Common Birds in Good Light

I borrowed Ian's lens and converter to compare with my lens which maybe needs a service as it has had hard use over the years I have had it. First a visit to a local pond to field test the lenses. Plenty of activity with Dabchicks diving for fish, Mallard, moorhens, gulls and rooks. No discernible difference in performance - first 7 images with 1.4 converter, last three without. 

Cromer Crab Versus Gull

The children were crabbing off Cromer pier and then releasing them late in the afternoon under the Pier. The gulls lined up to take their pick of the crabs though this young bird seems a bit anxious about about what to do with the pincers! The light was particularly good after a heavy rain storm so I took some time doing portraits of adult Herring Gull plus Blackheaded Gulls

Spring is in the Air

Wonderful to hear a couple of Skylarks trilling away at Trumpington Meadows - not enough for the collective  'Exultation of larks' but still enough to raise the spirits. Plenty of other activity among the rooks, waterbirds, gulls and jackdaws

Bradgate Park: Birds

Although most photographers go to Bradgate for the deer, especially in the autumn, there are plenty of birds to snap. Starting with the shyer species - Grey Heron, Buzzard, Jackdaw and Pied Wagtail. Jackdaws are born with blue-grey eyes. Their irises change to brown in the first winter and white once they gain their adult plumage. The Black Headed Gulls and Mallard ducks gave plenty of opportunities for 'action' shots as well as portraits.

Birds Return As the Tide Recedes

We left it a bit too long after the hide tide to take a walk along The Walls at Manningtree so most of the birds were a fair distance away except for this Black-tailed Godwit collecting small animals on the shingle close to us. The camouflage is so good it was hard to see without going in close with the lens. The Turnstones and Jackdaws were much more confiding and Black-headed Gulls, Lesser Black-Backed Gulls and Redshank also showed.