Whatsit? - again on Skokholm Island

On our fourth day on Skokholm Island I managed to take some photographs of a bird I could not identify - not all that rare I must admit. But others on the island could not identify it from its photograph either. So I was getting quite excited that I might have found a rare warbler or something similar. When I returned home I was able to send copies of the images to Richard and Wendy from the Teifi Ringing Group so that they could identify the bird. In the end it turned out to be two birds - a male and a female wheatear! They were so wet you can see why I could not identify them:

Day 4 at Skokholm Island - Peregrine

Steve and I spent some time looking at the pair of Peregrines nesting on the island - we think they had 2 or 3 young in the nest. We were not sure as the path was quite a distance away from the nest. During our time watching both birds flew up into the sky - to be chased by gulls. This is one of the better shots I managed of one of the birds in flight:



Taken with my Canon 500mm lens ISO400 f11 @ 1/500sec.

Our first Great Spotted Woodpecker juvenile of the year

Not the greatest photograph ever but quite an amusing one as it is perched on the hide I put out to take photographs of the young woodpeckers!

Skokholm Island - day 4

Our last full day on Skokholm - and our best! Starting with two birds taken from the hide at Well Pond. The first was a spotted flycatcher:

Taken with the 500mm lens ISO400 f8 @ 1/800sec.

And the next was a wren again:

Taken with the same kit & settings f8 @ 1/1000sec.

Next was another repeat but probably slightly better shot of a flying oyster catcher:

Again same kit & settings f8 @ 1/250sec.

Next was the star bird of the week - a spoonbill on North Pond:

Same kit & settings f8 @ 1/1250sec.

And last of all a couple of sunsets - the sunsets on Skokholm Island are stunning:

Finally thanks to Jerry (the warden of Skokholm Island) and his staff for looking after us well during the time or our stay.













Skokholm Island - day 3

Again a great day on the island - we have been very lucky with the weather. Today the most interesting images were - first of all a raven in flight:

Taken with the Canon 400mm f5.6 lens ISO400 f8 @ 1/800sec.

A chough in flight:

Taken with the same lens and settings f8 @ 1/1000sec.

A peregrine:

Taken with the same lens and settings f8 @ 1/800sec.



An oyster catcher in flight:

Taken with the same lens and settings f8 @ 1/2000sec.



And finally, a portrait of a puffin:

Taken with the same lens and settings f8 @ 1/1000sec.







Skokholm Island - day 2

Another wonderful day on the island - took over 500 images reduced to about half that when the rubbish was removed. Here are some of the new birds taken on that day. A meadow pipit (I think - let me know if you think differently):

Taken with my Canon 500mm f4 lens ISO400 f5.6 @ 1/1600sec.

An Oyster Catcher on some railings overlooking South Haven:

Taken with my Canon 400mm f5.6 lens ISO400 f8 @ 1/640sec.

A sedge warbler seen from the hide at Well Pond:

Taken with my Canon 500mm lens with 1.4 extension ISO1000 f8 @ 1/3200sec.

A reed bunting from the same hide:

Taken with the 500mm lens ISO1000 f8 @ 1/1000sec.

And lastly a rock pipit:

Taken with the 500 lens and 1.4 converter ISO1000 f8 @ 1/4000

Skokholm Island - day 1

My main target for the week is good flight shots of puffin. The more photographs I take of them the more I realise how difficult it is to get a really good shot of a puffin in flight. The slightly easier option is to get them when landing. Like this one - taken off Crab Bay:

Taken with my Canon 500mm lens, ISO 1000 f8 @ 1/5000sec.

While waiting for the next lot of puffin to land I saw this (male) wheatear collecting food:

Taken with the same kit, ISO1000 f8 @ 1/4000sec.

I then had a quick look down at The Neck to see if the guillemot and razorbill were around. The cliff face was in the shadow at the time that I went down there so I only took this photograph of a pair of razorbill:

Taken again with the same kit ISO1000 f8 @ 1/3200sec.

On the way back I stopped off at the hide near Well Pond and managed a few shots of this wren:

Taken with the same kit ISO1000 f8 @ 1/2000sec.

Very lucky with the weather - took about 900 images - reduced to about 450 when the rubbish is removed, so a very good start to our stay on Skokholm Island.