Buzzards

Had a most enjoyable day with Alan. Target was to photograph the buzzards that have been coming over the past few days. We were privleged to witness two birds playing with each other...but there was three birds at any one time....the sun even came out for us!

Another shot, the pair were playing in the grass for atleast 10 mins before finding some food....more photos to follow.

After the playful antics, it's back to work hunting for the next meal.

Not long after this shot was taken the other buzzard flew right into it and literally knocked him off the tree to the ground, all part of the play I guess...so entertaining to watch!

Birds in Flight

Have been trying some bird in flight photography recently, but the light has been really too bad to get the fast exposures needed. It's felt like Winter with the dark gloom up here in Scotland. Anyway the sun did come out for a few minutes the other day when I was at Lochwinnoch and so managed to capture these two images.

Black Guillimot

Evening Wrens

Red Kites

Went to a feeding station today, but dont think I will be going again. This is the only picture I got of a kite WITHOUT multi-coloured tags on their wings. I know that research needs to be undertaken and its good to see the kites get a helping hand etc...but do the ringers really have to tag, not just on one wing but on both wings and in some cases attach a radio transmitter to the bird also! So my question is: Why two different coloured tags and why on 99.9% on the birds I saw yesterday. Has the ringing gone a little out of hand? I even see rings on blue tits!

Anyway, this was the only bird I could see without a tag. Hope you like.


This other photo is a cheat. I cloned out the 2 tags and the radio transmitter. I set it free to be wild :), although he looks a bit worse for wear...a real scavenger!

Slavonian Grebe

What an amazing bird. Summer plumage turns this ordinary looking bird into a stunner!
Really pleased with the new tripod. Canon 40D, Canon 500mm f.4 IS USM lens. Feilsol 3372 Tripod, Manfrotto 393 Head,

Blue Tit (juvenile)

Went out today with my new tripod and head. I have eventually decided to get a decent tripod, although I couldn't afford a Gitzo. I have a Feisol 3372 carbon fibre, and I am very pleased with it. I have a Manfrotto 393 gimbal style head attached to the tripod.
It was a very dull, showery day up here in Scotland and these shots were taken about 7am in the morning. I am quite please with the sharpness of them as the tripod seems to be rock steady.
1/320; f6.3; ISO 800;

Dipper

Went to a location where the dippers were nesting. They were raising chicks behind a waterfall. Will the dry spell we had, the water was just trickling and so you could see the chicks in the nest. Every 15 mins the parent would come with some juicy bits of food and would cautiously work itself up stream to the nest. It was such a pleasure to watch. I had the camera mounted on a tripod as I had to take very slow shutter speeds as the light was patchy and dark, typical dipper habitat. I was covered with a camo hide...perfect!

Pied Flycatcher

Linnet

Dunlin

Canada Goose

Grey Heron

Sparrowhawk

Had a great day at a friends hide. Waited all day for him to appear and he didn't disapoint!

Nuthatch

Headed South to near the English border to get these birds. Not very common at all in Scotland. Wanted the classic Nuthatch pose, sticking his neck out!

Crested Tits

I went up to Speyside in the Highlands of Scotland. It is only here that you have any chance of seeing these wonderful birds in the UK. I had seen them before in Spain, but never in the UK.
I was very pleased with the outcome as the light was good but very harsh, and in the forest it became very difficult to read the light correctly due to the high contrast. Anyway, please tell me your thoughts.

GS Woodpecker

Turnstones at Maidens

Took a break and popped down to Maidens for an hour, and saw a couple of Turnstones. They are more tame than the Redshanks, letting you get a little closer, but soon they fly off.

Redpoll

Dunnock & Robin

Two birds in the garden today.

Meadow Pipit

Headed down to Maiden again and there was a whole flock of these little birdies!

Shag under attack

Went down to Girvan harbour and watched this shag catching dinner. He would spend a couple of minutes under the water and as soon as he surfaced the gull would try and steal his dinner, always unsuccessfully as the fish was down his throat so fast.

Redshank at Maidens

It felt like a beautiful Spring morning today down at Maidens. No wind and the sky gave off a fantastic light. I wanted to try and get close to some of the waders down on the shoreline. The tide was coming in so I got myself into position just behind the sea-weed tide line. I laid down a plastic mat and lay down covering myself with the camo netting and had the camera resting on my bean-bag, and waited patiently.

Long-tailed Tit

One of my favourite birds.