Think outside the box

I am going through my California images and one came to mind, I spent some time shooting American Coots, Differing from the Euro coot by the bump on the head although they still have that 'fight at every opportunity' mentality, Now how many Coot images do you think agencies have on the books-right, thousands, So although i wanted to improve on what i had on file which to be honest wasnt a lot i also wanted to submit images that were different from the norm but usable to publishers, Now i would guess that this images would be slated if i put it up on a forum due to the unusual composition but think like a publisher and you will see that it makes sense, The bird only takes up half the image allowing for text etc but also the bird is a good size in the frame and as always needed nice and sharp, If you are going to submit to agencies and are offering a common subject then make sure that you submit some original material or it will all go in the bin

Dave

To VR/I.S or not

Over the last few months i have been experimenting with the VR/Image stabiliser system on my Nikon lenses, I have read many times about whether you should turn the VR off when on a tripod or when the shutter speeds are high, When i was in Japan i shot alot of the images with the camera/lens on a tripod with the VR switched off and i was very happy with the results, i have continued to keep the VR feature turned off when the shutter speed is above 1/500 and if my set up is locked down i keep it off whatever the speed, I have always been an advocate of image stabilization but now i am starting to rethink its usage, I always have it on when hand holding but now when its tripod mounted it tends to be turned off, If you keep your VR/I.S on all the time then try turning it off and see if your images suffer or improve, I would be interested in your comments on whether you turn stabilization on or off


Dave

Shocking News Story today

For many years I think it has been clear that the intentions of those who claim to be best protectors and custodians of wildlife and wild places in Scotland have solely concentrated on their commercial rights at the expense of our native wildlife.

We have heard time after time how raptors have been persecuted, shot, trapped, illegal poisoned, strangely enough all around shooting and game estates.  Funny that!! - except it isn't, in any way shape or form.

There have been test sites where with appropriate management, the Hen Harrier population can live and survive happily alongside grouse moors where appropriate measures are taken (that doesn't include killing them) and strangely enough those managed moors support a greater head of HH population that all the other moors.

This story today that was published on the BBC really just looks a bit like a self admission  and might be deemed as confirming the fears that many who seek to conserve our native wildlife have expressed all along.

Now while the landowners may not wish to cull HH's, I think the records of illegal persecution and the numbers of these wonderful birds that breed probably tells it own story.

I trust that the new Scottish government will look to preserve and conserve its natural heritage and not succumb to considerable commercial pressures, much of it not owned locally.

I have always said that we would stay clear of politics on this blog, and we have done well, but things like this that affect our wildlife deserve to be shared.

Would welcome your views and comments, but a always, please leave a name before we publish.

Thanks

Martin

Lets talk-Health and summer

Well summer is well and truly here-how do i know? is it the birds singing or the new green leaves on the trees? nope its the tic that was buried deep in my thigh, First of the year and i am sure there will be plenty more, NC seems a pretty bad place for these parasites, Last year i was ill for some time with Rocky Mountain spotted fever and i dont want to go through that again, I have tic removers for my dog and they work just as well on humans and only cost a couple of dollars from a vets-well worth having at home just in case, Do not just try to pull them out as that will leave the head in and then you get all kinds of infections-be warned
The pond that i made is now full of tadpoles as well as other types of larvae and has pond skaters and various beetles in and around it-water is THE best addition that you can make to your garden to attract wildlife although out here it may attract snakes so you do have to be careful
The bird box has done well this year with 2 lots of blue birds fledged already, We watched last week as the busy parents went back and forth with beaks full of fly's and bugs and watched as they left the box with fecal sacs to keep the nest clean,
The Ruby throated hummingbirds have started to come back so i have a feeder out and over the weekend we had a few appearances so i can start to get things ready for the coming weeks, I dabbled last year but in truth it was just too hot to stay out, This year i will make some kind of shade to help me from frying.
After great trips like Japan and California it can be hard to get enough enthusiasm to go back to shooting the same ol same ol and i must admit i do suffer from that so i need to get my head together and get a project going, The hummingbirds will be the first and then the fox's which come into my garden most nights, I was sitting out side last night with my wife and a neighbor having a shandy or 2 when i turned around and the fox was there eating some food i had put out, I was amazed as they are so shy, 2 deer turned up as well and we watched for the 5-10 minutes that they were there-a special moment
We had a new arrival in out garden in the form of a yellow throat male-beautiful and i hope that he stays around for a time for me to get some shots in,
We planted some vegetables in pots yesterday, Last year that attracted all kinds of bugs from affids to hornworm as well as giving us some fresh veg as an added bonus
When i was in California i stupidly dragged a load of oil over my D3s sensor when using the Arctic Butterfly so i cleaned it over the weekend with eclipse fluid and some Visible dust swabs so now its as good as new and will save some time behind the PC when processing, The built in senor cleaner certainly help, the D3 was a nightmare for dust but i do not think that they work on the Full Frame senors as well as they do on cropped senors for some reason, The D300 was always clean and the D7000 is also good but the D3s always seems to have a couple of spots on it

Dave

Mini Trip Report Pt 4 - RSPB Minsmere - Study of the Marsh Harrier

As promised, I said I would bring you some Marsh Harrier images from my recent trip to Minsmere in Suffolk.

Marsh Harrier are wonderful birds and I have watched them from many hours at Minsmere.  My favourite hide is the Bittern Hide, which is one of the closest hides to the car park.  It is raised about thirty feet above ground level, and while that is normally a problem for most hide photography, for the Marsh Harriers it is excellent. You get eye level shots with backgrounds of the reed beds.  This time if the year the reeds are still straw coloured as the new green growth hasn't reached the tops .  Give it another four weeks and the backgrounds will be totally different.  I personally prefer this colour as the complement to the subject matter.

So here are a few images I took from the trip.  While many of the views are far too too distant, you do get some close flybys and those are the ones worth waiting for.  As a result, some of these images are big crops, and of course the quality shows where it is heavily cropped.

 Wider 'enviro' shot showing the background and habitat

 All of the above shots were of the male bird

 Two previous are the female showing the colour variations

As you can soon most images are flying from right to left.  This was because the birds were flying into the wind as they were hunting, and of course it is easier to catch your subject when travelling more slowly over the ground.

If you are going to get a trip in to Minsmere soon, you will be in for some great sightings of these birds.

Martin

They are back

In 2009, it was May 6th, last year it was May 1st and yesterday, I saw them again for the first time this year.  Yep - it is Swift time.  What a pleasure it was after a long absence without them flying overhead.  I heard them first  and then looking up there were three.  A little later they were joined by more.

That is the 42nd species of the year for the Garden/overhead my house this year.

It almost feels like it has taken just about as much time as the Swifts, but we had a strange rare phenomenon here yesterday - it rained.  After the driest April in my lifetime of just one heavy shower for the entire month, the wildlife garden and hedgerows have been so desperate for water, it is very much welcomed.

Martin

Monterey Bay

There can be few nicer places to visit and photograph in the spring than Monterey and the bay area, There is a huge variety of wildlife from Sea Lions, Harbour Seals, Sea Otter and an amazing amount of bird life,add to that stunning landscapes and possible trips out to see whales etc and it becomes a wildlife/nature lovers paradise, Monterey is about 2 hours south of San Francisco by car, Straight down highway 101 or the more picturesque coastal Highway one, I have been many times over the last few years but spring is special due to the flowers that line the beaches and can be seen from miles away-stunning, Monterey itself is a big tourist attraction and worth doing the touristy bits along cannery row where you can find the amazing Aquarium-to me its the best one in the world and although not cheap to enter its worth every penny and your jaw is guaranteed to drop, It even has a beach inside where you can see and shoot a variety if waders-amazing, Moving South from Monterey you go through Clint Eastwood country-Carmel and then on to the Big Sur, If you like rugged coastline then this is the place for you

Surfing is very popular along this stretch of coastline

Wild flowers along the coast at Pacific Grove

Brewers Blackbird shot here at sun down

Rugged Coast line from Monterey all the way up and through the Big Sur

Ground Squirrel are everywhere

The Famous Cannery Row now a tourist destination for food and the Aquarium

Behind Cannery Row looking up at the Aquarium -last building and a good place to see sea otters

Monterey and the bay area are good all year but in spring its fantastic and if you dive then you will be in heaven

Dave

Late Friday Quickie

Back earlier this year, I had the pleasure of photographing Bewick Swans that were overwintering at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire.  Reading through Wildlife Extra today, I note with sadness that significant numbers of these birds are being shot at.  The full story can be found here and is worth a read.  It still beggars belief that people could shoot such majestic animals as these.  Given that these are the survivors, it makes you wonder how many do not survive their ordeal.

Meanwhile, with the long run of dry weather that we have been having in the UK, forest and other wildfires have been breaking out from either natural or arsonist causes and are found to be having a bad effect on the twite population.  Again great sadness for this lovely little bird.

Meanwhile back in Europe, this story about a Pallid Harrier, one of the rarest European birds that was shot in Malta has gone to Germany for rehabilitation.  Just how such a community within the EU remains able to get away with this persistent and ongoing shooting of anything that flies over its territory remains a sad indictment on that place.

Back next time with some more images from Minsmere

Martin