New Hides are horrible for Photographers

As a reasonably regular visitor to various wildlife reserves across the country, I continue to be amazed at the lack of decent facilities for photographers or consideration for the very different requirements for photogaphers compared to birders.

Some of the new designs and incarnations are truly awful as can be seen at the monster hide at RSPB Titchwell and the latest 'thing' at RSPB Minsmere.

Massive windows, strange mechanisms to operate the glass, and really high view points. Now for birders, I understand that this is fine - get up high, have a massive vista in front of you, and with your 60X scope, you can watch Wrens and Goldcrest from 50 miles away.

Now photography is not that unpopular a pastime, and judging by the numbers I see at these locations lugging their 500 and 600's around, there are a lot of us, but sometimes, it feels like we might as well be a bunch of lepers.

Where are the low viewpointrs, sympathetic positioning with light and habitat management? These things are not mutually exclusive to wildlife, so go on you lot at WWT, RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts please try thinking about us the next time you build hides.

Now I know there was a great little photographers hide at Snettisham, tha required the photographers to go in and out at certain times, and this got abused by some, and so it was spoiled for all. I know as I tried to book this a couple of years back when it was taken out of service.

I dont think we are asking for that. General access is fine, but get us down low please. One of the best for this that I have used is the South Lake at Slimbridge, when the water levels are up.

Here is an image from South Lake at Slimbridge to show what I mean, plus a Marsh Harrier in flight at the Bittern Hide at Minsmere. Which other than this type of in flight is hopeless for photography.

So you reserve people, feel free to give us your thoughts. We will even let you have a right to reply blog spot post if you want it, and to our regular readers, let us know what you think or the good hides around the country.

Martin

Whoopers and Shelduck

A bit of a late post from me today, but just got back from a few days away.  But Jac and I did take the opportunity to drop in to WWT Martin Mere as we came back down the M6 this afternoon to check out what was around.

After a few grey days, the sun came out - very brightly and with the timing of our visit it wasn't the best early/late light that we all strive for.

But I grabbed a few snaps and will share them with you in two themes.  

Firstly, there were plenty of Shelduck around, and flying about in small groups or singles.

I am not normally too keen on head on shots - but did this for a change.

Male Shelduck - larger 'bobble' on forehead

The next theme is on the Whooper Swans.  There were over 1500 still in at Martin Mere, before they make the migration and the Mere was covered in them.  There were scraps galore, and lots of aggressive behaviour as they jostled for space ahead of their 1500 feed.

One small section of them

Sadly no beautiful underlit snowy shots like Dave got from Japan

I loved watching this scene unfold as they flew line abreast into the lens across the far reed beds, before swing round and landing in formation

Martin

Not much of a Birder!! - Slimbridge day trip Part 1

I went down to WWT Slimbridge last weekend to catch up with the winter birds that come in each year.  It was wonderful to see so many Whooper and Bewick Swans, as well as the White Fronted Geese and hundreds of other waterfowl birds.

As a Twitter user, @martind01, I follow the guys at Slimbridge'  @slimbridge_wild  frequent tweets with interest.  It seems Lesser Scaup, a couple of (Greater) Scaup and a Smew have been seen quite regularly, so I though maybe I might be lucky to see some of these.

So I arrived nice and early and got myself across to the Rushy Hide and watched the comings and goings of the various species, and rattled off a few shots.  The Lesser Scaup was there, across the other side of the water, with its head tucked in tight.

I got a bit bored there after a while and headed across to the other side of site to have fantastic views, in beautiful light, of a Buzzard sat on a post.  I got a lot of shots with both 7D and 5D2, which I will share on a follow up blog.  I  then had the pleasure of a male Sparrowhawk join me on the inside of the Kingfisher hide.  If you know that hide, it has an opening in the roof in the centre with some large glass panes on the eastern side so you can watch the small birds on the feeders at close quarters.  Well the Sparrowhawk obviously decided it would use the hole in the roof to sneak through and catch the little birds out.  I watched in horror as the Hawk flew into the glass, I think it saw it before impact as it slowed somewhat and spread its wings.  It was a bit cross I guess as it tried to keep going at the little birds.  I quickly walked across and stewarded it towards the opening, which it flew through seemingly unharmed, but a close encounter that got me within three feet of the bird to try to help it away from harm.

After a while, I worked my way back to Rushy to find the Lesser Scaup sat just in front of me on the  water, again head down trying to sleep.

 Closed eyes - kept this pose for ages.  Boring!!

A brief open of the eye

A while later she chose to grace our presnce with a head raise and show herslef somehwat more fully

Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)  1st Winter Female

Just another boring brown duck? Well yes really.  It didn't do much, it sat about a bit, slept, raised its head a few times.  So given the bird is native North American and shouldn't be over this side of the water and therefore classified as a reasonably rare 'tick', and a lifetime one for me, I have to say it didn't do much for me. Hence the title of the blogpost today

I guess I am not a 'proper' birder in that case and more content to watch more exciting birds like the beautiful Pintail that are really very common at Slimbridge.

Yes it was nice to photograph, and occasionally have some great light, which makes a pleasant change.

Back next time with more exciting birds like the Buzzard and Whooper Swans from Slimbridge for you

Martin

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

WWT Photo Competition

A quick parish notice to let you know about the WWT ( thats the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust) have recently launched the annual photo competition.  You can link to it here - lots of categories, chances and prizes.  Why not give it a go?

Martin

Starlings at Slimbridge

As a promised in recent posts, I said I would put the Starling images up, but Dave has been putting up so many great images recently, I wanted to wait until he had reached the end of that series, which I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing, and judging by the many comments so have you.  Keep the coments coming we do welcome them.

I missed the starlings for the last two years at Slimbridge but they were back aplenty when I was there at the beginning of the month.

What a spectacle, it was worth the wait, and I have to say I was well impressed with the 1Dmk111 AF acquisition in near darkness.  Why cant it work light that in better light?  :-)

All shots were at ISO3200 with the 70 - 200f2.8 IS L at either f2.8 or f4, with shutter speeds as low as 1/60 on the blurry one, but I liked the effect.

 

 

 

 

It was good to get in a warm car after this as I was frozen

Martin

Trip Report Part 1 - Slimbridge

Jacqui and I went to Slimbridge just after New Year hoping to see the Bittern. There were reports of one being seen the day before we went.

Well we did see it, but it was too far away and far too cluttered to even attempt any photography.

So we went to the South Lake where there is a low level hide, a rarity in bird hides, the late afternoon light comes across very nicely, and luckily was one of the few areas that were not frozen over.

See here are a few from that session.

Male Pochard

Female Tufted Duck having a stretch

Mallard Drake

All with 1Dmk3 and 500f4L IS and 1.4x extender.

In part 2 later in the week, I will share some images of the Starling flocks - they were back!!

Martin

Trip Report - Good Friday from Gloucestershire

I took a day trip out around a few locations in Gloucestershire with a fellow birdwatcher/photographer and friend to see what we could find.

The first location yielded this delightful Red Crested Pochard which is now a breeding species in this location, rather than an escapee.

It was a good location with sightings of Bullfinch and a Woodlark overhead. There were also decent numbers of Sand Martin and Swallows too




On to the next location to see Grey Wagtail. This delightful male bird was running along a dry stone wall just above the river










And his 'wife' decided that should would sit over the river of this barbed wire. A marked contrast between the delicate nature of the bird against the harsh intent of the barbed wire







Then on to WWT Slimbridge to take a look at the kingfishers. We saw them briefly but all at too great a distance to get decent images. So around to the South Lake hide, which is probably the best in terms of point of view. A couple of Little Grebes entertained us for a while








A short while later this beautiful Great Crested Grebe and partner came across, this one catching a small fish which was interesting to watch





Sadly, it was horrible grey flat light all day, so the images are not good from a light perspective but thought I would share with you as a record of some of the day.

Martin

Trip Reports - Short Eared Owls

Well after my post of 14th December, when we were getting used to this blogger system, I have been back to the Short Eared Owl site on a number of occasions. Mostly in terrible light, but with occasional glimpses of sunlight.

I have seen either three or four birds on each occasion, hunting across a couple of fields. The location is pretty good photographically with one field shooting up hill, usually with the light behind, with some long dried grass in the foreground like this. Shot with Canon 1Dmk3, 500 f4 L + 1.4EFTC, ISO 1000


The lower field is usually either with side lighting or shooting directly into the late evening sun, although this has been quite rare on my trips. The site is about 45 minutes south of Stratford upon Avon, in the Cotswolds and I tend to find I leave here in stunning photo light only for it to clag in on me when I am about three miles from the site. Sods Law - but you have to be there to get the image. Armchair wildlife photography doesn't work!!

But on the occasions when the light does show, you can get images like this if you are prepared to shoot into the light. This time at ISO 800.

Natures sepia tone!!

A friend, Graham Goddard wanted to visist the site so we went down on New Years Day, having avoided hangovers with Graham setting out from home at about 6am that day!!. After a fairly fruitless morning at WWT Slimbridge, we went up onto the Cotswolds to see the most amazing haw frost covering the landscape. Unfortunatey, the sky was still very grey but the scenary was fabulous. We observed some great sights - large flock 150+ of Golden Plover, four SEO's on show, a hare on the drive up, three Buzzards, a kestrel talon locking and falling with one of the Owls, a couple of Snipe flying through and a Peregrine falcon through twice, and Graham also tells me a Barn Owl about five minutes after I left when I gave up shooting as it was virtually dark by then.

But I was pleased to get this image at extreme range, at ISO1600 and the 2 x converter, at f10 with camera on bean bag on dry stone wall.

A small splash of colour on a monochrome scene



Click on the images to enlarge.

All images were shot in M mode, metering from neutral scenes and I use the 'expose to the right' methodology. Both of these will be subjects that we will cover in later blog posts - so keep watching.

Martin

From the Archives - Starlings at Twilight

Here is a sight that is truly spectacular. Taken a couple of years ago from the car park at WWT Slimbridge in Gloucestershire, UK. Using my Canon 1Dmk2N at ISO1600, my 70-200 f2.8 IS L wide open at f 2.8 I managed to capture the split flock. I needed to use noise reduction software to keep the noise out of the sky, but given that it was almost dark it shows what can be achieved with older generation kit.

Martin