Back 0n'th Moor's

Ashworth Moor - 21.8.10

It's only a short drive from the village up on the moors around Ashworth Reservoir and again I'm out early hopefully improving on previous images of the pipits and wagtails that are often on passage through the area at this time of year.

I'm on the look out this morning for Meadow Pipits that sometimes can be found associating with groups of Piped wagtails constantly moving around between the reservoirs waters edge and adjacent fields, with luck get some images when they momentarily land on the surrounding stone walls.

What I like about photographing at this location is the moorland in the distance gives the image an uncluttered dark background, and if the weather is cloudy with some rain all the better as it can give a dramatic dark looking image

Work in progress

Meadow Pipit

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.

The Garden Project

I often sit in the dinning room with the patio door open and as long as you keep the bird feeders top up the avian entertainment is none stop. I'm on the laptop doing a little browsing while I'm waiting for the sun to disappear, a male Bullfinch drops in and lands in the tree next to the feeders only to disappear further along the hedge missing the shot, then a Sparrowhawk glides no more than twenty meters overhead above the garden scattering everything to all parts and it's all gone quite....a good time for another coffee.

Like a bunch of noisy hooligans the Starlings squabble amongst themselves for the best feeding positions pushing the other birds out, at least they provide different photo opportunities in the changing light, here's a couple of images...

Starling - adult