Peregrine Falcons on the Cornish coast

Recent computer problems have stopped me putting new posts on here but this seems resolved now. Here are some images of an adult Peregrine falcon and a young peregrine that I took in June on the Cornish coast. I saw and heard the adult Peregrine catch this bird and hen fed it to the Young Peregrine on the cliffs.

Cornish Choughs near St. Just

I spent a great week in Cornwall during the end of June and even managed a swim in the sea at Watergate bay. I spent some time with my camera and managed to catch up with two three families of Choughs who were about the cliffs with newly fledged young. This has been a fantastic year for the  Choughs who have produced about 23 fledged youngsters. I captured this family of Choughs near St. Just and more than happy with some of the images I took.

Duke of Burgundy Butterflys

First post for a while but I have been out and about when both weather and work permits. These are a few of my images of some Duke of Burgundy Butterflys I took last month at a site near Tring. There were a few flying and resting on leaves on what was quite a windy day.I was very luck to see a pair mating and and include a couple of shots in this post.

Green hairstreak Butterfly

For the past few weeks I have tried to see and then photograph a green hairstreak butterfly as I had never seen  one le alone photographed one. I didn't 't realise how small they are and how well well camouflaged they are against green hedgerows. They form small colonies and I managed two or three visits to well known sites but either the weather intervened or I didn't look at the correct place for them. Eventually I went to Ivinghoe beacon in Bedfordshire a couple of weeks ago on a nice sunny day and found a few perched on the hedgerow and was delighted to see them and photograph them.. These are a few of my images.

More Ospreys

A few more from my recent trips to photograph these Rutland water Ospreys at a Trout farm. Early morning or late evening the hide is open and it would seem the worse the weather the better the chances of visiting Ospreys as during the more sunny days fishing opportunities may be  better at Rutland water. As with any nature photography a bit of luck is required and I hope to visit again next year.

Ospreys

First post for  while just been busy at work but have been out and about.These are images I took last month of some of a couple of  Rutland Ospreys. I went to a local trout farm called River Gwash Ospreys where they have installed a hide which they rent out to photographers to take pictures of these fantastic birds. They come very close to the hide a times to dive for trout so a long lense is not necessary but fast shutter speed and high ISO may be required at times. I had mixed results with my cropped sensor camera and I wish I had taken a shorter lense. I hope to go back with a my full frame camera and have another go.

Return to Blue House farm

These are a few more images I took on recent visits to this fine South Essex nature reserve. The Hares were quite a long way from me but it was nice to capture two together at about 7am on a sunny frosty morning. The little Grebes fighting had a long hard disagreement  but both swam of to fight another day.

Avocets at Blue water Farm Essex

A few more Avocet images from my recent visits to Blue house farm in Essex. This time I was luck to photograph a pair mating close to the hide. The picture sequence shows a pair's behaviour  prior to mating and afterwards. I understand the female has now laid eggs so fingers crossed for that particular pair. The weather is not great this weekend so no further visits this weekend planned.

Avocets at Blue House Farm

Well no Snowy Owl in Essex but over the past couple of weekends I have visited Blue House farm a nature reserve  in Essex to photograph Avocets which breed there. I have not been for a couple of years so was pleased to see about 30 or 40 at the nature reserve. In the last three images the female was adopting a mating position but the male bird appeared more interested in preening and feeding than mating.

Sanderlings on Marazion beach.

I took these images of these Sanderlings on Eastern beach Marazion last month when I visited. They were taken on two successive grey and  overcast days so I have tried to brighten them up by turning a couple into black and white. They are one of my favourite waders and I love to see them and photograph them.

Purple Sandpipers at Penzance

I always enjoy trying to capture these beautiful Purple sandpipers that roast by the harbour and battery rocks in Penzance during Winter. The tide was very high when I took these and the rocks extremely slippery. Apart from the occasional swimmer of he rocks I was pretty much by myself which was extremely lucky as the Jubilee swimming pool nearby is having a major refit with lots of building work. The best approach to photograph these birds is to sit quietly on the rocks and hey will usually approach you as the tides recedes and the exposed rocks and pools become a feeding ground.

Fulmers

I spent a few days in Marazion,Cornwall  a couple of weeks ago so was keen to go out and take some photos. As always it depends on several factors including weather and light. It was pleasing to see some  of the sea birds coming back to the cliffs to breed. When I was photographing the Crowns at Botallack I noticed these Fulmers had come back to the cliffs to breed.I went back later in the week and took these images and had great fun trying to obtain sharp images as they flew past at speed.