Wildlife Photography across the Water: Mini Trip Report - Part 1

Tuesday, 12 October 2010

Mini Trip Report - Part 1 - Upton Warren

As I trailed in my late Sunday post, the first part of our weekend away took in Upton Warren, a WWT reserve. Here a a couple of sites that you might want to take a look at, official and unofficial. We had already been there in early Spring with Robbie but wanted to take another look at some of the autumn migrants.

Upton Warren comprises of two parts - the Moors Pools, of which there are a couple with four hides. The Spring trip previously reported was too this part.

As I mentioned in the trail, the light was awful and not conducive to decent photography.

Male Shoveller

I took this image for record purposes. I have always ben fascinated by these since I was a small boy and they bring back memories from the first time my father took me birdwatching.

The hides at this location are really not set up for photography, as with most hides in that they are too far away from the action and too high. But it was good to see some nice wildlife including a passing Kingfisher.

Driving back round to the other site, parking at the sailing club, we walked across to the Flashes. This site has three hides. One of them is tiny and has a small clearance of reeds and is geared up for close views of Water Vole and Water Rail. We didn't spend long in there as we were overlensed so no point.

Further round at the main hide the interest from the birders was the Pectoral Sandpiper which was right across the other side of the water, over 400 metres away.

The Green Sandpiper came a bit closer and I got a couple of shots.

No change in the light, but if it had been brighter it would not have worked in my favour as we would be facing the sun. Definitely a later in the day kind of hide if you want to take photos. But again still a high POV sadly.

Walking back to the car, as we came round by the sailing lake, we saw one party of canoeists training and another party of about a dozen kids under sail boat instruction on the jetty. Just a mere 20 metres away, a juvenile Grey Heron was watching them while stood in the relative safety of a moored boat, quite unperturbed by all this human activity, so it did enable us to get a few shots.

Relaxed and preening

Watching the novice sailors

Just about to take off after it was being heckled by a flock of gulls

If you want to go to this site, remember it is a WWT site and so unless you are members there is an entry feee, but it isn't much and worth paying to support the work there.

We shall be back a few months when the Bitterns return.

So with the awful light, sadly nothing particularly stunning but worth a visit nonethless. My mantra remains I go to watch wildlife and if I can get a photo its a bonus - just as well with the weather we can get here in the UK.

In the next parts of the trip reports, I will share some better images of the Red Kites, talk a bit about the improvements at Gigrin, show a bit of Kite Behaviour, and share some more examples of Steel Eye as Dave shared with us a while back, although I cannot find the link at all

Martin

1 comment:

Bill S.12 October 2010 at 23:21
Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Great post and pictures.
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Bio's

David Courtenay, a self taught wildlife and nature photographer, has been capturing images for over 30 years. He has had a passion for wildlife since early childhood and remembers being glued to the television whenever Survival, Wildlife on One and other natural history documentaries were shown. In the 2006 he swapped his established career for the life of a wildlife photographer, such a move demands a measure of uncompromising passion and commitment.

David has travelled extensively throughout Europe as well as spending more than 7 months in India working with local guides and trackers in search of Bengal Tiger, Asian One horned Rhino and Asian Elephant. He has also photographed Wildlife in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Africa, Canada and America. Working closely with Conservation companies he tries to raise funds to help Wildlife that has been put on the endangered list by poaching and habitation loss

Martin Dyer has had a passion for avian wildlife since childhood, particularly raptors. Photography was also another keen interest and it was with the specific availability and control of the whole process that digital offers that Martin was then able to combine the two in 2003. Based in the UK, Martin is a regular visitor to Scotland, specifically the Isle of Mull to watch the Eagles resident there. Other trips to Europe and around the UK are usually part of Martin’s agenda in a typical year.

However, as a firm believer on making the most of the local patch, Martin has spent a lot of time and hard work creating a wildlife garden which is reaping the rewards with many new species and varieties of wildlife. A keen member of a number of wildlife photographic groups, Martin is keen to expand his portfolio into other areas of wildlife, and has already established a wide portfolio of images of fungi.