMT

I returned to Pennington Flash on November 26 after my trip there the day before, as I understood it might snow and I might get some nice pictures of birds on snow-covered branches. As it turned out, it didn't snow, it was just very cold. I went with four hand-warmers, which I used in the first few hours, and my hands and feet were dead for most of the day.

As explained in my previous post, I like to set up with my tripod to the left of the Bunting hide, where the light is poorer but the lack of direct sunlight results in more evenly lit images with less contrast. I spent the whole day there whilst all other photographers, with one exception, congregated at the right side of the hide.

The fastest shutter speed I achieved from here all day was 1/60 sec. Without my tripod, I don't think I would have got so many sharp images.

When I first sat in the Bunting Hide at Pennington Flash, many years ago (sometime during 2004), I would very occasionally see another photographer with a SLR camera and telephoto lens. On these most recent trips, I was struck by the large number of people with this equipment. I didn't think to count them, but I must have seen at least 10 photographers, of all ages, during the two days there.

It was interesting to listen to their conversation, as they huddled together on the right of the Bunting hide. I couldn't see them or join in with the conversation, as the two halves of the hide are almost partitioned by a wooden frame.

They discussed their technique - one of them explaining how he always under-exposed by a full stop in order to avoid any over-exposure. I listened to counter arguments to this approach and couldn't help but wonder about the quality of images under-exposed a full stop and taken where the direction of any sunlight produces a high-contrast image anyway.

Other topics of conversation included the beanbag for resting the camera on, how to get the Canon 1.4x extender working with autofocus (and the resulting 'hunting' effect), the Sparrowhawk (or lack of), and the Willow Tits, which are notoriously difficult to capture, as they don't stand still for more than a second.

I was joined in the afternoon by a very friendly and interesting gentleman, who described to me how he takes images of Kingfishers using movement sensing infra-red technology. He showed me an image on his phone - fascinating stuff. We discussed the technique of using flash to take images of birds in flight, which we openly admitted we know very little about. This is something I would like to understand and try some time.

As we sat and ate our lunch, my fellow photographer gave some bread to a very courageous Robin that hopped into the hide through the window. When the photographer had gone, the Robin kept returning, so I treated him (or was it her) to some Applewood Cheddar - lots of it. I bet that bird slept well and contented that night!

A Coal Tit landed on a small tree stump just in front of me. It was doing its usual thing of 'hiding' food for later. I quickly got the bird in the frame, but was disappointed to realise that I couldn't focus on it and the opportunity was missed. I immediately swapped the 12mm for the 25mm extension tube, but the bird didn't return to the stump. Ah well, I'll know for next time.

At mid-afternoon, most of the photographers in the hide left for home, stating that the light was too poor. The light had deteriorated, but I was still able to get some sharp images before leaving for home myself.

I had arrived at the hide at first light (near enough) and left as the light was fading. It had been a very cold day, but a very interesting one nonetheless.

The images I produced over the two days were all of common birds, and with the exception of the Song Thrush, Pheasant, and Magpie - all birds I have photographed before. However, my aim is not to photograph new or rare species, but to attempt interesting and artful images of any species. So they were good days, and I needed them to get back into the habit.

If you want an opportunity to practise your skills, Pennington Flash is a good option in the winter (feeding) months. Just be prepared for the difficult lighting conditions.

Two of the three species I haven't photographed before.

The often despised Magpie is everywhere, of course, but it has never been a target for my efforts. It actually has very nice plumage.

When I grew up in South Yorkshire, Song Thrushes seemed to be everywhere. Not so now. I'm not happy with the branches in this image, particularly the horizontal one behind the bird. However, of the many images I took of this shy bird, this is the best.

Do you visit Pennington Flash? What's your view on the tripod debate? Feel free to leave a comment.

November 25 2010 - A Day in the Bunting Hide, Pennington Flash

paul.weston@birdimages.co.uk (Paul Weston) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:20:27 GMT

I'm a bit late blogging about my last trips - I blame Christmas and this flu-type thing I've had for the last nine weeks.

Until September this year, I hadn't been out with my camera for a long time, due to pressure of work. In September I went to Moore Nature Reserve and to Lymm Dam, but didn't have much success, so on November 25 I decided to go to Pennington Flash and spend some time at the bird feeder station (Bunting Hide). I've always managed to get some decent shots there and I needed to get my eye in again.

I arrived at 8am to find the hide closed. A walker I met explained that they were probably shooting some of the rats that were making a home beneath the feeders. After taking a walk around the reserve I found the hide open at 9am.

The Bunting hide overlooks an area containing numerous different types of feeders. The area is enclosed by trees and shrubs, making it considerably darker than the surrounding area.

Like many photographers, I don't like to take images of birds on feeders - I prefer images in a more natural setting. To achieve this at the Bunting hide the best opportunities for close shots are in the shrubs to the right and to the left of the hide, although there are a few natural looking perches in the centre, albeit a little more distant.

During the early part of the day any sun falls on the shrubs to the right of the hide, but the light here can be quite harsh - casting shadows on the birds and making the images 'high-contrast'. Exposure can be very difficult, especially with birds having high-contrast plumage. I managed a picture of a Great Tit from here when the sun was behind the clouds.

I spent most of the day to the left of the hide, taking pictures of the birds landing in the shrubs before hopping to the feeders. I added the 12mm extension tube to my 400mm lens, as without it I would often be unable to focus on some of the closer birds. The light to the left is often poor, so I wedged my tripod in front of the seat and adjusted it so the lens was ideally positioned in what is a fairly narrow opening.

I will use my tripod in a hide whenever possible. I don't remember seeing anyone else use a tripod in a hide, perhaps because it's awkward, or perhaps they feel the hide window frame is sufficient for support, or perhaps because not many photographers use a tripod anyway. I find it very satisfying to have the camera rock solid in front of me and not having to rest the lens on the hide window and avoid the effects of my shivering (it was VERY cold). It is also very rare (although it does happen) that the tripod prevents me from getting a shot of a bird that would otherwise be within reach - under the hide window, for example.

It's interesting to see that apart from the Great Tit image, which required a shutter speed of 1/200 sec, the fastest shutter speed I used during the two days (I returned the following day) was 1/80 sec (the Robin shown) and all the other shots I took were at 1/60 sec or less. The slowest shutter speed was 1/25 sec - one of the Chaffinches. I don't think I would have achieved sharp images at these shutter speeds with my 400mm (non IS) lens without the tripod. I routinely use an ISO setting of 400.

I was like a block of ice at times during the day - hardly able to feel my hands and feet, but I enjoyed the day very much. When someone in the hide mentioned the probability of snow the following day, I decided to return for some 'seasonal' images.

Do you visit Pennington Flash? What's your view on the tripod debate? Feel free to leave a comment.

The Sparrowhawk in My Garden

paul.weston@birdimages.co.uk (Paul Weston) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 12:22:18 GMT

I can't recall the date I saw the Sparrowhawk in my garden for the first time, but I clearly remember the circumstances.

I opened the bedroom curtains, still feeling very sleepy, and stood for a few seconds, yawning, looking out into the garden. The garden is quite small and enclosed, and at the time was full of shrubs, plants and ornaments, such that it was not easy to see at first glance whether there was anything unusual – not that I was ever expecting anything unusual.

I became aware of a small movement down to my left. I looked at what I initially thought was one of the many Doves that regularly visit the garden; his back towards me and his head turned to look up at me. Then, as the bird's head moved again, as if sizing me up and deciding what to do, I noticed a bright yellow eye, not normally associated with a Dove, staring right into mine.

Suddenly the bird launched itself toward the bottom of the garden and I caught a brief glimpse of orange under-parts and noticed broad grey wings. As I watched it fly swiftly over the shrubs, I saw what looked like a small bundle of feathers hanging beneath the bird.

A few minutes later I went out into the garden and stood where the Hawk had been. The area was covered in small grey feathers; those of a House Sparrow I'm sure.

I have fed the birds in my garden for many years, and since starting to photograph birds a few years ago, I frequently set up my camera at a window overlooking the feeders. The most common visitor among many is the House Sparrow, and no doubt this is what attracts the Sparrowhawk.

The second time I saw the Hawk I was sat behind my camera at the window. There were many birds – sparrows, tits, finches – on the feeders, or perched on nearby shrubs waiting their turn.

Suddenly, the small birds scattered in all directions, screeching loudly as they flapped their little wings vigorously. A large grey-brown bird entered the garden from the left and crashed into one of the shrubs and out of site. I stood to get a better view, but all I could see was the rapid twitching of the shrub's branches.

What I could hear was the frenzied flapping of wings within the shrub, as both attacker and intended prey darted and dodged desperately; the latter in a frantic and instinctive attempt to cling on to life.

When the activity within the shrub ceased, I assumed the worst for the small bird. However, the Hawk alighted on the pergola, empty handed.

Throughout the chase, all the garden birds had been chirping loudly, almost as one, and continued to do so. This surprised me, as I assumed they would want to remain silent and hidden away. The Hawk appeared confused by all the noise – perhaps this was the intention – but occasionally it would fix its stare in a particular direction, bobbing its head from time to time in the way all predatory birds do when sizing up the distance to a target.

The Hawk dropped from the pergola and once again crashed into a shrub before re-alighting in the same spot; this time not empty-handed. The small grey-brown bird with still-yellow gape, gripped fatally in the razor-sharp talons of the Hawk, was a juvenile House Sparrow. The young Sparrow was alive, its beak slowly and repeatedly opening and closing, although it wasn't possible to determine whether any sound escaped.

The Hawk continued to scan the garden, much like the diner who, after choosing his meal, continues to peruse the menu and wonder whether he's made the right choice. He then looked down at his still whimpering prey and lowered his beak towards it. For a dreadful moment I thought I would see the Sparrow devoured before my camera, but the Hawk raised his wings and, with a few powerful beats, was gone. The garden quickly fell silent.

Throughout this drama I had continued to take shots of the Hawk when it was within view. When he had gone, like the garden birds, I too fell silent and thought about what had happened.

I had that same feeling in my stomach that I would get if I witnessed a car accident or a violent act on the evening news. There was something mildly shocking about it; a feeling that what I had witnessed shouldn't really happen. I also briefly considered whether I should be providing food for birds if, in turn, this provided easy prey for the Hawk.

Thinking about it more, I realised that this is the everyday life of a Sparrowhawk and other predators. They must re-enact this violent drama several time a day in order to avoid starvation. Although I might find the act distasteful, I understand the necessity and marvel at the stealth and aerial proficiency.

Since this first encounter, I have seen the Sparrowhawk on many occasions. When the days are longer and the mornings light, the first thing I do after opening the curtains is scan the garden and houses opposite for the Hawk.

On several occasions, when my waking has coincided with dawn, I have seen the bird roosting on the pergola, perhaps (I like to think) after spending the night there. On other occasions I've seen the bird settled on the eaves of a house opposite and also on the neighbour's garden shed.

At times when in the kitchen I catch a glimpse of an unidentifiable large grey-brown bird as it flashes past the window at incredible speed, heading alongside the house and for the back garden. I rush to the back room as quickly as I can and scan the garden.

Sometimes the Hawk is nowhere to be seen and I have to use my imagination. Has he already left the garden with his unfortunate victim, or is he lurking in the shrubs somewhere?

Sometimes he is sitting on the pergola, empty handed, listening to the cacophony of bird calls, just as he was when I first saw him, several years ago.

Use the Histogram: Produce More Useable Images of Higher Quality

paul.weston@birdimages.co.uk (Paul Weston) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 11:09:36 GMT

This Post has been created to provide a means of discussing the use of histograms, as described in the Free 'Using the Histogram' download.

Topics covered in the PDF document:

What is a Histogram?
Analysing the Histogram
How Exposure Settings Influence the Histogram
Using Histograms in the Field
Histogram Examples

If you would like a copy of the document, please visit the link above.

Discussion Points

Do you use the histogram?
If so, do you think it has improved your photography?
If not, why not – what is its weakness?
Perhaps you use the histogram in certain types of photography and not others?

Feel free to leave your comments below.