Pages

Wednesday 24 October 2012

A misty dawn at RSPB Leighton Moss

One of my favourite reserves to visit is the RSPB reserve at Leighton Moss, near Silverdale in Cumbria, especially at this time of year when the Red Deer that roam the reserve and surrounding conutryside are rutting. So I got up very early Sunday morning for a 5.30am departure from North Wales, arriving up there just after 7am, and safely into the Grisedale Hide with a few other early birds hoping for a good show from the big Stags. Sadly it never happened and the best I got was a bit of a rutting from some younger stags, but they looked amazing across the misty pools at first light.

_DSC2508

_DSC2457

_DSC2466

_DSC2471

_DSC2477-001

I just love photographing swans, and when a couple decided to take off from the water, and were coming at my with the rising sun lighting up the background, they looked magical

_DSC2782

_DSC2777

_DSC2786

A big stretch again nicely back lit

_DSC2791

Not one of my favourites, but Sharon adores Herons so I was really pleased to get some nice shots for her

_DSC2649-001

_DSC2695

_DSC2753

_DSC2612

_DSC2604

I havent seen a Kingfisher at Leighton Moss for a long time, this one was a fair way off in a distant tree, but a record shot nonetheless.

_DSC2833

Bye for now, and as usual your feedback and comments are most welcome.

Saturday 20 October 2012

RSPB Conwy and The Great Orme

As Sharon and I were getting over colds a day in the high fells wasnt that appealing, so we decided to head for the coast, and to the RSPB reserve at Conwy, not been here before and although the pools on the reserve were relatively quiet it was a beautiful walk round on a lovely peaceful morning. After lunch, and after treating myself to a new spotting scope in the RSPB shop, and Sharon some new binoculars, we went into Llandudno and up the Great Orme.

early morning Pheasant

_DSC1550

Female blackbird feeding on blackberries

_DSC1562

_DSC1571

_DSC1601

Conwy Castle across the reserve

_DSC1617

Welsh ponies

_DSC1668

The river Conwy estuary

_DSC1716

Lovely light on this Mute Swan

_DSC1853

A few Egrets out on the water feeding

_DSC2036

_DSC2090

_DSC2097

Juvenile Gull

_DSC2131

Conwy Castle

_DSC2145

Stonechat female up on the Great Orme

_DSC2258

Lots of Kasmir Goats wander across the Great Orme

_DSC2330

_DSC2332

_DSC2339

_DSC2348

_DSC2353

_DSC2355

_DSC2357

Monday 15 October 2012

WWT Martin Mere

One of my favourite places to visit is the Wildfowl and Wetlands trust at Martin Mere, especially in the winter when it is the host of 1000's of Whooper Swans that over winter here before returning to their breeding grounds in Iceland. Sharon has never been so I was really keen to get her there to see these amazing birds, so it was a little disappointing that we were a little early as only a few Whooper families had arrived back. But the visit was still really exciting as we sat and watched 1000's of Pink Footed Geese coming in to land and roost on the Mere after returning from feeding on the surrounding fields. These birds are on a short stop over in Lancashire as they make their way from the arctic to their summer home on the Norfolk coast area.
I also got the opportunity to photograph my favourite Eider ducks and a delightful Mute Swan family who posed lovely and back lit from the setting sun.

A couple of reflective Eiders

_DSC0876

_DSC0891

A wet Shelduck

_DSC0915

One of the first Whooper families to arrive back from Iceland

_DSC1055

Another family arriving

_DSC1082

Not a lot of room on the crowded Mere

_DSC1093

_DSC1188

_DSC1214

_DSC1242

_DSC1273

_DSC1346

_DSC1348

_DSC1432

_DSC1500

_DSC1501