Inland Sub-Mariner

Knotford Nook Gravel Pits - 14.1.22

At this time of year I'm always on the lookout for opportunities to get images of the various divers that visit inland water particularly if the lakes are not to large hopefully to get nearer the bird, and with reports of a juvenile Great Northern Diver on a small lake near Otley I'm off to see what's on offer.

Unfamiliar with the area it's soon evident this is a big fishing area and unfortunately the diver's located on a private fishing lake surrounded by a four meter high fence and a sturdy locked gate. A quick rece I locating a lone fisherman further round the lake and start chatting hopeful I can maybe blag my way in, but there's not chance so not wanting a wasted journey time for a change of plan.

Now I've photographed through fencing before and as long as you get the lens right up against the fence your in with a chance of a reasonable image, so with the sun in the right direction and finding a gap in the trees line that's the plan, its just a case of waiting for the diver will come within range of the camera.

The diver occasionally come within range but but frustratingly the trees are an issue but still I manage a handful of images, then and an angler appears with more gear than you can imagine pulled along on a four wheel trolley enough gear that would fill a transit van, a brief chat he's tells me he here until Sunday nights, three days !....time to call it a day. 

Happy I managed to get some images in the camera and even more happy to get out on what's turned into a cracking day. Stay safe.

Great Northern Diver - juvenile

It Only Lasted an Hour !

Sale Water Park, Manchester - 22.11.20

It's Saturday night and the bird information alert service "pings" stating a Great Northern Diver has been found late afternoon at Sale Water Park in south Manchester, being late afternoon hopefully with no disturbance there's a very good chance it will hang around tomorrow as long as I get there early before all the walkers and joggers start flooding in the park.

Sale Water Park being located right next to the motorway is an easy thirty minuet drive so I've planned to arrive just as the light is good enough for some reasonable camera settings. Sundays mornings traffic free I've arrived on time and the lights is looking good, what not so good is I've just overshot the exit junction...doh !

Parking up there are already a few birders stood on the jetty scanning all in the same direction so I assume all looking at the diver. Having now located the diver I grab the camera gear and head off in the direction of the diver hoping it comes a little closer than the last diver outing at West Kirby Marine lake. After a short walk I needn't have worried as the diver is close in to the bank...panic ! After a few shots the diver moves back in the direction I've just come from. Now back at the jetty and the diver is again close in to the bank, more shots, at times the diver is so close I can't get it all in the frame....close or what !

The diver true to form dives appearing twenty meters always keeping me on the move. Now on the far side of the lake the diver is distant and light direction poor not really giving any further photo opportunities as within ten minuets the diver takes to the air heading off in the direction of Tatton Park to the south.

From my arrival at around 8.10am to when the diver flew off at 9.0am about fifty minuets is a very short session, in fact so short I doubt very few images were taken of the diver. For the few late comers its a missed opportunity seeing a Great Northern Diver rarely see in Manchester at such a close distance and could so easily have been me, so happy I made the effort of an early start.

Great Northern Diver

Pleased that the images below was given a "Notable" images on BirdGuides weekly photo competition, keep em coming. Link......https://www.birdguides.com/articles/photo-of-the-week-18-24-november-2020/

Great Crested Grebe

Little Grebe

Return Of The Diver

Marine Lake, West Kirby - 16.12.18

As a former Scuba Diver you always...PLAN THE DIVE - DIVE THE PLAN, and that's something what I was expecting would happen today, that the Sunday sailing club would occupy the centre of the lake moving the diver closer in and at one end of the lake.

I'm optimistic about getting some better images of the diver, the wind has dropped and the sun's doing its best endeavours to make an appearance. Grabbing the bins a quick scan I can see a group of about ten Brent Geese usually out on the estuary at one end of the lake, just in front of me cruising up and down is a male Red-breasted Merganser with it's punk straggly feathered head diving for fish so close in fact that I decide to grab the camera and get some images before getting down to the serious business.

The light, oh the light is so flat and grey making the water almost mirror like lacking any colour, I shoot a couple of test shots eventually settling for one and a third stops of over exposure, I change the white balance from auto to cloudy and even push my luck in lowering the shutter speed to improve iso-image quality, any other adjustments will have to be down to the magic of Lightroom.

As on my two previous visits the diver keeps to the centre of the lake but that doesn't last long as around 10.0am Sunday sailors start appearing at the south end of the lake, sails are flapping in the wind, shouts of excitement and a RIB charges up and down the lake. An air horn can be heard blasting out the start of a race which untimely is all too much for the diver and it moves off out the way of the circulating flotilla relocating to the Hilbre end. I like it when a plan come together.

Over the next couple of hours its cat and mouse anticipating where the divers is likely to appear eventually deciding the best course of action is just to sit on one of the pontoons and wait for the diver to come to you.

You never know where the diver will appear next, diving in the distance only to appear meters away just out of eye shot, swing the camera round just as the diver disappears again. To add to my woes  the diver appears close by just as I'm changing the media card, then on another occasion when I'm changing the battery...hey ho !

Its been a good morning with some close encounters and images...but oh the light !

As a foot note. It's now the 20.12.18 and the last date the diver was reported was the 16.12.18 so possible its now departed.

Great Northern Diver

Diver Time Again

Marine Lake, West Kirby - 13.12.18

Just a brief post on my continued quest for improved images of the GND. Although these two images were taken at a distance a little nearer than on my previous visit they still lack the detail I am after, so my quest continues.

Being a person of leisure I've always targeted my visits during the week in the hope that there would be less disturbance by walkers along the sea wall path hopefully getting the diver close in, but that scenario never seems to work out as the diver generally remains in the centre of the lake, but I have a cunning plan.

Whilst photographing Waxwings in Chester I had a conversation with another Tog who showed me some mega shots of the diver, he stated the best time to visit is on Sunday when the local sailing club are out as they sail down the middle of the lake....Oh really !! the diver then moves out of the way of the sailors near the side...Oh really !!

Right I'm on my way again Sunday...watch this space

Great Northern Diver

Distant Diver

West Kirby Marine Lake - 4.11.18

Over the last few days I have been keeping a keen interest on a Great Northern Diver that's turned up on the marine lake at West Kirby, the only reason preventing a trip to this small Wirral town overlooking the Dee estuary and Hilbre Island being the poor weather. Reports are the diver is still happily fishing the marine lake and it looks like the sun is going to shine.

I've managed to be on site for around 8.30am after negotiating the Manchester commuter traffic which is no big feat giving me most of the day to try and get some images of this uncommon winter visitor to the UK. With the last of the cloud stubbornly hanging it's still a little dark so I'm taking a time out for some refreshment after my drive in the local Morrisons supermarket.

It's turning out to be a grand day after all the rain over the last few days bringing out many walkers enjoying fine weather with great views over the Dee estuary and Wales beyond. But there always a downside...the diver is keeping to the centre of the marine lake obviously aware of people walking round the lake.

For the entire time of my visit it proves frustratingly impossible to get close enough for any sort of worthwhile shot, and with rain on the way again tomorrow unless the diver stays for another week it looks like I my not get the image I was hopping for. Sometimes that's the way it goes.

Not wanting to post loads of poor images I have included this two images as a record.

Great Northern Diver