Down at Dungeness

A relatively early start on Sunday down at Dungeness produced nothing much the obs, a couple of Ravens, Peregrine, lots of meadow pipits moving through and a few Sparrowhawks trying their luck with them. A Wryneck was seen in the moat an hour earlier, but despite looking I couldn't find it. I walked round the trapping area and around the Long Lakes but couldn't find anything to point the camera at. I stopped in at the RSPB reserve just on the off chance for a quick walk around. Just tout of the visitors areas I came across 30 or so Yellow Wagtails and a slow and low approach and I managed to get close enough for a few shots.

 

This scruffy looking White Wagtail joined in too...

...and a Meadow Pipit, but he didn't come too close

Green Sandpiper

I haven't picked up the camera in just over three months, as I've been making time for the Girlfriend and kids and trying to get a bit fitter. Have refound the pleasure of  cycling which has invariably lead to the purchase of a new toy, but the itch to get out again and shoot has been creeping back. So I decided to have a go at the local (but wildly unpredictable) Barn Owls after work, which would give a an hour and a half of useable light. On my way down to the site I pass a couple of very shallow pools that the local farmer has dug out; a quick scan with the bins and I could see a small bobbing wader in the corner. I slowly hit the deck and started to commando crawl the 50 or so meters through the grass and eventually festering mud to the edge of the pool, pausing occasionally when the sandpiper looked a bit anxious. I'll save the Barn Owls for another day.

Whitethroat

I have been wanting to get down to the grebes over the past few weeks, but weather has always been against me when I have had the chance. It was grey and overcast on Sunday so again I decided not to go for the grebes but instead decided to head to Dungeness with either Sedge Warbler or Whitethroat in mind. After finding a good area and spending some time finding a bird which used some nice perches I set up as close as I could. I have found whitethroats to be quite nervous birds, and this one was no exception. After avoiding the nice perches and using other ones for a while it did eventually sing from the chosen ones, albeit briefly, but enough for some images.

An evening of Hares, Pheasants and Partridges

I had a day off on Tuesday to sort some stuff out, which gave me a chance to spend the evening over on the Isle of Sheppy with the camera, rather than sitting in traffic had I been at work. I parked up at the side of the road at a quiet spot on some farmland after seeing a male and female pheasant quite close by. It turned out it was a good spot. Using the car as a hide the pheasant, partridges and hares performed admirably. Although the hares were too just too close for me to fit in the frame most of the time.

I managed to take an image of the pheasants which is one of my favourite images I have taken. I was busy photographing the female when the cock launched itself into the air and on top of the female pinning her to ground. I managed to grab 4 frames and this was the second to last image, which I like as the cock bird  look very domineering with a mouthful of feathers.

Pheasant

The less colourful but still beautifully marked female

This partridge was wary at first and stayed well away from the me inside the car. However as time went by he became more bolder and again came so close that I had trouble fitting him in the frame at times.

Red-legged Partridge

 

A couple of headshots of yet again a very confiding subject, why are they not like this all the time!

Brown Hare

Oare Marshes

I spent the evening over at Oare Marshes yesterday for an opportunistic session with the camera, with nothing more on the agenda than enjoying being out of the office on a lovely evening. Luckily there were a few birds to point the camera at along with a few migrants including Yellow Wagtails in all their yellow glory, swallows moving through, a nightingale singing from the paddocks and best of all 5 Little Terns. It's been a long while since I have seen them in Kent so was pleased to see them.

A back-lit Grey Heron to start with which I just about managed to into the frame.

There were plenty of Black-tailed Godwit, a bird I have not actually photographed before, however you can't really get very close to them so teleconverter and cropping is necessary as is getting a low a viewpoint as possible, but I got some reasonable images. 

 A fly-by of some Shelduck...

I liked the light on this Little Egret, but not a fan of shooting steep angles of flying birds, could do with a bit of canvas on the bottom, and if it was a better image I might give it the time.

Hmmmm... thats not a bird how'd that get in here....

After-work shoot at the reservoir

More shots from the reservoir from a couple of evening shoots after work. Picked up some chest waders to help me get closer to the waters surface and to the birds. They seem more relaxed too which is great. Still no grebe fish shot, they seem to be feeding on dragonfly larvae and other insects most of the time.