Spashing out at Swan Lake

One of the main tasks I had set myself this year was to get down to shooting new images of common species, not just to replace older shots, but to get them on higher resolution digital files than those I have in stock. I had forgotten just how enjoyable it is to shoot things like Mute Swans and Coots, and to be able to work with birds that are used to having people near-by, in this case at a town park, means that its easy to get good action and behaviour shots.

Little Grebe, big poser

Another session with the Little Grebe, what a joy to find one that allows close approach, and is at a site that is suitable for shooting at a very low level.

Little Grebe

Tachybaptus ruficollis, what a great scientific name this Little Grebe has! Not an easy bird to do photographically, usually very wary and off like a shot before you get focus on them, so its a treat to find one that is unusually tolerant of close approach. Getting the low angle shots again meant spending a fair amount of time on my belly in the mud and wet.

The White crowned church roof

Its been there for an age now, and single handedly funded loads of work of Cley's house of god without succumbing to a guided tour of a Sparrowhawk's digestive system (perhaps there's nothing mysterious about the way god moves at all when there's a jingle of dosh in the collection box!).
So now, without the crowds it was a good chance for another visit to photograph the White crowned Sparrow, a vagrant from across the pond, it showed off quite nicely too.

Freezing fog Stonechat

I posted a few Stonechat images a couple of weeks ago they were taken in spring-like light, these show just what a difference there can be in the weather, despite this being the only bird that would perform for me today, and only in the freezing fog, I'm very happy with the few shots I got of him.
Proof that however much you might think you have photographed a particular subject, there are always other shots to add, in this case the hoare frost was a perfect setting.

Low level Mallards

Another highly productive day at St Albans, I would have liked to get the Coot, as well as the Moorhen, walking on ice too, but more than happy with the shots of it running on water.
The Herons continue to build, but some are already incubating eggs it would appear!

A superb Sunday

A last minute trip to St Albans today proved to be quite something, after oversleeping, yesterdays plans for today went in the bin, and I thought the Heronry would perhaps retrieve the day.
Andy darrington and I squeezed into the hired Ford Ka, 'coz my jinxed Focus has died again! and sped off down the A1 with more cameras and lenses than a "Jessops" branch, we both managed to get through about 16 gig, and all this weeks practice at panning whilst shooting fast jets, made getting flight shots of the Herons with nesting material a doddle.