Snippets

I've not been out really for a couple of weeks. A trip up to see my family and then a weekend for other things. Sorting through some recent pictures I decided to post a few that could have gone up first time around.
The sparrow was through the kitchen window, the reed bunting at Cosmeston, the long tailed tits, tufted duck and goldeneye at Slimbridge. The serrated bill shows well on the latter.

Click here for better views.

A Grand Day Out

By and large I do my photography alone. Not just Billy-no-mates. My worst nightmare is when I'm sitting in a nice quiet hide and then the door opens and a group pours in. Not objecting to groups - they have just as much right to be there as me. I just don't enjoy that crowded feeling. However sometimes it's good to be in a group - the right setting, the right people, etc. Last Saturday was just such a day. A glorious sunny day in Glamorganshire with Chris Grady, Brian Davis and Mike Smith. Bit of a laugh, but by the same token some good birding and snaps. In fact all in all I think this is perhaps the most-liked set of shots I've posted from a single day, with at least 5 birds posing nicely. OK I'm not going to be entering them in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest, but better than usual for me. I didn't really get the fieldfare, but hey ... one day. Brian Davis got a better shot - check his blog on the links to the right.

Do check the pictures on my web albums - they do show better. Click HERE and then on the 'Latest' album.

Bearded tit at Cosmeston Lakes. God I love that little bird. For some reason I didn't like my middle range shots, but the close ups were better, especially the head shots. They are mostly full frame - it really was that close. [Lesson 1 - always try and get a couple of shots showing the wider environs] I swithered about including the last shot - the head was in bright light, the body wasn't, so it has been messed with a bit, and is more interesting than good. The one thing that did strike me is what little wings they have. They really do seem disproportionately small.
Also showing well a female reed bunting, with the male not quite so well. Shame about the leaf over the tail of the female. I did try to lower the camera to shoot under it, but made such a pigs ear of adjusting the tripod on the slippy, frosty boardwalk that the bugger flew off. Red faced apologies to mates. (Disadvantage of being in a group!)
Then along to Sully in search of Gavin and Stacey ......... sorry, more waxwings. Well, who can resist them? And how often have you seen them eating apples? Waxwings that is.
Blackcap appeared first ..............
then the slightly agoraphobic fieldfare.
Then the 2 waxwings, tucking into the fruit with gusto (note the apple chunks on the beaks), and sharing the usual trait of being fairly indifferent to the bloke with camera standing near them. The head shots are slight crops to cut out the twigs, but not too tight as the preserved detail hopefully shows. The light was quite harsh at first, but warmed as the sun lowered. The background was a bit tricky in some shots, and I can't believe I missed that big yellow stripe running smack down the middle of the frame of one of the feeding shots. As you might point out that's the problem - I didn't miss it! What was I saying about this set of snaps? Nah, I still like most of them. And I'll include this one because I like the shape of the bird. [Lesson 2 look properly at the picture - and then push Chris out of the way so you can get the right line!]
The owners of the house invited us onto their drive for better views, and then made us a cup of tea complete with Christmas cake and biscuits. Faith in human nature restored by one grand day out.

Bend it like Packham

Although I used to be quite good at learning things, I've never been much of a one for remembering. They're not the same thing. A lot of my life drifts into the past as a series of half-recalled vignettes, maybe remembering what was said, but not who said it, or vice versa. I have a recollection of watching Chris Packham on tv talking about trying to photograph a bird through grass. I think he was trying a camera, but that bit has gone. Anyway, the aim was a kind of arty, hazy shot with a veil of colour superimposed on the standard view. And ... yes it can be done - shooting through things that is. With a telephoto lens you can blur out structures in the foreground. How so? Well I also recall from distant physics lessons that light is wave-like when it wants to be, so in addition to whatever the focusing issues are I guess that plays a part, rather than the camera guessing what is there!
The reason I'm wittering about this is because of trip on Saturday to photograph a bearded tit that has been resident and showing off in South Wales for some weeks now. As it was the holiday season (good will to all men and that) Kay was coming too, so we set off on time ...... for the first day of the Next sale. Still it could have been worse, it might have been shopping at Tesco . Hang on, thinking about it that came later!
To the point. In between shops we met up with Chris Grady to find a sunny day, a co-operative bird and a wind. A gusty wind, which blew the reeds and the bird around like mad. The reeds bent spaghetti like, and stems and seedheads blew across the viewfinder with frustrating frequency and unpredictability, so it seemed that I would be taking Packhamesque snaps whether I liked it or not.
The other issue was focusing - so many shots were lost because the head wasn't in focus.
Or even in view!
This one combined an out of focus head with stems and a seedhead in the way (the dark shading at the top right aspect is the seedhead).
Eventually though I got a few I could live with. The first does have stems in the way, but I still like it and that's what counts. Just call it 'in the style of Packham'. The second and third shots are uncropped showing just how close the bird came at times. Should have taken the macro lens.
Still a good session. If you want to see Chris Grady's shots click HERE (and yes I am envious!).

Sunday saw a solo trip to brave the bitter cold in search of more waxwings, near the Forest of Dean. Again the power of the internet led to me to a single tree in the front garden of a house in the village of Littledean, and 3 waxwings. Sadly the light was even lower than the temperature, so the snaps are a bit rough, and lack the spark of my Lincoln shots. Given the shutter speed on some of these the fact they are in focus at all is actually quite surprising.
Still, better than shopping.

As always better quality shots on the web albums.

Click HERE and then on the 'latest pictures' album.