Springtime - new life blooming

These last few warm sunny days have bought out the new life in droves this weekend. With our first butterfly sighting of the year yesterday, a Brimstone and then lots more of them today as well as Small Tortoiseshells, Comma and Peacock , the garden has sprung back to life.

Marsh Marigolds, Speedwell, and Red Dead Nettle are all in bloom and the Snakeshead Fritilary bulbs I planted in the Autumn and now well up and bloom heads forming.

Pond activity is very busy and noisy. After a brief spot of spawn a while back, nothing more has happened, but they are certainly 'at it'

The Crows still amaze and entertain us with their antics. Yesterday it was pulling dead strands of leaves from some of the pond plants, then flying away with beak fulls for nesting. They have also taken to turning over stones from the pond and I found one today about six feet away and up on one of the feeding logs stumps. Very strange behaviour.

All in all it is shaping up nicely to get out their very soon with the 5Dmk2 and 180 macro.

Talking of gear, here is an early notification that I will be selling my Canon 300f2.8 IS L lens. It is not the current Mark 2 but the previous version. It is as sharp as a very sharp thing, and one of Canon's fastest AF response lenses. I am selling it as for my type of photography I am not using it. A check through the catalogue function on Lightroom tells me so.

It is in immaculate condition, with all the factory gear, including fancy case, and will also have a neoprene camo lens coat, plus additional lens hood. If you are seriously interested, and based in the UK only, please contact me via the comments. Leave me a contact name, number and email and we can talk. Comments are not automatically published as we moderate, so pleased be assured we will not publish your personal details. I know the price these are going for so I am just asking for what I know I will be able to get for it. So it will not be let go of wither cheaply or overpriced, as I just want the going market rate.

If you are wondering where the Focus blog report is, John has sent it across to me and I will get it published on Tuesday for you.

Martin

Spring has arrived today - Mid Week Quickie

So for me, there are three indicators that today is the day, all before we enter March (just), and all hinge on new life.

Firstly, if any of you follow me on twitter (@martind01) you will know that I saw my first fledgling of the year. Immediately outside my office in Birmingham, which is adjacent to the busiest of Birmingham's railway stations, a freshly fledged feral Pigeon was sat on the pavement with pedestrians walking round it. Probably confused, but indifferent to its surroundings, it was indeed an early sign of new life.

Coming home tonight, I also saw the first of the trees in blossom, and finally, with very active frogs in the pond, the first clump of spawn heralds the arrival of this years batch of frogs.

Listening last night, the chorus from the frogs was probably the loudest that I have heard, largely due to the sheer numbers involved.

After I have finished this blog tonight, I will pop down and have a look and listen.

Martin

Planning your Spring Trips in the UK - Part 4

A few days ago, I shared some of the typical target species from my Mull trips.  These are the sort of things that everyone wants to see and get stunning photos of.  Well, they are not always at close quarters and getting stunning photos will involve a lot of patience, and some luck assuming you go there with the intention of trying to take your photos legally, particularly during the breeding season.  But if you are going then good luck and hope you do well.  Tips for Otters - generally from about 2 hours before high water on a rising tide usually seems to be quite successful.  In terms of locations, that is down to you or your guide if you use one.  There are quite a few regular haunts.

With regard to eagles - the same thing goes.  You will see plenty if you look.  I have seen ten Golden Eagle individuals in one day, and half a dozen WTSE - they are there, but you need to look, find, be patient and lucky.

However, if you are there for a limited time - I used to go for a week at a time then make sure you get after a lot of the other species.  You never have to go far from the road, which is handy when carting heavy kit and tripods.

Some years you get lucky, and the odd Slavonian Grebe hangs around

 

When it dives, get yourself down to water level for an eye height shot.  You have up to thirty seconds to move when they have dived.

Don't forget to get photos of the most common birds on the islands such as these two.  Oystercatcher and Meadow Pipit

One of the techniques I use when stalking a subject is to get two shots from a distance, then slowly take a couple of steps, bang bang, two more shots, two more steps, two more steps until the subject either clears off or it gets too close.

This shot of a Ringed Plover was taken at close to minimum focus distance for the 500 lens.

One trip definitely worth making is out to Lunga on the Treshnish Isles.  you only get a couple of hours out there to avoid ovestressing the wildlife.  But when you leave the boat, make sure you go to the end of the island.  DON'T let the first puffins beguile you .  Move on - there are lots more subjects at the end, such as the shot of a Shag through a crack in the rock.  Plus loads of close ups of Kittiwake, Guillemot, Razorbill and more Puffins than you can manage.

When you get back on the mainland - don't forget the mammals.  There are Red Deer everywhere, a small herd of Fallow deer in the middle of the island, plus plenty of Hare both at the southern and northern tips.  More gentle than the usual Brown Hare in appearance - although still just about as nervous.

My first sightings of Green Hairstreak butterflies was on Mull on my first trip.  very tiny and difficult to see.  It is their movement that is likely to get your attention.  These two were happy to stay around as they had their minds on other things than photographers.

 

Sunrise and sunset is both very early and very late if you are used to more more degrees of latitude, particularly in Spring/early Summer.  This sunset was taken after 10.30.

Make sure you get out on the north west facing sides for views like this.  Taken on the north west tip of Mull looking towards the island of Coll.

I hope you have enjoyed a little glance at some of one of my favourite places, and maybe given you the motivation to think about your own trips next year.

I will bring a brief update in the next part of some of what you might find in the Cairngorms in Spring.

Martin

Frogblog Pt 11

So the naughty stuff has commenced.  Much mating activity is being seen and heard.  Great frog chorus at night time now with quite a few singing males.  I am now seeing up to 8 frogs popping their heads up out of the water

They are all very nervous at the moment and easily scatter below the surface before you have a chance to get to close with a camera. 

However, I did get some interesting shots this morning which I will post as soon as my main PC is out of intensive care.  It is currently poorly having been virused and undergoing loving care. Maybe I should have shot in jpeg.

On a wider view, Blackbird wars have started and lots of territorial scraps are kicking off.  Plenty of regular sightings of a couple of Blackbirds and a Song Thrush collecting wet vegetation from around the pond for nest building along with lots of Goldcrest song from the conifers, although only a couple of sightings.

As Dave said last week, Spring has well and truly sprung now.

Back later with images

Martin

Spring is in the air

I have noticed in the last couple of days that the birds have upped their bird song and at the lake birds are in and out of tree holes and the ducks are very busy mating, The air temperatures here are still down and its extremely cold at night, The lakes and rivers have cat ice on them most of the day but it is slowly warming and this weekend will see temps around 55 which it hasnt been for a few weeks, We still have a lot of winter migrants here but i expect them to start dispersing in the next couple of weeks, I know the East coast above NC are still in the grips of winter but here it has that feeling in the air-Cant wait its been a long winter

Dave