Everyone Needs A Hobby

20th May - Cheshire Moss 

Today I'm attempting to photograph the scarce summer migrant the Hobby, a falcon that reminds me a little of a big Swift which appears to have taken up residence on a local moss (peat bog) in Cheshire, and being close is a big bonus. The last time I'd seen a Hobby was on a twitch for a Great Reed Warbler in the Cambridgeshire fens many years ago in the interviening years my Scuba diving career limited more sightings.

It's a warm sunny day and the early morning light is directly facing the view point I'm stood on, to add to my wows there is a heat haze affecting visibility so the signs of getting some good images are not looking that great.

At some distance I can see two maybe three Hobby's hawking Dragonfly's but they never come close for any decent images, occasionally they rise high in the sky drifting across the moss disappearing out of sight over the tree tops.

It's a waiting game, to pass the time I identify the characteristic tell tail sounds of different bird species, in the wood a Wood Pecker is drumming like a hammer drill, to my right a Whitethroat is flitting about the low scrub all the time singing it's scratchy song, but you have to be vigilant as I just missed a Hobby that appeared from behind missing the shot.

I've now been on site for about four hours and all I have to show for my endeavours is one pass of a Hobby hawking, catching and eating Dragonfly's on the wing, the shots are all taken at some distance as a result are cropped, and along with the heat haze the quality isn't that good, but at least it's a record of the encounter on a fantastic sunny day.

Hobby

A Secret Place

18th May - Greater Manchester

Today I'm at a location I rarely visit and very lucky to be shown the breeding site of a Willow Tit, located next to a public area I'm surprised by it's site selection and possible public disturbance.

Being a sunny day wasn't the best conditions for photography with the harsh light and with the tit being lighting fast entering it's hole I had to improvise to get a shot. Every time I tried to focus on the tit the lens would grab the background by which time the tit had gone !!....time for plan "B"

Pre-focusing on the hole with a small enough f stop for greater depth of filed I lock off the gimbal and wait. The tit to arrives I estimate I have about 1-2 seconds for a shot, not looking through the camera the tit arrives and I blast off about twenty images hoping the birds in focus, the tit leaving the hole is even quicker, time will tell when I review the images on the computer

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Willow Tit

Brookdale Park Revisited

10th May - Brookdale Park, Newton Heath

I couldn't resist another visit to Brookdale Park to see if I could improve on the images of the now scares Wood Warbler taken on Tuesday, a very unusual and local opportunity that's not likely to occur again any time soon.

I'm again at the same location as on Tuesday and the warbler hasn't move from the small area of territory it's decided it's wants to breed, unfortunately there dosen't appear to be a female for this unrelentling singing male to pair with and I'm sure it's only a matter of a short period of time before the warbler moves on.

Unlike Tuesday there are a few more birders about some energetically jumping around trying to get a clearer view, with all the commotion the warbler has moved further away to the lower part of the wood giving few opportunities of any decent images, it's a case of wait and see.

Occasionally the warbler returns to a favourite sampling which I have targeted from the elevated banking allowing a eye level shot and always better than shooting upwards in to the trees, on a couple of occasions I managed a series of shots, but it's lean picking today.

I've now been on site three hours and reviewing the back of camera images, one or two look pretty good and I'm keen to review on the computer, so with the warbler now spending more time lower in the wood I call time for today, maybe it will stick around for another visit early next....you never know !

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Wood Warbler

Manchester Wood Warbler

8th May - Brookdale Park, Newton Heath

I've been back in the Forest of Dean over the weekend spending most of Saturday at Nagshead area of the forest attempting to get images of Redstart, Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler. In previous years it's been relatively easy to locate the "big three" but not any longer as there appears to be a big drop in summer migrant numbers visiting the forest, so on Sunday it's plan "B" and do a bit of Adder watching which I will post at a later date.

With the disappointment of the weekend and at the same time a Wood Warbler over the last few days taking up residence in a Greater Manchester park wood I though I'd try for this bird instead. Wanting to arrive as early as possible means doing battle with the commuter traffic something I'm not used to latterly but the stat nav dose it's job again, a marvel of modern technology getting me exactly where I need be.

As I'm setting up I can hear the warbler with it's distinctive trill-tuh-tuh song in the nearby wood so it's all positive for a encounter. As I make my way along the path I meet a birding and he shows me the general location where the warbler has claimed it's small territory in a very green area of the wood, occasionally the warbler chases off an unwelcome Chiffchaff that's strayed into it's territory at a speed you wouldn't believe for a small bird.

Starting with the 100-400 but it's quickly evident this lens is going to be way to short for any decent images so I change to the "big white" complete with 1.4 extender giving 1,120mm focal length, the down side being is it can be a little slower getting the bird in the viewer.

Work in progress

click image to view

Wood Warbler

Spring Flycatchers

1st May - Strid Wood, Yorkshire Dales

I'm off up the Yorkshire Dales today to one of our favourite locations, Bolton Abbey. The last time I was here was about six weeks ago then it was very busy, cold, but a bright sunny day. Walking the entire circuit from the old abbey to the Strid bridge and back ticking off... Kingfisher, Dipper, Mandarin Duck and Goosander to name just a few but summer migrants had yet to return preferring to remain in their warmer winter residence.

It's now May and while it's still a bit on the cold side some summer migrants have started to return particularly Pied Flycatchers, so after a recent disapointing visit to Nagshead in the FOD failing to see any flycatchers I'm looking forwards to meeting up again with these very photogenic birds.

As I’m walking around the wood I can hear a male Pied Flycatcher singing on territory, as I watch the flycatcher moves around the tree canopy all the while trying to attract a mate or possibly informing other males “this is may patch keep” occasional a tit ventures in to its territory which quickly gets sent packing.

Sitting up against a tree I’m ideally placed to get some close images but under the tree canopy the light conditions are always variable, nevertheless I think I get some ok images. It’s now some two hours watching and photographing the Pied Flycatcher thinking I have all the shots I need from the session I decide to move on and try for some images of Dipper along the river.

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Pied Flycatcher - Male

As I'm walking along the river path a Redstart appears from the river bank, bullet like disappears up into the tree canopy never giving me an opportunity for any images, I continue with my search for Dipper.

Sat on a rock I locate two Dippers, an adult and a fledgling, the fledgling bobbing is constantly encouraging the adult to provide food, as I watch the birds I try and figure where I can position may self as close water as possible to get that preferred low angle shot.

Now in position and as predicted the adult Dipper lands on a rock just to my right, it stays only a few seconds before moving to another rock even closer enabling some close images, then it’s gone further up the river…..job done !

Dipper

Now mid afternoon it's been a successful encounter in good weather and I’ve managed to see and photograph my two target birds, it’s good when a plan comes together.