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.

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.

Blackpool Mill near Caneston Bridge

On Thursday 10th. February we went down to Blackpool Mill area as we had seen that there had been dippers reported near the bridge there. By the time we got down there it was lunch time so we passed the mill and parked in a lay-by about half a mile further on. Someone  had been there and left out food for the birds. During lunch we saw great tit, blue tit, blackbird, woodpecker, coal tit, jay and long-tailed tit. Managed these two shots:

A grater spotted woodpecker at a feeder:

Taken at ISO1000 f8@ 1/200sec

and a long tailed tit on a branch:

Taken at ISO1000 f8@ 1/400sec

When we went back to the mill we did see a couple of dippers but the light was not good enough to take very good photographs.



Month of January 2011

It feels like I have been running around in an ever decreasing circle - going around all the usual places to take photographs of birds but all is frozen and there are little or no birds about. Until the end of the month the only two acceptable pictures I had taken all month were:

A wigeon at the Creek Hide at Teifi Marshes:

Taken with my Canon 500mm lens, 1.4 converted, ISO1000 f8 @ 1/200sec.

and a Turfted Duck at the Llanelli WWT:

 taken with the same kit f8 @ 1/800sec.

My luck changed on Friday 28th. January when we decided to visit Bosherston. Did not see the bittern but got fair shots of a male and a female goosander and then this shot of a coal tit:

 taken with my usual kit, f8@ 1/6400sec.

And this one of a nuthatch:

usual kit, f8@ 1/400-sec.