Clara Vale

A few images of the birds I saw yesterday at Clara Vale.

Kingfisher always a cracking bird…

…but when the sun comes out, wow!

Male Yellowhammer looking inquisitive

Female Yellowhammer

Long-tailed Tit

Male Bullfinch

Willow Tit

Male and Female Great-spotted Woodpecker pity they were hidden behind twigs.

Jay

Even the Jackdaw looks good in the sun

 

That’s better

Some more Short-eared Owl shots, taken yesterday, these are slightly better than the one’s from the other day. The only down side is there are no voles.
Oh and a couple of Kestrel shots.

 

What if…..

……the light had been better? What if I had used a different lens? What if my technique using the gear I had had been better? because I would not normally put shots like these on here I would bin them without a second thought but with these I keep thinking what if…..?

All of the Owl shots were taken on the 21^st Nov using a Nikon d800, 300mm f4 + 2x converter, ISO800, f8, I/200 and 1/250sec 0EV. I know a good workman should never blame his tools, these shots are all down to my bad technique, but I will never use this body/lens combination again, unless it is very very bright, just incase I get another “what if” moment.

 

It flew behind some grass

Kestrel

Curlew taken earlier in the day.

They blend in well.

SEO

It was a delight and a privilege to watch two Short-eared Owl hunting yesterday afternoon and there seems to be quite a few around the country now.

Going for the bigger prey.

Two SEO

 

St Mary’s

The weather was horrendous at St Mary’s this morning, at least when I got there. Had a look around for SEO but no luck (didn‘t really expect any). So I sat in the car had a bite of bait and waited for the rain to stop. It didn’t. I decided to try down on the shore where a few waders were running around. Took a few shots got drenched so called it a day.
Oh and there is one shot of a Kestrel I took earlier in the week at Burdon Moor.

Curlew

Sanderling

Sanderling

Ringed Plover

Ringed Plover

Dunlin

Coloured ringed Turnstone

Turnstone turning not stone but seaweed

Kestrel