Maldon Essex 2.Boats

The afternoon was spent on Thames Barge Kitty - a percentage of it attempting to get away from the Quay at Maldon as the incoming tide and strong wind took us back to the Quay many times before we eventually got away. The other boats including Hydrogen had similar problems. It was a very High tide as shown by the beach huts! Lots to photograph for participants, up, forward and down 

Maldon Essex 1.Birds

First a few birds from our RPS/CCC trip to Maldon today. I spent the morning walking along the estuary bank and enjoying the summer plumage of the Black-tailed Godwits together with various other species in tip-top plumage for the breeding season. Not as many large flocks of waders and Brent Geese as a visit in 2014 on a similar date (http://pin-sharp.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/blackwater-birds.html) but plenty to test the accuracy of my Fuji long lens.

Maldon Birds Continued

Here are the rest of the birds from the Maldon trip - lots of Black-Headed Gulls behaving badly, Starlings in mating mode and some of the 200 or so Brent Geese still roosting at high tide on the Estuary.

Blackwater Birds

 I was testing using the 2X converter on the 70-200 lens as still searching for a good 'travel' set-up for bird photography. It was bright and sunny in the morning and the results were pretty good. When it clouded over, focus was not so accurate. Lots of Black-tailed Godwits feeding and then roosting on the mud banks. I always enjoy the way the light and dark change as the flocks wheel around. Coot, Moorhen and Widgeon all obliged to test the lens combination.