13-18th July 2013, Getting used to something new!

Since I started my quest to improve my wildlife photography, both from a fieldcraft and photographic point of view, the question has lurked in the back of my mind...could I aspire to use some good quality DSLR equipment?

I have worked hard to develop my knowledge and fieldcraft, books and articles have been devoured and digested, and I have worked equally as hard on the technical aspects of photography. Joining a couple of forums where help and advice could be sought, and more importantly found, was really helpful and I have made some good friends. It was to a couple of them, names not necessary, that I turned to for advice when I decided to set a budget and do some internet exploring!

The advice was reassuring and the pointers towards suitable kit was remarkably similar, a short while later a large box was delivered and a new adventure begins!

A Canon 60d and a Canon 100-400mm IS lens are now my main photographic kit, the trusty SX40 will always be there for landscapes and longer zoom shots.

A period of trial and experiment is necessary, a cheap SLR I bought a couple of years ago in anticipation of this hastened things along though!

The journey begins in my Mum's garden and appropriately for me... a white rose :)

I decided to concentrate in areas I know well so that comparisons would be easy...so the canal towpath it was then!

A lovely moorhen...

And my favourite heron..

At this stage the camera and lens were on full auto settings and I was finding some difficulty coping with the near 4lb weight with hand held shots...

Another moorhen..

And heron..

A mallard mid splash!

A lovely swan paddled by giving the chance of a shot..

And a moorhen with chick..

And finally for the day a small tortoiseshell butterfly..

Some post walk reading allowed me the knowledge to manually set a couple of things on the camera (I won't bore you with the details) and how to use the lens to my best advantage.

Wharfedale the following day, the sun is shining and the woods are host to an invisible chorus of birdsong! Nothing will pose for my camera, occasional sightings as birds winged through the foliage only to disappear again...but I found a small copper butterfly..

And some splendid fungi..

Eventually a blackbird appeared...

And a black headed gull perched on a mid stream rock

I was working hard on better ways to hold the camera still...

I think this is a ringlet....

Sand martin chicks were spotted on a telephone wire....

And then a bonus as a lovely young dipper appeared, about 8ft below us down a sheer bank so not an ideal angle nonetheless beautiful :-)

Whenever possible I have been out for more practice....

Another canal walk...and a series of moorhen shots..

A couple of mallard reflections...

A daisy on our lawn...

And a lovely young blackbird with food..

We took a walk in the fields near home...

A dandelion..

A painted lady butterfly, not common evidently...

A wide open aperture gives a very narrow depth of field or focus giving a muted effect on all apart from the mallard in the foreground..

And finally in the last light of evening just the cutest duckling...

Many thanks to all of you who are following me through my photographic journey, I hope you enjoy the photographs even half as much as I enjoy taking them!

Don't forget that if you feel moved to add a comment, they come to me first for approval, can't be doing with all that Spam, Spam , Spam or worse can we!

4th - 10th July 2013. A bit of a miscellany!

Despite the glorious weather recently we haven't always had the opportunity to walk and seek out the wildlife as often as we would have liked. Domestic jobs still have to be done, we had the small matter of a change of cars to accomodate and to be honest sometimes the energy levels have not been high!

On Thursday evening I had a short walk by the canal, not much was in evidence but the exercise was worthwhile as always...eventually I found a goldfinch perched on some barbed wire...

A little further on and a juvenile swallow was taking a rest..

Saturday saw the collection of our new vehicle and most of the day was spent driving around getting used to it!!

Sunday was a solo trip to Leighton Moss for me as the ladies enjoyed a shopping trip.

Tipping out of bed at 5.30am was oh so much fun, I was on the road at 6.30 and enjoyed a lovely journey on the quiet roads. Nearing Leighton Moss I saw a fox cub wandering by the side of the road, quietly stopping the car I began to reach under the passenger seat where my camera normally resides.
Packing most of my gear the night before I had put the camera in the boot! I settled on just watching the beautiful creature for as long as I could and it wasn't long before it disappeared into some nearby trees.

I got parked up at the visitor centre and began to explore...a lovely reed warbler appeared for just long enough for me to get a shot..

A red deer grazed by one of the ponds...

An elegant swan drifted by...

And a feisty wren told everything else just who was the boss !!

The heat was sweltering and I took regular breaks for re-hydration...the hides are like sweat boxes and a quiet place in the open but in shade was far better for cooling down.

As I sat this fearless rabbit approached and began to nibble the tall grasses..

Resuming my hide watch I had a visit from a marsh harrier..

Goldfinches fed on the thistle tops...

And a gorgeous four spotted chaser settled nearby..

One of the birds I always hope to see up close here is the stunning great crested grebe, today I was lucky and witnessed one on a successful hunt..

There were numerous damselflies and dragonflies in evidence, few settled in photographic range but I managed a decent shot of a common blue damsel..

Another great crested grebe..

And another marsh harrier..

I wandered off to another hide and got settled in just in time to witness an amazing sight as a cormorant captured a large eel and struggled to subdue it enough for it to devour....

The cormorant eventually prevailed...as did the weather on me, I was exhausted and decided it was time for home...the lens was uncapped once more when I spotted a chiffchaff in full voice though..

Home was gained safely and after a lateish start on Monday I headed up to Barden Moor for a short walk.

The playground of my childhood yields paths few others use, or even know about! Just a relaxing wander with no great photographic expectations but a red grouse always gets my attention..

A moth later identified as an Oak Eggum..

And a splendid curlew flew noisily past...

Wednesday saw me by the canal again..

A beautiful resting cygnet..

Juvenile swallows clinging together, certainly not for warmth!

A ringlet butterfly....

And the bird that never lets me down..grey heron!