Finally I Couldn't Resist

Crowden, Darbyshire - 27.8.20

Well it seems quite a lot of people in the North of England have seen this long staying first year vulture that's turned up in the Peak District normally restricted to the high peaks of the central Europe Pyrenees, why this bird has made it's way to the UK via Netherlands and Belgium and taken up residence on the crags above Crowden Moor we will never know. 

You can read more information about this vulture and it's travels on the link below.

https://www.4vultures.org/second-record-of-bearded-vulture-in-the-uk/

I've been a bit reluctant to "twitch" this bird mainly due to it's wide ranging area often only giving views way off in the distance, there again a few lucky people have posted some cracking images on the inter web far better than I'm likely to get, so after much deliberation I've finally decided to give it a go.

I've mention the vulture is wide ranging so this morning I've decided the best chance of getting some images is to locate the vulture at it's night time roost, get some shots before it departs for the day.

Checking the pervious evenings news it's confirmed the vulture is at the usual location on crags above Crowden, so the plan you have to have a plan, arrive at 6.0am make my way up to the crags and locate the bird before it departs usually for the remainder of the day, well that's the plan and of course fingers crossed !

Now below the crags I'm sweating buckets with the effort lugging the the heavy gear so much so that my bins are fogging up trying to locate the bird, time to cool down. Normally when there's a "mega" there are usually several birders about which helps locate the bird but not today it's only me. I've been scanning now for 30 minuets and there's no sign of the vulture so I take a break carrying the heavy bag and sit on a rock, my now fog free my bins come up trumps, way up high up on the crag almost at the grass line I can see the vulture sleeping with its head under its wing, time to set the gear up.

It's now around 7.45am slowly the vulture shows some activity, some preening, picking up various objects, I get some shots the best that's on offer on the day and at the distance, to get some extra reach I put on the 2x extender on both the crop sensor and full frame camera, I should have known better the image quality is poor, I revert back the 1.4x, anyone want to buy a Canon 2x extender ! 

There's now 4 birders and me on site getting some excellent views albeit distant, then at 8.40am the vulture takes to the air, a couple of flaps and it floats across the valley only to land on a rock still viewable but way to far to get any images.

So that's it for me session over glad I made the effort on two counts, personally locating and seeing the bird, and happy to get off the hillside and rid myself of a halo of midges.

Until the next time, happy snapping

Bearded Vulture / Lammergeier

After some searching not knowing the location I eventually find the vulture at it's roost site just showing signs of activity, looking at other posted images the roost site is very recognisable.

The vulture takes to the air leaving the roost site, once it leaves views are generally distant 

Day Out at The Zoo

Worth it !

It's a number of years since I last visited Chester Zoo, from memory the last time when I last took my son aged eight, a very long time ago. So now that the zoo has reopened with restricted visitor numbers in place there's no better time to visit.

Chester Zoo being located close to several big cities can attract large numbers of visitors which makes getting a good views of popular locations like the Jaguar house a little difficult, so with social distancing in place and restricted numbers I'm hoping for good views, well that was the plan, today there's a queue a very long queue ! 

After about twenty minuets we're in, now the last time I was here the Jaguar kept it's distance circulating the enclosure at the back, not today it's sat on a rock bang in front of the window, even better due to social distancing there are just me and may be four others viewing this magnificent in the wild elusive cat.

I've brought along the Canon 5D4 with the new 70-200 f2.8 MkIII shooting wide open which in the low light is ideal with the cat so close, conscious of the big queue outside I spend as long as I can without being told off by one of the zoo staff to move along taking around three hundred shots, well you have to when there's an opportunity like this. 

I could have easily spent a couple of hours photographing this Jaguar but I must move on, see you next time.

Jaguar - male