Wildlife Photography across the Water: Ospreys - A quick round up of this year so far

Wednesday, 24 June 2009

Ospreys - A quick round up of this year so far

I was reading an article in an Environmental magazine that I get at work and came across a short story on the successful return of Ospreys to Northumberland in the UK. It seems a pair have settled on a man made nesting platform on Kielder Water that has been provide but have naturally colonised it. These sort of platforms are common place in the US and have started to find some favour over here to help nature on its way. The full story can be found here.

This years nesting is the first for 200 years in this part of England. In addition, there has also been recolonisation elsewhere in England in the Lake District in Cumbria to add to the reintroduction programme that has been going on for a number of years on Rutland Water. Webcam and excellent website here for the Lake District Ospreys and here for the Rutland Water site.

Further north in Scotland, the success story has been going on for many years. At the RSPB Loch Garten site, there is plenty to do and see on their site here. The diary is also worth a read to check out the progress there - a proper soap opera it seems to be there.

I was there a couple of years ago taking some photos of these magnificent birds. A great place to go is the Rothiemurchus Fish Farm in Aviemore late of an evening to get them as they come into fish.

These two images were taken there on my old 1Dmk2N and 500f4L lens. The first image shows a Male bird being attacked by a Herring Gull. It shows the size comparison well and is surprising how large the Gull is.

The second image shows the bird going back to the nest with supper for the kids.

Martin

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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.