Welney and Slimbridge

Last weekend was one of my most productive for photography for months. The forcast was good for Saturday so I headed to Welney to try and catch up with the barn owls. They performed pretty well and for once the light was with me. We even were treated to a couple of short eared owls too so that was a welcome addition to the portfolio.

We also booked a photography hide beneath the observatory which resulted in some great low level waterfowl shots. Sunday it was another WWT site on the agenda and we headed to Slimbridge where again the light was good and the birds performed. Check out Alamy for some of the better shots.

New Year Plans

People talk about swans but I think I am more akin to a grebe...lots of action under the surface and actually nothing to see above!

I have been busy though doing lots of talks and planning for this years trips, shows etc. I have also moved house and have no internet so hence the break in blog updates.

I have now given the Secret Wildlife of the Cairngorms talk four times and it has gone down well, plans are now afoot to add to it for next winter though and there is even rumour of a Shetlands trips!!

I have also been accepted as a photographer for image library Alamy so will start to make my portfolio available on there as and when I get the time.

Two trips to Gigrin Farm in the last couple of weeks were a bit dissapointing as the weather did not live up to the forecasts. The snowy weather bought out the combatitive spirit of the herons who challenged the resident buzzards. The photos were only records of the event but encouraged me to head back a couple of weeks later. One kite seemed happy to sit in the tree above the hide and look down on us for an hour or so while we tried to get the best angle from within the complex of branches! I also added some more red kite and raven flight shots to the collection.

Plans this month include an owl chasing trip to Norfolk and begin to build the new hide for some late winter feeder photography...watch this space.