Ouzels nearly ruined…

…by heat haze. A good worker should never blame his tools but a photographer can blame the weather for nearly ruining his shots. That’s what happened yesterday. I know we shouldn’t complain but the day was so hot it was causing a heat haze that ruined nearly all of the images I got of the Ring Ouzels.

Female Grey Wagtail with lunch for her offspring

Female Ring Ouzel

Gathering insects.

Male gathering insects.

Female with a worm

Male

 

Images from work

One of the lads found this beetle at work yesterday and hadn’t a clue what it was. I have only ever seen pictures of this beetle but told him it was a Cockchafer much to his amusement (can’t imagine why). I managed to get quite a few images before it took off and flew away. I also managed to get a better image of a Dingy Skipper.

Cockchafer

About to take off

Dingy Skipper

Soldier Beetle

Arriving at work the other morning, I saw a couple of Crows harassing a Buzzard.

 

Duke of Burgundy

Saturday saw my wife and me down in Yorkshire for the Duke of Burgundy butterfly. Thanks to Ron H for all the information, we probably could not have done it without it. It was sunny when we arrived but as we approached the area where the butterflies were it clouded over a little. We found one hunkered down in the grass but the sun came out briefly and a few took to the wing. In total, we saw around six and I managed to fire off a few shots but none with the background I had hoped for, still you cannot have everything.

Duke of Burgundy

Green Hairstreak found on the way to the site of the DoB

I don’t know who was more surprised the Hare or me. Both rubbish shots but I like the way all four legs are tucked up as it sped away.

Red Grouse seen on the way down from the site.

Called into Sutton Bank on the way home in the hope of seeing the Turtle Doves but no luck. I did however get this Thrush singing away in the middle of all the flies.

The Dingy Skippers are out at work

 

A few from Burdon Moor …

…& three from work but all taken in the last couple of days.

I watched this Hare come down a bank from a field and thought it was coming toward me. Unfortunately, it didn’t however; I manage to get some shots as it ran away.

A couple of minutes later it went up the bank a little further down the path, back across the field and then stopped right in front of me. This shot is not cropped this is all I could get in frame (I was using the equivalent of a 700mm lens) as I could not move.

The next day two Hare were in the same field.

This one was having a good scratch.

I was lucky to get this Garden Warbler out in the open.

Twice

Whitethroat singing at the top of its voice.

Wheatear

Willow Warbler

Sedge Warbler. I had heard it the day before but could not get any shots I was a little luckier this time.

Meadow Pipit

Wren

Just practising for Dragonfly flight shots

Bee Fly