Gloucester

I got as far as Gloucester last night on my way to lecture to Torbay Photographic club tonight. Unfortunately the sunset wasn't as good as Phil's taken in Toft so just a few shots along the Canal.

Nightingales in Full Song

A quick call in at Paxton on way to Devon to check on Nightingales and, yes, they have arrived in numbers now (we counted 6 singing birds along the first section of path. I did not get any clear views but this one was of interest to the warden as has colour rings from ?nestling ringing. One male did display beautifully out on a twig but I was too slow and just got the departing bird but it shows the beautiful taill very well.

More Red Kites

Today, there was blue sky and sunshine, which helped the birds against the sky giving more colour and contrast but made them more difficult to photograph against bright hillside backgrounds.

The first 2 images below show the birds against the attractive background of the Chiltern Hills and Woods. In the last 2 images the birds are progressively closer so the background is more out of focus. (all at 2500th sec, f2.8 ISO400 )

Red Kites

We visited Watlington Hill on the way to talk at Wallingford Photographic Club and the Red Kites were in superb form. The first image was one of many where the kites came very close to inspect us. The bland sky was not in our favour. However, the good thing about being on the hill is that you can photograph the Kites against a background and you get top, underneath and sideway views.

Evening Light at Paxton

We went in search of Nightingales as they had been reported singing at Paxton. No luck on Nightingales but the light was beautiful so more images of the Cormorants and Canada Geese and also a strange reflection of a Common Tern that looks as if there is another one coming out of the water (very big enlargement!) .

Sunny Saturday

Yesterday was CCC's Points of View day, when last year's winner sets five topics to photograph in a given place and time. I was unlucky (or stupid) enough to win last year so set this year's tasks. I based the afternoon around Parker's Piece and Mill Road. It was an unusually hot and sunny day and everyone was out enjoying the weather. The Firemen were raising money for charities by towing a fire engine round Cambridge.

Beefly flight (and swallows)

Some experiments on the shutterspeed needed to stop the wing movement in the Bee Fly. These were taken at 500th, 1600th, 2500th and 5000th of a second with corresponding change in ISO speed. Only the fastest shuitterspeed was able to stop the wing movement of these hovering insects

A first sighting of one of our Swallows at the bungalow yesterday (7th April) - last year's date was April 6th!

Spring Songs

A beautiful warm day today certainly gave the birds something to sing about. The Blackcap (possibly two) was in full song in our lane along with Robin and Greenfinches. The latter were enjoying the Plum blossom.

Black-headed Gulls

Three more Black-headed Gull images from Sunday that I liked.

Paxton Pits

A first visit to Paxton Pits this spring and certainly spring is well underway there. The Black-headed gulls are busy fighting and mating, Cormorants are still collecting nesting material although many nests already have hatched chicks being fed as do the Herons and the Geese were also laying and incubating eggs, We heard Chiff Chaffs, Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Cetti's Warblers.

Geoff showed us around the stud in Newmarket where he looks after the stallion. The foals wer adorable as always. I concentrated on closeups with simple colour combinations and backgrounds. I also tried a few slow shutterspeed panning shots of two yearlings. I managed just one hoof sharp.

Birmingham

 I enjoyed a couple of hours in the rain in Birmingham today watching people and umbrellas. I also had time in the Bullring and around the Selfridge Building.