Weekend Walk

This weekend I thought I would try something different and just go for a walk.

Armed with my long lens and macro lens I just took photos of thing that interest me.

The first shot is a Little Grebe which I saw a Mere Sands Wood reserve, it kept diving whenever I went to take a photo, I managed to get this one, but it was further away than I would have liked.

Photo taken with Nikon D70 + Sigma 170-500mm @ 500mm

Now for something different, I am taking more of an interest in insects and bugs and enjoying the challenges of photographing them, I have recently bought a Collins book for id's but if I get them wrong please let me know as this is quite new to me.

The next shot is a female Scorpion Fly, the males tail turns over much like a scorpion, these are common throughout the UK, but the first one I have seen.

Photo taken with Nikon D70 + Nikkor 28-100mm with x4 macro adaptor

The next couple of shots are the highlight of my photographic weekend and something I have never seen before it is a female Broad Bodied Chaser and was stunning in the sunlight, there where two females around, but no male. The male is similar but blue.

It's mad to think that until I looked at these things properly I would have just thought dragonfly, fly, butterfly.... but is definitely something I am quickly getting into.

Photo taken with Nikon D70 + Nikkor 28-100mm with x4 macro adaptor

I will be posting some butterfly pics this week too (nightmare to photograph) and I have made a moth trap which if it works I will post some pics from that too.

Hope you like the shots from my walk.

Mike :)

First Young

Here's a shot from this morning, it wasn't the first young bird I was expecting to see but made for a nice photo anyway.

It's a young Starling, as usual with Starlings I heard a lot of noise coming from the garden and when I checked it out the adult was feeding two young, I just managed to take a few photos when the camera shutter spooked them and they flew off.

The first shot is the young bird followed by the adult, quite a difference..

Photos taken with Nikon D70 + Sigma 170-500mm @ 400mm

Hopefully I will be able to get some young blue, coal or great tits, fingers crossed.

Mike.

Red Kite

I have just got back from a week in Dumfries, South west Scotland.

I went there last year around this time and the birding was pretty good, whilst there we went back to the Red Kite feeding station.

Here are some of the shots I got, hope you like them.

This last shot is definitely my favourite, it was just a great angle the bird came in at.

Photos taken with Nikon D70 + Sigma 170-500mm

Thanks everyone who keep dropping by, I know i'm not posting as much as I would like, but working on it, Mike.

My first Dipper

Well its my first Dipper I have been able to get a decent photograph of anyway.

These shots where taken at Yarrow Country Park, I have had some luck with a Kingfisher here before, sadly today it wasn't there, but was shocked to see a Dipper fly by and even better when it went into a nest on a vertical wall.

Photo taken with Nikon D70 + Sigma 170-500mm lense @ 500mm

Another bird which caught my eye was this Robin, I thought it was the Dipper a couple of times, then it landed exactly where I wanted it too and I got around 20 pics. I think this was the best of the bunch.

Photo taken with Nikon D70 + Sigma 170-500mm lense @ 500mm

Just something that caught my eye in the sunlight.

Photos taken with Nikon D70 + Sigma 170-500mm lense @ 500mm

I'm still not getting out as much as I like, but I have a trip planned to Scotland again soon so hopefully I will have a few posts from that to do.

Thanks for keep dropping by.

Mike.