Paxton Pits - Rain At Last

In other years, the camera would have stayed in the camera bag with light levels as bad as they were yesterday morning, but the first rain into Heronry Lake at Paxton for many weeks had to be recorded!! The two Great Crested Grebe chicks are now as big as their parents but still being fed by them. They spend a lot of time in the shallow water - a good tactic to avoid the Cormorants. All the usual 'players' visited - Gulls, Gadwall, Coot, Heron, Egrets etc. 

Projects at RSPB Bempton

A second visit to Bempton cliffs yesterday and I decided to concentrate on a couple of projects. First, trying to show the sea birds among the cliff flowers that form their home during the breeding season. Red Campion, Hogweed, Sea Matweed and Plantain are the predominant flowers. My second project was to try ways of showing the movement of the vast numbers of sea birds in and out of the cliffs. Here time-lapse flight trails show the numbers of birds going in and out of the cliffs.

Lackford Gulls

The light was great for bird watching at Lackford on Tuesday and I enjoyed photographing trying to make images using the contrasty light and shadows - generally not recommended for nature photography. Shooting at 1/3200th second with a 420mm lens on a micro 4/3rd body on high burst revealed a cycle of 4 wing positions as the gulls hovered looking down in the water for food.  I do like the patterns on the gull's breast in the 2nd and 3rd images.

Icy Conditions and January Webs Count at Paxton Pits

The first two images are taken during our January Wetland Birds count at the back of Rudd  Lake and a view of Hayling Lake with frosted Water Soldier - these were the only two view points with any numbers of birds and then Gulls, Coots and Swans with no Ducks or Geese. The other images were taken on a later walk round looking at the iced vegetation and puddles. Final couple from the start of my car journey at 8am as the sun was rising on a hoar-frosted landscape along the Hardwick Road.

Morning Light at Hunstanton

In addition to the possibility of a stunning sunset, Hunstanton can also provide beautiful lighting for morning bird photography as the sun climbs above the cliff accentuating the intricate plumage of our winter waders, gulls and egrets. Sanderlings are always a challenge but worth the chase!!