Sticky post
Saturday, January 22, 2011 1:29:41 AM
This is a photographic diary of my endeavours at wildlife photography which I started four years ago. I have always been interested in wildlife, birdwatching, the environment and the weather. I hope to combine all of these with my other longstanding hobby of photography.
I am not an avid twitcher so most of the images will be from around my home "patch" in South Essex although there will be some from holidays and other trips. I may also be inclined to travel to see a bird that particularly appeals to me in some way.
At this stage the camera and lenses I am using are at the budget end of the scale. My camera is the excellent value Pentax K-r and from December 2012 the K-30 and I most often shoot these days with a Pentax 300mm DA* or with a Sigma 150-500mm.
The galleries contain a variety of wildlife images shot over the last three years or so.
Dave
Addendum - I'm struggling to keep the gallery on here up to date but you can follow these images below in the blog and if you click on one it takes you to my Flickr photostream.
Continue to scroll down for images in chronological order.
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Thursday, May 2, 2013 8:51:42 PM
I have at last found time to catch up with my blog. So back to our trip to Iceland at the end of March to see the Northern Lights ... and we did!
SOmething I've always wanted to witness so a great moment for me.
Of course there were the other daytime sights to see as part of the "Golden Circle"
Thingvellir National Park where the Eurasian and North American Tectonic Plates collide.
Reykjavic Evening Sun
Gullfoss Falls
Distant Glacier
Sunday, February 24, 2013 7:47:06 PM
Like the Waxwings this has been quite a good winter again for Short Eared Owls around here. Being the only owl that regularly hunts in the day time there is more chance of getting a shot. This was taken on a misty morning but I think it adds a certain eerieness.
Short Eared Owl
Monday, February 11, 2013 12:58:30 AM
We have had several hours of snow this evening. It wasn't that cold and didn't really amount to much. Not like the old days!
1987
Monday, January 28, 2013 11:04:50 PM
Well after the fox I wasn't expecting two days later for c40 Waxwings to turn up for the first time ever!
This really did surprise me. First of all my garden is not massive, about 250 square feet. It is in the middle of a housing estate in Laindon, Essex, UK. I suppose with neighbouring gardens there is a mature green space of about 200 metres by 60 metres. I've lived here for 37 years but lately so many new birds have appeared or at least I've noticed them!
This morning approximately 40 Waxwings flew into the Silver Birch Tree. They then raided the red berries on the Viburnum bush just 10 feet outside my patio! A lot of excitement and panic ensued due to not being able to locate one of many SD cards but eventually I got some pics. Unfortunately it was quite rushed in the 5 -10 minutes they were there and I only had time to use my 300mm lens so missed the opportunity to get a record of the whole flock. After 10 minutes they departed leaving the bush virtually stripped of its berries. A fantastic experience with at one point birds almost at my feet picking up berries off the ground.
Sunday, January 27, 2013 11:04:26 PM
I seem to have been a bit lazy recently in updating my blog. After a fairly mild winter a cold spell duly arrived around January 12th. Nothing extreme but one significant snowfall of about 8cm which has only just thawed. Some more Northern parts of the County and other parts of the UK have had some heavier snow falls. This has, as is normal, encouraged some birds into the garden most notably a flock of Fieldfares. Waxwings are still around in several flocks and make sporadic appearance around the locality. The snow has also boosted the light levels so photography was easier.
A fox also came into the garden during daylight hours affording a chance to capture it at close quarters in good light.
Fieldfare
Starling looking thoroughly fed up!
Fieldfare again
Blackbird in the snow
Redwing
Waxwing
A smallish duck called a Smew. Not that common and this female is known as a "redhead" for obvious reasons.
Friday, December 21, 2012 12:40:29 AM
It has been another influx year for Waxwings like winter 2010-2011. A flock has appeared as usual in the nearby Supermarket car park making it fairly easy to get photos.
Waxwings
Friday, December 7, 2012 12:29:52 AM
I have a new camera, a Pentax K-30 which is a relatively cheap upgrade to my previous camera. It has a useful feature in that it is weather sealed so can be used in the rain, which may prove useful. Anyway, there has been a bit of winter sun (and our first light snowfall) so I have been trying it out.
Meadow Pipit
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Cormorant
Kestrel
Jay
My Opera