Up On'th Moors

Ashworth Moor - 20.8.19

With Autumn migration underway the local moorland reservoir often attracts groups of passage migrants through the area mostly of the common variety but occasional something more unusual, but I'm more interested in photography rather than birding so this morning I'm trying for images of the Pied Wagtails that can be found along the reservoir boundary road walls.

I've had varied success getting close to birds at this location...portable hide...they never seem to come near....stealth mode.....no chance....so its usually plan "A"...stay in the car and wait. How plan "A" works....park up and scan the road wall where the wagtails flit between the wall turrets, slowly moving the car forward and with luck getting within range before the birds get fed up with my antics and disappear back over the wall...but you've got to be quick !

It's an early grey morning up on the moors a bit challenging for the f11 on 700mm I like to use to ensure the depth of field gets all in focus, a mixed group of adults and juveniles Pied Wagtails are flitting along the path and boundary wall feasting on insects...its going to be a waiting game, when the birds do come near a passing farm vehicle scatters the birds back onto the fields....doh !

After some three hours it's all gone a little quite but happy I've managed to get some usable images already on the card, the only problem being I can't review the images as Apple has sent my computer to the repair centre in Czechoslovakia for repair....didn't I mention that, well that's another story.

Happy birding......

Pied Wagtail

Something different.......a black & white close up image of a Pied wagtail 

Meadow Pipit

Occasionally a few Meadow Pipits follow the wagtails around but are even more skittish trying to get any images.

Rainy Morning on Ashworth Moor

Ashworth Moor/Road - 3.9.18

Having driven along Ashworth Road recently I was surprised to see thirty or forty Wagtails amongst a lot of other passerines flying about feeding along the road wall, so as I had a morning free and it's only a short drive away I though I'd have a look if they were still there and if any images were on offer.

It's a little damp as I head up passed Nutters Restaurant but at the top of the hill it's low cloud and raining, I'm not too bothered as on occasions I enjoy a walk in the rain, not generally good for birding and certainly no good for getting the camera out, never the less I throw camera pack on my back, and set off.

I start my walk is along the south side of Ashworth Reservoir, the rain and the mist is making it difficult to identify birds at long range but I do tick off a couple of Goosander and five passage Ring Plover and maybe around two hundred or so Swallows. Now at the far end near Ashworth Nursery there's not much else on offer as the birds are doing what I should should be doing, keeping under cover so I decided to head back to the car.

Now back in the car I can see along the road wall loads of Pied Wagtails both adults and this year juveniles feeding on the grass bank and then returning to the road wall, at last a chance of some images. It's still raining and the lights not that great but using a slowish shutter speed it could produce some interesting images.

Photo opportunities are a bit hit and miss as the usually quite road has the local farm tractor trundling up and down bring in the newly cut grass, as soon as the tractor passes the wagtails and pipits all scatter back over the wall into the fields

An hour has passed and it's all gone quite so with some ok images on the card and still wet from my walk, I decide call it a day and head back the sort drive for a warm cupper.

Pied Wagtail

Soggy Pied Wagtail

Pied Wagtail - this years juvenile

Meadow Pipit

"Walking on Water"

"Walking on Water"......Pied Wagtail on ice

It's a brilliantly sunny November morning and I decide to visit Elton Reservoir, it must be well over 15 years since my last visit. The city is humming in the distance, but I'm content not having to cope with the stress and rigours of work any longer

I'm sitting under a grass bank trying to keep inconspicuous, looking, watching, listening identifying the various bird species, the early morning sun's melting the the ice on the frozen edge of the reservoir when, a Pied Wagtail drops in just in front of me, it appears to be walking on water, I fire off a burst of 20 images in 2 seconds, then... 

I just watch and enjoy.