Painting kit

Thought you might like to see the vast array of kit I use to sketch birds. An old metal palette filled with colour from tubes. A few old brushes, piece of rag and a water bottle. This, alongside my sketchbook, pencil and scope is all I need. Makes a change from carrying a rucksack full of heavy photo gear.

This lapwing was sketched after all its 100+ mates had flown off. It must have been either fast asleep or a bit under the weather as it remained on its own most of the afternoon. Tried to get an idea of the iridescence of the plumage with the purples and greens in the feathers. Hard to do with watercolour. It sat on a raft entirely oblivious to me and anything else.

Feed me Mummy

A late Great Crested Grebe chick was ravenous today at Bretton Park. The parents could not catch fish fast enough.

Dipper Delight

Went up the Calder Valley today in search of Dippers. They took a couple of hours to find but after much walking found a couple feeding on Caddis Fly. They caught the caddis and then thumped the case on a stone or piece of wood to dislodge the grub from the case. They seemed to be getting a lot of food. Stunning birds.

One Good Tern deserves a Slavonian Grebe

Anglers Country Park near Wakefield has a superb juvenile Arctic Tern flying around today. Spent an hour getting a good flight shot of it as it flew over the shallows.

There were two Slavonian grebe also on the lake but the dog-walkers dogs made its life a misery as it tried to find food in the shallows. Lots of Blue-green algae in the water. Wonder if it affects dogs? I managed to get a photo of one the grebes by sitting quietly under a bag-hide by the side of the lake and waiting for the grebe to come to me. Good job I'd taken a flask of coffee with me.

Strange looking Canada Goose with the semi-resident flock. A rather leucistic individual.

Life in the Lakes

Had a few days in the Lake district recently. It rained evvvvvery day. Took a few photos of birds coming to the feeders at the house I was staying at. The Nuthatch was the bully, the Coal Tit the victim who was always getting pushed off the food. The Willow Tit was the opportunist who was hooked on sunflower seeds. Camera wet, me wet - situation normal for the Lakes then!

Garden delight

Spent a little time photographing birds on the garden feeders today. Set the camera up inside the lounge with the patio doors open slightly and some camouflage scrim over the lens. Much warmer than in my hide but if I put the central heating on, the warm air going out of the door mixes with the cold and creates a shimmer that does nothing for the photos.

The sunflower hearts are the best attraction and this Great Tit loves them. He comes for one at a time and then rushes away to eat it, never staying on the perch I've clamped on a pole for more than a second or two.

Bittern encounters -Part 1

Tuesday 6th February

Spent a while in the hide at Pugneys country Park in Wakefield, my local patch. 2 bitterns came out to play on the iced-up water. One (Laurel) tried to walk on the ice and kept falling through. The other (Hardy) looked on from above. They seemed to like the sunshine. They were a long way away for photography, even with a 600mm prime lens +1.4x converter.

Also present was a Red-Crested Pochard, by the jetty on the main lake. Posed for photos whilst having a wash and brush up. I love action photos but they are so hard to get!

American Robin in Bingley

Tuesday 30th January 2007

Went to see the Juvenile American Robin today. What a poser. It commuted between Holly bushes in house gardens and open scrubland where it proceeded to pull up worms. It posed for a few photos before retiring to a Hawthorn to digest its meal. Met some friendly birders there and people were sensible in not trying to flush the bird.