Breaking your Duck.

Daddy comes to call

A brief break from my jollies session, as photography has to continue also.
Over the last few weeks I have been trying to photograph a fox that's been visiting my garden. Last week after notching up over twelve hours in my portable hide I managed a crappy shot at some distance and in the gloom.
But at least I managed a shot of sorts and that's the point, once a shot is obtained you become more relaxed, you've "broken your duck", you've seen and photographed the fox.....it's not me who's putting it off and you just know from now on your gonna get better shots.
So the food went out earlier and earlier and the fox came earlier and in good light, too good at times as it was a little harsh (I wouldn't be a photographer if I didn't complain about something).
On Friday I managed a couple of shot of a beautiful cub although growing up fast, I've named her Daisy and on Saturday her dad paid a call, hes not so handsome as his daughter, but still lovely see.
The lovely Daisy

Fortitude

Jollies Sunday

After a drive into "civilisation" to collect the Sunday papers, I settled down for breakfast keeping a close eye on the wall as I did so. I had heard that a pair of woodpeckers had been visiting the feeders and was keen to snap them, in the event they didn't turn up, but a yellowhammer did, so that was number one priority.


After that I was keen to get up onto the hills half a mile from the cottage to look for one of my favorite birds the whinchat. The habitat is perfect with ferns decorating the hillside and as I approached I could hear them calling. I walked up the bridle path and looked out over the ferns and sure enough the winchat were calling from the fronds. I settled down close to foxglove in the hope they would land on one.

A couple eventually did land and that despite two Apache helicopters constantly flying overhead firing off salvo after salvo. Although not the best of light and the flowers not fully opened I was quite happy with my days work

Fortitude

Jollies Saturday

It was a damp rain sodden chilly SUMMERS evening when I arrived at the cottage. Before dinner (tea) I settled down with a malt whisky looking out into the gloom beyond, the hill being obscured by mist and rain I turned my attention to the birds around the feeders, chaffinch, greenfinch and siskin were jockeying for position. The whisky was making a warm glow inside my tummy when an luminous yellow blob appeared on the wall, striking it was against the dower backdrop, it was a dazzling yellowhammer, my god it was bright.
With camera gear to hand as it always is, I put the whisky down opened the patio door and set to work. A red-legged partridge got in on the act.
Not a bad start....and two weeks to go....not a bad at all I thought to myself.


Yellowhammer so vibrant in the gloom


A pair of red legs appeared daily early morning and late evening.



Fortitude.

A Hard Day's Night

A 5.30 am start to be at Leighton Moss for the early morning light, as predicted by the Beebe turned out to be a false hope. It was grey and quite cold as I arrived at the EM hide, I had expected calm waters, I got that, I had expected lots of waders, that, I didn't get!
So move on to the Public Hide, where only 24 hours earlier an Osprey put in an appearance, as it turned out I was 24 hours too late.
Cafe for breakfast.
The day was hot and humid by this time, so an obvious time to trek through the reserve to check and recheck all the hides, an exhausting 4 hours later and a not too bad a shot of a red deer, not too good either.
Back to the cafe for a cuppa. As you might gather the day isn't going to plan.
Decide to go back to the Public Hide for one more look.....nothing of course, then back to where I started The EM hide......mm mm the water was flat and milky with diffused lighting on the birds, yes birds, remember, that's what I went for.... a few redshank a heron or two, and wait is that an egret coming in, no there's two, three, half a dozen....that's more like it.
It's 8.30 pm I must go home
Little Egret hunting

Tranquil waters with a mixed bag of waders

Fortitude

Pied Flycatcher

Definitely my last image, and probably my favorite

Female on perch waiting for the male to leave the nest, a rare occurrence as she fed at four times the rate of the male, normally she was straight into the nest.

And another from t'other day

Fortitude

Flycatchers have the Day

Pied Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

Rushed these out from a great day out, Spotted and Pied Flycatcher within half a mile of each other, and only five miles from home, been searching for weeks, so thrilled to get them both at last..
Always under the tree canopy so difficult lighting.
Lots to get through but going away soon, so they may have to wait till I get back
Fortitude

High Pressure Low Fliers

The Exocet

I made my second visit to Bempton Cliffs RSPB on Friday, a very late and last minute decision as I had other business that morning. The objective was of course one of my favorite birds, the gannet.
The photographer needs two elements for successful shots at Bempton, firstly a cloudless day with wall to wall blue sky and secondly a brisk wind. Well I had the first, but as for the latter the wind or should I say the lack of it wouldn't have moved a balloon.
Gannets with their six foot wing span, tend to rise and hang on a breeze and will float up to our eye level, at Bempton Cliffs that is around three hundred feet above sea level and as the wind will lift them effortless the males will also tend to forage for nesting material on the top of the cliffs, females don't indulge in this activity.
Without the wind, onlookers are reduced to leaning onto the rails at various viewing platforms and looking down into the abyss bellow, if you suffer from vertigo, walk away now.
Every now and then a gannet or two would appear out of the blue and scream past at the speed of an Exocet, getting "the shot" requires a steady hand and quick reflexes, not easy and not always successful, but what tremendous sport. If you come home with half a dozen keepers, then it's been a good day.

A rare occurrence as a gannet bids me good-day



Fortitude