Thursday 24 March 2011

Kingfisher Hide, Teifi Marshes

There has not been much activity near this hide for some months but it is great to see the heron back and performing! The fish it caught were tiny but I quite like this flight shot:


Taken with my Canon 400mm f5.6 lens 1000ISO f8 @ 1/3200sec.

Friday 11 March 2011

Visitor to our garden

OK not a bird but I like it:


Snow Goose at Llys y Fran

On Monday 7th. March decided to go to Llys y Fran to see if the Great Crested Grebe there were nest building. Saw 5 but no sign of nest building. Instead saw this Snow Goose in the middle of a flock of Canada Geese. At first it was at quite a distance - from the hide, but after lunch we walked on the far side of the reservoir and it came in fairly close to the shore:

Taken with 500mm lens with 1.4 converter, ISO2500 (by mistake!) f8 @ 1/6400sec.

Wednesday 9 March 2011

Visit the Slimbridge WWT on Friday 4th. March

Finally managed a day in Slimbridge - been looking at the weather forcast for weeks. On the centre's website I saw that there was a bird I had never seen before - the lesser scaup - so this was my first target. On the website the location was supposed to be the Rushy but we found this bird in front of the Martin Smith Hide:

Both taken with 500mm lens and 1.4 converter, ISO1000 f8 @ 1/2500sec.

The other information I read on the website was that on the South Lake there was a pair of Great Crested Grebe nestbuilding. We watched them for most of the day and managed this shot of them head bobbing (but not 'dancing'):


and then a closer shot of the male (I think):


Sparrowhawk in our garden

Not a bird I really welcome in the garden but I suppose he has to eat like everyone else:

Taken through the lounge window - without the 1.4 converter - ISO 1000 f8 @ 1/3200

Another visit to Bosherston Lakes on Monday 28th. February

Again did not manage to see the bittern but the usual birds were very co-operative on the bridge. The best one of the day was probably this nuthatch:

Taken with the usual kit ISO  1000 f8 @ 1/4000sec.

Visit to Llanelli WWT on Wed. 16th. February

Not much happening - the only notable bird was a new one for me a Gadwall. Did not manage a great shot but include this one as I have no other shot of this bird:
Taken with my Canon 500mm lens with 1.4 converter ISO 1000 f8 @ 1/640sec.