A photographic diary featuring my latest images
Friday 24th September 2010
Minsmere Suffolk
A final visit to Minsmere and another Red Deer sighting.
Wednesday 22nd September 2010
Blickling Norfolk
Egyptian Goose
Tuesday 21st September 2010
Hickling Broad, Horsey Gap and Strumpshaw Fen.
First stop this morning was Hickling Broad, the largest of the Norfolk Broads and managed by The Norfolk Wildlife Trust. From a birding perspective it was a little disappointing, but no sooner had I stepped out of the visitors centre I encountered this Stoat making his way along one of the paths. Not the greatest of photographs I know, but this chap wasn`t hanging around for a photo shoot.
Later I visited the beach at Horsey Gap in the hope that I may catch a glimpse of a Grey Seal. I was in luck and found a group of five ducking and diving just off the beach.
Finally a return late afternoon visit to Strumpshaw Fen, rewarded me with these images.
Cormorant
Black Tailed Godwit
Greylag Goose
Shoveler
Monday 20th September 2010
Aldeburgh Suffolk
Just a few to add today, it had been raining hard and one of the puddles in the car park was attracting the birds. The Herring Gull was taking a drink, the Starlings were taking a bath and the Jackdaw was watching. The Jackdaw is an example of a leucistic bird. Leucism is an unusual condition caused when the pigmentation cells fail to develop properly. Albinism is a different condition and the eyes are usually pink or red.
In the afternoon I returned via Minsmere and saw some more Red Deer, one of which was being checked for nits by an obliging Magpie.
Sunday 19th September 2010
Strumpshaw Fen RSPB reserve Norfolk
Strumpshaw Fen is a RSPB reserve on the banks of the River Yare, the reserve has good hides allowing views across reed beds and scrapes. During my visit I was able to get some shots of Gadwall, although I had seen this species before I had never been able to get close enough.
A Grey Heron landed right in front of the hide and began to fish, albeit unsuccessfully.
The Marsh Harrier is a conservation success, following persecution in the late 1800s, by the end of the century it had disappeared from the UK. Odd nests started to be recorded from 1911 onwards and in the 1940s there were just five pairs. There are now in the region of 400 breeding pairs in the UK, with East Anglia being a strong hold. I had watched these birds in Minsmere earlier in the week but they were a very long way away. At Strumpshaw they got a little closer but the photographs acheived are no more than record shots.
As I was busy trying to obtain the Marsh Harrier shots, this male Kingfisher posed for a photograph.
Next I moved to Tower Hide which gave good views of Greylag, Cormorants and Shovelers. I was particularly pleased when something disturbed the Geese and they took off and flew straight over the hide.
Cormorant
Shoveler
Friday 17th September 2010
Minsmere RSPB reserve Suffolk
This is my first visit to Minsmere the flagship reserve of the RSPB and I wasn`t disappointed. The reserve was alive with wildlife and I started by photographing this Chaffinch and Great Tit near the visitors centre.
Next I wandered through an area of woodland and encountered a Pheasant and a collection of insects.
Ruddy Darter Dragonfly
Common Darter Dragonfly
Small Copper Butterfly
One of the birds that I have most wanted to add to the website is the symbol of the RSPB, the Avocet and although I was out of the breeding season I hoped Minsmere might offer the chance. My wife and I sat in the east hide and watched Teal, Shovelers and Gadwell amongst other birds, but alas no Avocet. We moved on round the reserve to the view point 100 metres south of the hide and after a few minutes my Avocet eyed wife spotted one landing right in front of the East hide. We made our way back and were rewarded with some great views of this beautiful bird, feeding in front of the hide.
We wandered through the reserve and heard a Cettis Warbler in the reeds but got no sighting. Marsh Harriers occasionally flew over the reserve but were not close enough to photograph. Emerging from the Bittern hide I spotted a Muntjac Deer, but it too was gone before I managed a decent photograph. Although slightly disappointing the reserve made it up to me by revealing some of the beautiful Red Deer which live in and around the reserve.
Thursday 16th September 2010
Lowestoft and Carlton Marshes
This is the start of a fortnights visit to the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk and with so many wildlife reserves, I am really looking forward to it. Today I went to Lowestoft in the morning, where I watched three Cormorants fishing in the harbour. I later went to Carlton Marshes situated at the end of Oulten Broad and in the care of the Suffolk Wildlife Trust. I was greeted by a House Sparrow and also photographed a Migrant Hawker Dragonfly. I spent a long time watching a Kestrel hunting over the reserve but was unable to get a worthwhile image.
Thursday 9th September 2010
Kew London
I visited Kew gardens today and added two new species to the website. Firstly the Bar headed Goose and secondly the Ring necked Parakeet. I also photographed an Egyptian Goose at close quarters, my previous photographs being taken at long range at Titchfield Haven. All three species are of course not native, but have escaped or been introduced. The Ring necked Parakeet has a large feral population in the South East of England.
Tuesday 7th September 2010
Hook Reserve Warsash
There have been a number of sightings of Yellow Wagtails in the Warsash area and reports of a roost of 60 to 70 birds in the rushes at Titchfield Haven. As it was a pleasant afternoon, I decided to take a look, unfortunately my luck (or eye) wasn`t in and it proved to be a Wagtail-less afternoon. All was not lost though, as I enjoyed watching a young Starling flock feeding near the reserve and a fleeting look at a Whitethroat.
The real prize for me however, were the Wheatears. Previously I had only managed a long range photograph on Skomer, but today there were several birds at the edge of the reserve where it borders the beach and I was able to obtain some better photographs. This is one of the first migrants to arrive in Britain in the Spring and one of the last to leave, usually departing for Africa in October.
