It Looks A Good Day

Elton Reservoir, Bury - 27.11.20

With light cloud and little or no wind I decided it might be worth spending a couple of hour at Elton Res this morning especially now that the Scaup has relocated to area called the "Creek"...why ? well you can get your nose down at water level, not that you'd want to with all the green algae on the waters surface.

It's a short walk past the resident campers on the mound which can't be pleasant at this time of year down to the creek, straight away I pick up the Scaup diving in the entrance to the creek with some Tufted Duck, but the light is wrong on his side so I need make may way across what is now become one of the best swamps in Bury.

On the opposite bank I'm sitting and waiting for the Scaup to move a little closer before I set the gear, first the Tufted Ducks return then the Scaup follows, time to get cracking. Laying on the ground sheet the ground's cold and to make matters worse it's leaking water and my trouser are completely saturated, but I'm happy as the shots look ok, as you can see below.

Greater Scaup

Great Crested Grebe

It's Elton Again

Elton Reservoir, Bury - 4.11.20

I've seen a few Greater Scaup or just Scaup at Elton Reservoir over the years, a sea duck that breeds in Iceland/Northern Scandinavia and wintering around the coasts of the UK regularly turning up on inland waters, whats unusual about this individual is that it set up residence on part of the reservoir diving and feeding as close as six to ten meters from the surrounding service track, an opportunity not to miss then !

I know exactly where to heading, a bit of a slog from where I park the car through what only can be described as some of the best mud in Bury ! and if not careful can find yourself well and truly on your backside. As I arrive at the location which funny enough is opposite the filed where the Bar-tailed Godwit which is also in residence I see the Scaup diving close by the track i'm looking forward to getting some close images.

Now being sat on the track photographing something to an onlooker has it's downside from the many questions...another cracking pose missed, also walkers with the occasional dog sniffing around your legs, but I suppose thats part and parcel of what we do.

The images below included those taken over several visits the differing light giving the image a slightly different look, some I like better than others, what do you think ?

Greater Scaup 

I've noted the Scaup has a tendency when not sleeping to dive in the same location at one end of the reservoir the only issue is when the sun is behind the cloud the water reflects the white sky, not really the image I was after, on the for side is a tree resplendent in all its autumn glory but it need the sun to make an appearance in oder to reflect the golden yellow colour into the water, its all about waiting !

The next few images were taken a day earlier in quite differing light changing the overall look of the images, I've also used auto white balance which given the images a slightly colder blue look. 

As you will imagine from the many images I have taken quite a lot are repeats of the same pose, I will add or possibly change a few as I review the remainder of the images.

February Picture Of The Month

Marine Lake, West Kirby

My usual monthly featured image not to be confused with recent competition posts. This image was taken quite recently back in the spring of last year on the Marine Lake at West Kirby, Wirral on a fantastic sunny day. In fact it was one of the only few sunny days in an otherwise very grey couple of weeks.

The marine lake located where the river Dee enters the sea overlooking Hilbre Island at the right time of the year can sometimes give really close views of sea birds such as sea ducks and divers that normally would be difficult if on the open sea. This visit was to try and get some images of up to seven male and female Greater Scaup that had turned up feeding the marine lake's plentiful supply of crabs.

Parking in the carpark near the yacht club its a long walk along the outer sea wall path to the south side of the lake, the light is superb and with a light breeze creating small waves not so big as to make it difficult picking out the ducks but adding some interest to the image. The Scaup are surprisingly close to the path not at all phased by walkers enjoying the sun giving a rare photo opportunity.

Over next couple of hours in some great great light I manage hundreds of images with this particular image of a resting drake Scaup being one of the stand out images. Notice the duck has an eye open for any potential threat.

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Greater Scaup

West Kirby Twenty Years On

It’s well over twenty years since I was last at West Kirby Marine Lake in fact it was a day trip over to Hilbre Island for a high tide sea watch. Today I’m back at the marine lake to photograph Greater Scaup sea ducks which have been in residence for the last week.

The weather has been pretty dire over the last couple of days so I’ve targeted today as the weather forecast is…sun ! The sat nav dose it again and I arrive in the carpark next to the boating centre, a quick scan of the lake to get an idea of a plan, light angle etc and I’m off.

The marine lake being close to the Dee estuary attracts it’s fair share of sea birds none more so than nine Brent Geese which have turned up and are quite close, I get some images but I'm keen to press on looking for the Scaup. 

With the light angle being from the welsh side of the river Dee the plan is to head south along the sea wall path and try and get the sun behind me, walking directly into the sun is never good for trying to locate birds never the less I eventually I pick up two female Scaup a little far out but still within range of the "big white" for some images.

I’m now at the causeway end of the lake and there are three males and two females quite close to the path giving some really close photo opportunities, as a bonus the sun is now right behind me enhancing the colours and highlighting the iridescent green of the drakes head.

On days when the sun shines you will always have walkers and dogs, and on occasions dogs always seem to want to jump in the water, this is exactly what happened on this occasion resulting in the Scaup moving off in to the centre of the lake. 

With well over a nine hundred recorded images I decide to call time and walk back to the boat club to finish with some more images of the Brent Gees, unfortunately on arrival they had departed probably back out onto the Dee estuary.

A grand day out. 

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Quick Trip to Elton

Quick trip out to Elton, Bury this afternoon, caught up with the Greater Scaup again which is still knocking around with the Tufted Ducks after four or five weeks. 

Always wary not letting you get too close, some images which was the best I could manage on the day in difficult light with the sun always in the wrong direction

Greater Scaup

At one point a Little Grebe swam into open water which the Scaup then latched on too, a little to distant to get decent quality images.

At last some sun light in the next two images but still a little distant, at this point I'd had given up getting closer and decided to called it a day.

Greater Manchester Scaup

Elton Reservoir being slap bang in the middle of Bury is not the most pictures of places and as you would expect gets more than its fair share of dog walkers and occasional vandalism, nevertheless and surprisingly it continues to turn up some unusual interesting sightings none more so than the still present Mealy Redpoll.

Over the last couple of weeks the rain has been relentless but with a forecast of some better light I thought I’d try for some images of the Greater Scaup which had turned up a couple of days earlier. Trundling down the pot holed track to the carpark it’s still cloudy but at least it’s not raining, to make matters worse I’ve gone and left my bins back at the house..hey ho !

I pick up the Scaup at the entrance at what’s referred locally as the “creek” with the long lens, it see’s me and moves out into more open water not nearly close enough for an image so planned ‘B’ sit down under a bank and wait to see if the duck moves back into the creek. Slowly the Scaup moves a little closer and for a brief couple of minuets to sun shows itself, I grab what I think is an acceptable image but soon the light has gone and I call it a day.

It’s now the following day and I’m finishing off a couple DIY jobs around the house, looking out the window and it’s turning into a sunny day, tools down and I’m soon off to Elton to try for better images of the Scaup. Bins in hand this time I pick up the duck now with some Tufted Duck, so I positioned myself at the same location at entrance to the creek decked in camo / scrim and wait. 

It's a waiting game as dog walkers cause the ducks to move from the creek to open water and when it’s safe move back to the creek. Over the next ninety minuets I get some decent images of both the Scaup and Tufted Ducks in some decent light, well worth the return visit. 

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Scaup - taken on the first day

These scaup images were taken on the second day