Canon R5 - First Time Out !

Elton Reservoir - 12.1.21

Over the last few days I've been setting up the new acquisition to the camera bag, the Canon R5 mirrorless camera, too so say it's a little complicated is a bit of an understatement but at least there's continuity with some of the familiar Canon menus but still loads of new features. Anyway with a forecast of some sun this morning I'm going to give the R5 with it's full frame and 1.6 crop sensor modes a bit of a run out, but not too many images thou as I'm still awaiting delivery of the not so available mega expensive 128GB CFExpress cards.

It's a great morning and probably the best light I've had in a long while, a quick scan I see the Scaup is still present sat amongst the Tufties but a little way out in the reservoir along with all the other suspects, hopefully I can get some images whilst it's still relatively quite.

I've provisionally setup the camera with settings I've previously used on the 5D4 and before that the 7D2 but there's still a load more I'm not used to so it's going to be a bit of a learning  curve. The first setting I'm unhappy with is the histogram in the view finder, although it's translucent I find it quite distracting during composure and I can't find the setting to turn it off ! 

The AF eye-detection is incredible quick locking on to the eye and not letting go, a massive improvement over the 5D and 7D AF systems, another feature I quite like is the MF button enabling me to change to custom settings for BIF at a single press, previously you had to press and turn a top knob which was way too slow. Lastly the ability to shoot at 12fps and above for action shots is a big bonus and lacking on the 5D. 

In conclusion, this isn't intended to be a camera review which there are plenty already on the likes of YouTube by users far more experience than me, more a record of my encounters and experiences. Anyway below are some images from the morning of the long staying Scaup and a Little Grebe that was active mainly showing me its backside until it eventually poping up struggling with a small Perch.

Until the next time, stay safe

Scaup

Little Grebe

Tufted Duck - male

Tufted Duck - female

Coot

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

A Forest Morning

Cannop, Forest of Dean - 21.4.19

This week bird migration seems to have finally be getting up to speed unfortunately I've been travelling back and forth to the Forest of Dean missing out on a lot of the action and to add I've only managed to get out in the forest for a few hours on each occasion today being no exception.

It's 5.30am, as my mother has the temperature like a hot house where you could grow bananas I tend to sleep with the window open, the "dawn chorus" has just started and to kick it all off is a solo by a Mistle Thrush...just magical, the Blackbirds join and its all over in maybe thirty minuets. Now wide awake can't go back to sleep, time to get up and get out.

I'm in the Cannop valley mainly due too it's easy photography which is a benefit to this mornings limited time. The sun's just poking over the tree tops the low light creating a richness in colour that will soon disappears later in the day so I hopeful for some nice images of the resident Mandarin Ducks.

Sat on one of the fishing platforms it's a case of waiting for the right photo opportunity rather than casing birds which never seem to work, in any case I have a great angle for the sun which is sure to be a little harsh later on in a cloudless blue sky.

The lowish sun angle is creating some nice colour with yellow and green of the surroundings reflected in the water but change your angle slightly and it all disappears to grey-white. Now 10.0 am I've exhausted the photo ops on offer so one last try for the Grey Wagtails and I call time and head for home.

Mandarin Duck - male

Mandarin Duck - female

Little Grebe

There's always several Little Grebe's on the top pond constantly chattering with that high pitch shrill occasional after a dive surfacing where you least expect right in front of you, this chap surfaced tussling with what appears to be a Roach far bigger than I would normally expect, a case of bigger the better I suppose.

Gadwall - male

Cruising around was a paired up male and female Gadwall, the grey and black bottom male looking a little scruffy in its mottled plumage.

Gawall - male & female

Mallard - male

Not so often I get to photograph these pretty common ducks but in some great light why not !

Birtle Morning

Birtle Lodge, Rochdale  - 2.11.18

The sun's out this morning so I've decided not to waste the opportunity to spend to spend a couple of hours around the lodge up at Birtle, the last time there was a small group of Wigeon were present giving some good photo op's and theres always a change that Goosander will drop in.

As I only have a couple of hours free I have a quick scan to see what's about before I go to the trouble of unpacking all the gear, the Wigeon are still present dabbling on the surface weed amongst a group of Canada Geese so it's back a short distance to the car to collect the gear.

It's windless and the surface water flat calm, the light is reflecting some nice autumn colours in the water so all looks good for some decent images. The Wigeon arm't for are coming close but a pair of Little Grebe happily cruise close by occasionally diving and popping up only meters away when you least expect it.

The quiet of this small Birtle lake is a contradiction to all the hustle and bustle of a large metropolitan borough, the piece only occasionally broken by the squabbling Coots or the Black Headed Gulls looking to dive bomb and rob the grebes of there catch, some times it's all you need to do on days like this is to sit quite and watch.

Click image and view in full

Little Grebe

Lagunas de lo Monte - Day 2

I can't believe this reserve is so close to the accommodation and haven't visited previously, this is my second visit and I'm looking forward to hopeful getting some shots of the Squacco Herons seen on my last visit. Starting at the fist hide I note a approximately twenty waders on the lake pontoon, they are jostling each other constantly flying around periodically visiting the mud area in front of the hide,  it takes some time to id the waders as Wood Sandpipers, with patience I get the shots, but by heck they are wary.

Swallows, Swifts, Sand Martins and House Martins are abundant overhead feeding on the insects around the lake, then two Swallows land in the adjacent reed bed providing me with some good photo ops. 

Crash..bang !...a Little Grebe has caught what appears to be a Darter, I can't imaging how that occurred given the speed Darters travel, the grebe struggles to devourer the insect, at one point stopping photographing to watch the spectacle.

Onwards to the top lake, previously where I have seen various herons....nothing. The only photo opportunities being Cormorant and ducks, Gadwall, Mallard and Pochard giving the only photo opportunities, still better luck next time

Click image for clarity