Stithians up close

Moved around a bit yesterday ending up at the southern cut-off hide at Stithians reservoir where lots of birdlife was active at close range around the feeders so I decided to work with a Nikon 500mm f4 +  a 1.4 converter at minimum focus to get up close and personal on bird portraits,  Six or more Goldfinches were looking splendid in their fresh mating colours making them well worthy of some attention,

This lone Pied Wagtail's contrasting colours created a striking Portrait

This female Reed Bunting had lovely honey colours while its male Partner showed drab winter colours

Perhaps the 'Star of the show' at this hide,  This Water Rail shows on a regular basis but you need to be discreet if you want it to free range long enough to allow close working with it

Tehidy Kingfisher

The winter resident female Kingfisher was the 'Star of Tehidy' yesterday. Knowing locals drove into the car park to select free drive-in parking just two metres from the waters edge to wait for the days performance,  Perhaps the star of the show was a little late arriving on this occasion but it was well worth the wait,  The stage is set by way of a tranquil clear circular pond with overhanging and fallen birch trees from which the Kingfisher selects its 'Catch of the day',

Entering stag left,  This colourful female shapes up and is ready to dive

First fish of the day may be a small one but its only a 'starter'

She moves to an alternative branch showing her true colours

The next fish is lively as she skilfully controls its turning

What a performer,  She takes a last Bow

Taking a break on a favoured Pampus  before the next performance.

Day with the Jay

Spent most of the day at Tehidy Country Park yesterday, Went looking for the Nuthatch but no show,  Compensation came in the form of six Jay at various locations around the park and it was nice to see the ever inquisitive birds gradually moving towards me instead or the retreating flights at first contact that most woodlands provide, I finished my visit working on the ever popular Kingfisher that was actively fishing on the small pond in the carpark area

This bird provided the opportunity to capture a tricky landing shot while trying to retrieve a floating monkey nut from one of the ponds

Ever the opportunist,  This Jay was waiting for his moment  to nick peanuts being randomly scattered by youngsters feeding the squirrel

This cheeky chap nicked every nut that I pressed into the bark of a prominent tree trunk and if you can't beat them shoot them,



Out of time to post the Kingfisher but off to do some more today and post them this evening

Longrock Roe Deer reaction to a frosty morning

It is perhaps quite rare in our area to witness Roe deer reacting to their usually green grass feeding fields at Longrock,  On 29th December early AM there had been a hard frost which turned the lush field grass snow white to create a strong photogenic contrast to the local Roe deer as they emerged from woodland cover to feed,  An older doe started feeding straight away but her now six month old weaned twin kids rejected the strange frozen grass and started to pester the doe to suckle,

The twin kids rejected the frozen white grass looking around for the normal lush green breakfast

They soon began to pester the doe to suckle

She chased them off unable to provide them with milk at this time

They still pestered her only to be chased off again,

And this time the other doe in the field reacted to the commotion as well with all seven deer chasing each other around the snow white field creating a lovely local early morning wildlife spectacle

Cornish Chough

Walked the coast path between Botallack and Kenidjack on the 28th December and worked on a lovely pair of Chough at North Zawn then onto Nanven for what looked like another promising sunset behind The Brizons,

Ringed Chough calling its mate

This chough was brimming with voice and character

Sunset behind the Brizons

Bartinney Down

No Short-eared owl or even Kestrel sightings at Bartinney Down on the 27th of December but I was surprised to see that all of the local ponds and water-logged ditches were full of early frog spawn and the sunset out over the Longships was just amazing,

Ponds full of fertile frog spawn

This lovely sunset behind The Longships was taken on the Down using a 700mm lens from a distance of six kilometres from The Longships

Boxing day Peregrine

Fresh air and exercise was the order of the day for Heather and I on boxing day to work off all those Xmas day excesses,  A walk along the south coast from Rinsey towards Porthleven was just the job, I stopped off at Trewavas farm to clear a favoured stone wall lie of this years bramble growth in anticipation of early Adder during January,  Moving on the local Kestrel were successful hovering and hunting for Vole and we finally caught up with a quite familiar pair of Peregrine,  The male was a little anti-social and departed post hast but the female is always more laid back and retained her Granite perch for around a hour before eventually flying off to join the male.

Ever tried staring out a Peregrine ?

Foot down and tail raised,  it must be time to go

Limbering up she then just drops off the back of the rock and away

So I guess its time to return home for cold meats and Bubble & Squeak !

Marazion Marsh 'Heron Central'

Yesterday morning I made one of my regular visits to Marazion marsh  RSPB looking for a bittern fly-by or perhaps something a little more unusual,   I was joined at the front viewing recess by a lady birder relating to four Heron being on show along the warren with the comment " This must be Heron Central"  No sooner said another Heron flew into the mix,  It was good to hear a visitor being so enthusiastic at the sight of such a large photogenic bird descending into the Marsh,  Bittern 0 Heron 5 so why not take a few more Heron images,

Heron flights over the Marsh are a common sight but it was nice to see a visitor so enthusiastic at the sight of such a large bird descending into the reeds

The early morning sun rises high enough to light this relaxed Heron

With little wind the calm waters of the Marsh create excellent rippled and mirror like reflections

How about just taking the Heron reflection or is this a step to far

While creating this blog I remembered  this heron Landing that I enthused about during 2015 but struggled to select just one of these three images,  my answer was to merge them all into one montage landing sequence,

Bartinney Dog fox

No Short -eared Owl at Bartinney Down today but my consolation  prize came by way of a fine dog Fox which came into the main rough grass fields to hunt for vole,  I have seen this particular fox work its way up towards the top of the down before but this time I got lucky as it gradually worked its way towards the pond at the bottom of the down where I was concealed in an overgrown corner Hedgerow,  I took plenty of images as the fox moved forward as I realised that the wind direction was from behind me and it would not be long before I was rumbled by the fox's keen sense of smell.

Dog Fox enters the field and is soon on the prowl

The fox gives chase to a vole but misses it on this occasion

Moving closer now but still concentrating on the Vole population

At around forty feet the fox crosses my scent trail and I've been rumbled

Just time for one more Portrait image and then the fox turns and retreats back up the field

Roe Deer through the year

The first Roe Deer I saw in Cornwall was six years ago which happened while photographing a family of young fox cubs playing in a field opposite the Cheshire Home at Marazion,  A Doe Roe deer suddenly appeared from the hedgerow,  First studied and then slowly walked right up to and smelt the young fox cubs before moving along the hedgerow to browse,  Ever since that day I have worked on many deer at this location and had as many as eleven present in the field on one occasion.  You have to be an 'early bird' and good field skills are required if the deer are not to be quickly spooked,  If they know you are there they will go,  I have learnt to consider wind direction for my scent, Use high hedgerows for cover, Keep still and quiet,  avoid bright clothing and strange as it might sound I take my images as traffic passes,  The Deer take little or no notice of passing traffic and the noise drowns out my shutter action, Adopting this manner I have worked with the deer for up to two hours and photographed them from just four meters away on the opposite side of the hedgerow whilst hardily daring to breath !

These three Doe are sporting their thick grey winter coat and one of them has picked up on the sound of my shutter action,  The trick is not to take any more images until she starts to feed again.

The resident Buck patrolling his patch

A feeding Doe in summer colours Taken from just six meters

Second year young Buck and Doe play mating

Doe Roe deer with day old twin kids