Bittern still at the Kingfisher Hide

Good to know that the bittern is still about:

Best image of 2012?

In our photography club (Cardigan Photo Club) we were encouraged to show our two best images of the year. As usual I left it to the last minute to enter. I ended up on the last day for entering images in Builth Wells with only the images on my laptop available to me. As it turned out one file I did have was one from my visits to Gigrin Farm. This image is one I overlooked at the time but I am now very happy with:

Taken with my 500mm lens, ISO1000 f8 @ 1/1250sec.

Another garden tick

Not one that I wanted, but part of our natural environment. This sparrowhawk seems to treat our garden as his special feeding station. Luckily he was unsuccessful this time:

Cormorant flying on the Teifi

Failed to find the bittern and otter again but managed a flight shot of a cormorant from the Curlew Hide at the Teifi Marshes Reserve:

Bittern images at last

A good day the the Kingfisher Hide at the Teifi Marshes Reserve:

Unusual garden tick

This buzzard decided to perch on our rear garden fence. It seems to be a very large buzzard and had me puzzled for some time.

Taken through the glass of the lounge window using my usual kit of Canon 7d, 500mm lens ISO400 f5.6 @ 1/50sec. - yes I should have increased the ISO to 1000!

Osprey nest erected at the Teifi Marshes Reserve

The Wildlife Trust for South and West Wales employed a specialist contractor to erect an osprey nest on the marsh. The post, platform and nest itself had been prepared beforehand. The day started with getting the nest itself from the workshop - where it had been rebuilt - to the car park for the contractor to take it on to the marsh:

The next job was to take the bog mats on to the marsh - so that the heavy machinery do not sink in the marsh - or damage it unduly:

With a little help from the volunteering team:

Then it was back to the pole:

Now to transfer the nest from the 'mule' to the contractor's tracked vehicle:

And on to the marsh:

Then fitting the nest on to the platform:

and moved on to the place where the nest was to be erected:

How deep is this pond?

Now where are we going to put the nest? (Sorry for the camera shake - I was laughing so much!)

Oh yes -this should do it!

Moving the bog mats into position:

Dig here!

Now for the difficult part:

Fixed into position - backfilled and strapped to nearby willows the nest is in! This is an image of the nest from the marsh.

 And from the car park this is what you see:

Now it is ready - a good home for a homeless osprey!