OLD FAITHFULS

When there isn't much to photograph around Scarborough, you can rely on our winter visitors, the Mediterranean Gulls at Holbeck car park. All you need is a camera (not necessarily a big one!), and a packet of plain crisps. I had seven around today, in a mass of Black-headed Gulls. The sun was actually shining, so conditions were perfect for a change. Some of the Meds are beginning to acquire more black on the head, and one was definitely feeling the joys of Spring, displaying to any other that came near.

All images on Canon EOS 1D MkIV and 500mm F4 IS USM Mk II. Hand held or monopod.

This is a second winter bird with black in it's primaries.

Display involves throwing the head back and opening the wings slightly whilst calling.

As long as you keep throwing the Walkers Ready Salted, they'll keep coming!

500mm is a bit too chunky for close flight shots. I need to go back with a shorter lens.

After I'd run out of crisps, I went to see the Water Rail at Northstead Manor Gardens. It showed very briefly on two or three occasions, but too quick for me to get any shots off. The light was wrong, so I went to Filey Dams. Quiet there too, but the ever faithful Tree Sparrows were performing.

SINKING SUN

Shooting into the sun can give some interesting silhouettes, but it can also give some interest to the background if there is a nice colourful sunset. The images of the Short-eared Owl here were shot into a setting sun, and give a pleasant "half-silhouette" with a peach of a sky. The image of the Great-black Backed Gull were taken with the setting sun to the left, and give a nice tint with the brown background complimenting the fading light - a bit more interesting than the usual black and white bird against a blue or white sky.

"PURPS"

It's been nearly four months since my last post - lousy weather being the main reason for a lack of output. I did spend two weeks in Germany seeing my daughter get her Ph.D but didn't get much birding time, and the weather there was no better than here. We returned mid-December to find a Council worker had put his JCB through the telephone line to our village, so no 'phone, internet or e-mail for the next 10 days. Then it was Christmas, New Year and all, and, since then we've had one sunny day!
In desperation, I went to the harbour this afternoon to photograph our flock of Purple Sandpipers. The light (or lack of it) was depressing, but with the aid of a bit of white-balance adjustment and a fair dose of 'shopping, I got some half-decent images, but no sparkle from the sun.
The problem with the Purps is that they go there to roost at high tide so just sit there asleep with heads tucked under their wings. You just have to hang about until one moves!

All images were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mk IV, F4 500mm IS II lens and 1.4 Mk III converter on a Gitzo tripod.

1/30th sec @F14,  ISO 1600.

All other images 1/250th sec @ F5.6,  ISO 1600.

"PELAGIC"

"Of or relating to the open sea" - Collins dictionary definition. Does a few miles off Flamborough Head on the Yorkshire Belle qualify? Well, it was good fun anyway. The recent easterly storm might have been expected to leave a few interesting birds in the North Sea, even though a westerly was blowing. However, it wasn't to be. A distant flock of Common Scoter, and about 16 Manx Shearwater were the highlights. Someone reported a Sooty Shearwater, and a Black Tern, but neither were announced over the tannoy, so I didn't see them. Chrys Mellor was throwing plenty of "chum" over the stern, which only attracted a multitude of Herring and Greater Black-backer Gulls. Skuas were remarkable by their complete absence. A few Manxies came within shooting distance, but even with a 500mm lens on a 1D Mk IV, it was pushing it a bit. The only compensation was the light, which remained good throughout the three and a half hour trip. If you want gull photos, this trip is for you (courtesy of the RSPB).

Juvenile Greater Black-backed Gulls (Larus marinus).

Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus).

NORTHUMBERLAND

Just had a few days on the Northumberland Coast, staying near Holy Island. I've good memories of birding there in my youth, so it was nice to have a chance to re-visit some sites and find some new ones. The wind was westerly at first, and Holy Island was quiet, but then all hell broke loose with the intense depression causing heavy rain and strong easterlies for a couple of days. I visited Hauxley where the sea was pretty rough. Three Bonxies and two Arctic Skuas in about five minutes, with plenty of gannets and Auks constituted a brief seawatch. An adult Little Gull was on the main pool, and a nice male Common Redstart was skulking in the undergrowth keeping out of the gale. Cresswell and Druridge were quiet. On Holy Island there had been a moderate fall of migrants, with Redstarts, Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, Robins and Song Thrushes in good numbers. Rarities included Wryneck, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Hawfinch and Yellow-browed Warbler, none of which I saw. Staking out an Arctic Warbler at the Lindisfarne Hotel proved fruitless the first time, but next day (after a cloudy night), it was still there, and good views were had by several birders. I got one or two poor photos of it.

Arctic Warbler (Phylloscopus borealis).

The whole coast is good. Bar-tailed Godwits were the commonest wader, and there were plenty of Curlew, Golden and Grey Plover, Knot, Dunlin, and even a few Sanderling. Three Short-eared Owls circling together overhead on Holy Island was a bonus, as was an Osprey perched on one of the posts along the old pilgrims causeway.

Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus).

Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata).

Pale-bellied Brent Geese (Branta bernicla).

Curlew (Numenius arquata).

I've always found Curlew difficult to photograph, but on a rising tide at Budle Bay, it's possible to park your car by the estuary edge and get quite close without disturbing them, using the car as a hide.

All photos were taken with a Canon EOS 7D and Canon 500mm F4 EF IS lens.

IT PAYS TO HANG AROUND

I went to Filey Dams this morning, in the off chance of a few waders being present. The light was reasonable - high cloud and bright, but no sun. Having explored the view from both hides, I was disappointed to find there were no waders at all - not even a Lapwing. It started spotting with rain, so I thought I would call it a day (at 9-30 a.m.)! On returning to the car-park I decided to have a last look in the main hide. A Greenshank had dropped in, but was distant, so I stayed in the hope it would come within range. It did, shortly followed by another one, then a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, another Green Sand., and a single Black-tailed Godwit (which stayed behind the bund, out of sight). This group of waders performed well in front of the hide, when they weren't being chased by Moorhens, and I rapidly filled two memory cards and flattened a battery. Some of the images follow. It goes to show one shouldn't be too eager to throw in the towel.


Common Sandpiper (Tringa hypoleucos). Canon EOS 1D MkIV, 500mm F4 + 1.4X converter.

Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus). Equipment as above.

Greenshank (Tringa nebularia). As above with 2X converter. A consummate wader - one of my favourites.

Greenshank preening.  Equipment as above.

Greenshanks: the next four images were taken with the 1.4X converter. The pair stayed together most of the time, but occasionally had a go at each other if they got too close.

A WATERY DIVERSION

With the appalling weather lately, and it being breeding season, the bird photography has taken a back seat. There haven't been many insects to chase either, so I had a dabble in the garden pond, which certainly has plenty of water in it. It's full of tadpoles that don't seem to be developing beyond the two-legged stage, and there are some newts as well. I had a dredge around with a net to see what was lurking, and then tried a bit of dark-field macro photography on the results. This involves placing semi-opaque or translucent subjects on a glass stage over a black background, and lighting from below at 45 degrees from the camera axis. In theory, one gets an image with a pure black background and light shining through the subject. It's not as easy as it sounds. The water has to be spotlessly clean, as all the detritus shows up as bright spots, so you spend an inordinate amount of time cloning-out the unwanted bits, but the end result can be quite nice. One of the problems is that unless you are an expert on freshwater life, you don't know what you are photographing, but it's fun!

Newt sp. elt: this is a very small one - about 5mm long.

Here's one a bit older - the gills are obvious, and in contradistinction to frog tadpoles, the forelimbs develop first. The hindlimb buds are seen as bulges further down the body.

Combining the dark-field illumination with a little fill light from above brings out more detail.

Crustacean sp.  I've no idea what these tiny shrimps are called. The larger one is about 7mm long. I'll have to buy a book!

Water Beetle (possibly Family Dytiscidae). Solid subjects give a rim effect.

But with a little fill light from above, become more life-like, but it shows the dirt more. I like to think of this as the "Starship Coleoptera".

All the images were taken with a Canon EOS 7D, 50mm F2.5 macro lens with 25mm extension tube linked to an old Sunpack ring flash that's been cluttering up my cupboard for years. Even if you get accused of hoarding, never throw anything away!

None of the animals were harmed by this activity, and went straight back in the pond.