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Another bird that is painfully shy is the European Roller – they just won’t tolerate any form of approach. Driving through the remote and rough Meladia valley we could see a bird perched on overhead wires – this is typical behaviour for them, but it doesn’t make a good shot, you are always looking up and who wants a wire through your shot? – I don’t!
As the car approached the bird inevitably moved further on down the wires, it’s just the way it is with them. This time, however, there was a change of behaviour it landed in a small bush – maybe there was a chance of a shot!
We inched close until we were opposite and there was still no movement, I switched the engine off, this usually spooks them, but not this time. I opened the door as quietly as possible and skulked out of the car, keeping low. I knew I had to put my head over the parapet so to speak to get a shot and I thought that would be the final straw, but it wasn’t, it was tolerating me – very unusual indeed. I fired off a couple of shots and I got it before it did indeed fly off, never to be seen again.
The most tolerant Roller I've encountered.

As I mentioned previously a big fall of these magnificent birds occurred across the island and when they come in numbers it is a sight to behold – in one location 105 birds were reported, just amazing.
Travelling across a very rocky landscape in the west of the island we could see about twenty birds in the distance flying around. We though they were Barn Swallows, until we got closer and could see they were falcons. These birds are just so beautiful, we quickly stopped the car and jumped out before they decided to move on – what a bird they are.
Once again the Canon R6 Mk2 locked onto them and allowed me to get some action shots as they ‘Hawked’ for flying insects.


Males.






Female.


Male

Migrant birds are now starting to come into the Brecon Beacons. Early visitors like Chiffchaffs and Sand Martins have been here for a couple of weeks, Blackcaps and now Willow Warblers are singing. Barn Swallows are also here in small numbers and a Cuckoo was reported singing this week- nice and early.
After an unusual spell of glorious spring weather which has lasted for a couple of weeks I decided to walk up onto the high ‘Beacons’ to see if any Ring Ouzels had arrived, the weather has been perfect for birds to migrate on light winds and warm air. As I made my way up the mountain very early, with no one around, (just as I like it), the usual Stonechats appeared and a couple of Barn Swallows flew overhead, a Peregrine Falcon called from on high but I didn’t see it, but reliably Ravens played on the light breeze.
After reaching the valley top and walking along the ridge to where I usually see Ring Ouzels, (although never guaranteed), I could hear nothing, which was disappointing. I carried on for a hundred yards and I could see a single male Northern Wheatear which sadly disappeared quickly. A little further on I saw a bird in a very small pool in amongst the rough grass and amazingly I could see it was a Ring Ouzel bathing. How this very small and shallow pool had retained water during this exceptionally dry spell intrigued me somewhat, but nevertheless there it was. Unfortunately after seeing me the Ouzel flew off and quickly disappeared, but at least I knew there was one bird around.
I settled down on my favourite spot in the heather overlooking a large gulley and poured a cup of coffee and opened up my pack of sandwiches, which were very welcome because I hadn’t eaten anything since the previous day. The only sound was a pair of Skylarks singing as they hovered above me on the warm air currents, and as I sat there, in repose, on the soft springy heather on a glorious spring morning with all sound from the outside world removed, I began to realise how lucky I was to be able to do this. Normally I have to put on another layer at this point but the weather was so warm it really was quite remarkable.
A minute or so later I could hear a soft ‘Chuck Chuck’ the contact call of a Ring Ouzel. I put my coffee down and got my camera ready and yes there it was in a small Whitebeam tree which hung precariously to the steep cliffs on the side of the gulley. It wasn’t close but I could see through my binoculars that it was the same bird I had seen bathing because it was still wet.



I took a few shots before it flew off again and disappeared. I spent a very pleasant hour at this location, however, the Ouzel didn’t return, and I neither saw nor heard any other Ouzels which was puzzling given the perfect weather on the day and over the previous two weeks. I hope more will arrive and this is not a sign of a bad summer for these lovely but fragile birds.

As I have mentioned previously I have always operated with two camera bodies but for the last year I have only had one – the superb Canon R5. The R5 is a great camera, 45 megapixels, eye tracking focus, twenty fps etc. etc. This is a full frame body but with the option of a 1.6 crop mode which is great for a bird photographer, it’s just like zooming in or out for different situations.
However, with the new camera releases by Canon – already the R5 Mk2 and the expected R6 Mk3, there are some good deals to be found on the existing R5 and R6 Mk2.
I will never be sucked in by the camera marketing people because I have been taking wildlife photos for too long now and getting good wildlife shots is all about field craft and composition rather than new cameras! I would. therefore. only be interested in the R5 MK2 as an upgrade for my R5 if there were 'Real World' improvements, like better autofocus e.g.

Conversely upgrading from a DSLR to a mirrorless camera is undoubtedly worth it on so many levels. Better autofocus, vastly improved ISO performance, higher FPS,and silent shooting etc.

I don’t buy without extensive research and for a second body the R6 Mk2 seemed like a good option for me, so I went ahead and bought one along with the BG R20 battery grip. This camera has a 24.2 megapixel sensor in a full frame body, again with the 1.6 cropping option on the sensor. It also has superb animal eye tracking and shoots at various fps, from a ridiculous maximum of 40fps. However, 40fps is not really a viable option because even shooting in CRAW, which I also do on my R5 (as opposed to full RAW) which greatly reduces file size with no discernable loss in quality, the camera buffer fills up in under four seconds – not practicable. Therefore, I will be shooting at twenty fps – more than enough I have found.

Some media cards, particularly inhibit really high frame rates because of their lower write speeds. SD UHS2 V90 cards (The Fastest) claim a maximum write speed of about 300mb/sec. The downside also is these cards are prohibitively expensive, especially Sony and Sandisk.

This is slow compared to the CF Express Type B cards I use in my Canon R5, which write at 1500mb/sec. These cards allow me to shoot basically unlimited frames in CRAW and at 20fps.

After much research and after some tests I can confirm that shooting at 20fps in CRAW and using a Kingston ‘Canvas React’ V60 card, I can shoot around a hundred and sixty frames, about eight seconds before the camera buffer fills up. This may not seem much but it’s quite a long time and the card clears the camera buffer in about five seconds - acceptable to me. You don’t need SD UHS 2 V90 cards unless you are shooting 4K video, admittedly they will clear the buffer in a shorter time but they are also at least twice the price.

The R6 Mk2 also has ‘pre-capture’, a feature that allows a photographer to get shots they would undoubtable miss without it. This feature is suitable in very particular situations, and I will be using it from time to time.

My R5 will sit on my EF 600 f4 is 2 lens with a EF 1.4 TC attached - a great combination.

The new R6 Mk2 will be paired with the Canon 100-500 F7.1 zoom lens as a walk – around combo, very lightweight and sharp.

Another reason I chose this camera is the button layout that is virtually identical to the R5, this may seem irrelevant but it isn’t because when you get used to a particular camera body, switching to another button layout on another body and then back again after is problematic, I know from experience.
Assigning features like double back - button focussing, 1.6 crop/full frame switch and pre-capture to a single customizable button on both cameras is so convenient.

I am looking forward to using both combos in the spring.

Another morning birding around the locality yesterday, leaden skies, squally showers and a penetrating bitterly cold wind made for very unpleasant conditions indeed. However, it’s no good huddling around the fire, you have to get out if you want to see wildlife. We decided to have a look at a site where we have been seeing and very fortunately photographing a number of Common Crossbills.
We took a flask of coffee and a few biscuits with us, you can’t beat a hot drink and a nibble of something when you are out waiting around for wildlife.
A number of people walked past us on their way up on to the hills, every one of them inevitably heading for Pen y Fan!
A young couple walked by coming from the car park lower down the road and took an obviously wrong turning back in the direction they had come from only on another track. I said nothing, it was none of my business. Here they come again walking past us and saying nothing, obviously having no idea where to go. After a few minutes staring at their phones the young girl in frustration asked me for directions to the ‘Horseshoe’ walk. This is a walk frequently seen on social media and as a result people want to do it. I showed them the way and off they went, hopelessly underclad, inappropriately shod and nothing to drink or eat either – Hey Ho!
After a cup of coffee in the warmth of the vehicle, because it was seriously cold now, the Crossbills arrived, and we could see them in a small bush about fifty yards away and we counted twelve in this one small bush - it looked like a sweet shop with all their colours on display – Beautiful! This is quite unusual behaviour for these birds they are normally up high in conifers, they always come down to drink, they have to, but this is different – we weren’t complaining.
A man walked passed coming from the direction of the Beacons and he stopped to ask what we were looking at, we explained it was Crossbills and he was very excited because he explained they were high on his list of birds to see. I said ‘this is your lucky day then’ Susan leant him her binoculars and he was over the moon with the sighting. We asked him if he had been up on the top of the mountain and he said no because it was too cold and very windy so he had come back, and he had a jacket on and was wrapped up – sensible choice, never extend yourself if you don’t feel comfortable. He left happy and as he was walking down the road I could see him waving his arms and saying ‘Yes, Crossbills’.
I thought about the previous couple and how they were dressed and I thought they would have had difficulty completing ‘The Horseshoe’ walk. I hoped that they too were sensible.
Shortly after another man appeared and said the rescue helicopter was airlifting someone off the ridge. We had seen the helicopter earlier on and this was obviously the reason. It wasn’t the couple we had spoken to because they would not have had time to get up on to the ridge by then thankfully.
Grey skies and flat light was not a good situation for a photograph but when the birds got a little nearer I shot a few frames, nothing to shout about, but a record nevertheless.



Oh for some decent light and calmer winds, perhaps next week?

I spent some time at a lower elevation on Thursday visiting a local pond near Brecon, there were some Wigeon just bobbing around and sleeping half the time but quite close to the shoreline. These are attractive ducks and because the water was calm and there was a chance of a shot I tucked myself in near some foliage and just waited. I was carrying my R5 with the Canon 100-500 f7.1 zoom with me, my go to walk around lens.
Closer they came until I could get a decent shot and I was quite pleased with getting a few shots out of the blue, this is the way it is sometimes.



Surprisingly when I looked up from the water I could now see a Common Buzzard on top of a small tree nearby – another unexpected shot, better and better.



However, the biggest surprise of all was awaiting me because I had ostensibly packed in by now and I was walking back to my vehicle when suddenly and I really mean suddenly, there was a Barn Owl immediately in front of me. It was gliding on flat wings fifteen yards away coming right for me.



I had hardly any time to react I just pointed the lens and shot a few frames, then it was all over and it disappeared over a hedge as quickly as it had appeared and I didn’t see it again.

What a surprise three images from nothing!

I contemplated buying a lottery ticket on the way home but that was probably pushing it.

It’s been a cold few days looking for Crossbills up on the lower slopes of the Brecon Beacons. This morning, my latest visit, was no exception, an overcast morning to start with after some heavy rain during the night. The roads here are in a poor condition after being ravaged by the recent storms, large potholes and edge break-up are common. A nasty penetrating wind blew as I waited in my vehicle for the first sounds of the birds. After about an hour I heard their first tell-tale calls and a few birds appeared in the tree tops. I dragged myself out into the cold morning air and set up my gear on the tripod and gimbal head. I was using the Canon 600mm lens because of the reach and the supreme image quality. The Canon 100-500 f7.1 is a superb walk around lens and I can’t speak highly enough of it but when you need reach and image quality with a still relatively large aperture, you can’t beat the big primes.
I had had one or two shots of a female Crossbill but the light wasn’t the best, although the sun was breaking through so I was hopeful. You don’t get anything from wildlife photography unless you are willing to persevere, sometimes it’s boring and often abortive but you have to ‘Keep on trucking’ as they say in the trade.
I waited by the low trees that I first photographed some Crossbills in on my first visit because it’s no good wandering around looking for birds high up in the pines – looking up is never the best, eye level always, without exception, produces the best shots. If you do go wandering then you can bet the birds will appear in the place you left, you have to stick at it!

Then my theory proved correct, there she was a beautiful female bird looking at me and striking a most attractive pose.



I shot her straight away before she flew - they don’t stay long.

Another hour had passed and then out of nowhere unbelievably a male bird landed in a small Ash sapling six feet away from me. I daren’t move, and I couldn’t shoot him anyway because he was too close and also I was in shock, this just doesn’t happen! He took off and landed on the grass some thirty feet away and then flew again and perched in a small tree. I almost couldn’t believe it, I shot him quickly before he flew off - WOW!!



I hardly noticed at first, probably because of the adrenalin rush I had just experienced but it had now got considerably colder, so I decided to call it a day, because in this location as the day goes on the light starts to come from the wrong direction anyway and everything is silhouetted. I was also fairly sure the birds weren’t going to come any closer than they had in the last few minutes. I packed up and left contented with what I had, because there’s a limit and I had reached it by now.

A few more from the sessions.

Yesterday Susan and I were out looking for Crossbills again because this is the best time of year to see them because they are now displaying and singing as a precursor to breeding. We drove onto the lower ‘Beacons’ using the narrow single track road up to the old Neuadd Reservoir. After passing the designated parking areas about two hundred yards further on the road has a barrier across it. We parked on the roadside pull-in before there because there is an isolated stand of conifers and deciduous trees where historically we have seen Crossbills.
Yesterday was no exception because almost immediately we could hear Crossbills calling, that ‘Clipping’ sound they make, there were birds also singing and displaying, a lovely sight. Unfortunately thick grey clouds began to quickly roll over really spoiling the light and making it a great deal colder because it was mid-afternoon by then.
A car then appeared and a young couple about twenty or so stopped to ask me the way to Pen y Fan. This peak attracts people like moths to a candle flame because it is the highest in the Brecon Beacons. I politely told them I thought they were in the wrong place to walk to Pen y Fan and back based on the time of day. I also noticed that they were hopelessly under-clothed and shod for this walk. However, I didn’t mention this because it was none of my business. I only advised them about the walk they were about to undertake at this time of day based on my experience of walking these mountains for forty five years. They thanked me and turned around – I didn’t see them again, presumably they took my advice which was good because they seemed to be a sensible and nice couple.
Ten minutes later here comes another car, same scenario, ‘Which way to Pen y Fan please. I asked them how they got to this point and they replied their Sat Nav had directed them to it, which I suspected is how the first couple had arrived. This couple said they intended to do ‘The Horseshoe’ walk (at this time of day I thought) and they didn’t even know which track to take to approach the peaks. By now I had stopped giving opinions and just pointed the way because they seemed determined to proceed – they would have been coming back in darkness and cold and they too were inadequately attired.
If they had completed the horseshoe walk, which I seriously doubt, they would have had to climb Fan Fawr, Crybin, Pen y fan, Corn Ddu and then along the ridge from Bwlch Duwynt back to the conifer block above the Neuadd reservoir which is full of horrible soft peat in places and then descend a really steep slope back down to the neuadd road to the car park. It’s just really dangerous to attempt this type of walk with this total lack of knowledge or planning.
We had decided to pack up now because the light was poor and the birds had also disappeared but as we were leaving another car appeared, however, I just drove on having had enough of feeling like an extra from the film ‘Groundhog Day’.
I will be returning to this site next week on a hopefully better day because it has some good potential.

Yesterday Susan and I went looking for Common Crossbills. We knew it was a difficult undertaking to get them up close for a photograph because the only views a birder usually gets of these birds is up high in conifer trees, particularly Larch, as these cone seeds appear to be their favourite food source.
Crossbills are a specialist feeder, their beaks overlap allowing them to prise open conifer cones and then extract the seeds with their tongues. They tend to roam a lot flying above conifer plantations looking for appropriate trees with a good crop of cones. This food source is available throughout the winter and this allows these birds to breed very early and indeed after some looking and waiting a few birds flew into a larch tree, although up high as usual, and started to feed. Then there was a first for us as a pair mated briefly before frustratingly flying off, we have never seen this before so a very good sighting.
Another problem with these birds is that there is such a large food source for them in these conifer plantations so they can appear anywhere. The best clue to their presence is their distinctive fluty ‘Clipping’ call as they fly over and a birder must master this call if they want to pin them down. Also if you can hear cones falling down then it’s usually because Crossbills are feeding and dropping cones.
Importantly, Crossbills need to drink frequently because of the nature of their diet and if you can find their ’Watering Hole’ then you really are in business. However, this is more easily said than done and is usually pure luck.
After a good walk around with only brief views we came back to the car had some coffee and just stood beneath the larches we had seen them in previously. Four or five birds appeared after ten minutes, but high up and silhouetted against the sky – no good for a photo. Then two birds started to drop down to lower branches and feed, still a bit high though, then one male bird dropped right down onto the top of a larch sampling about ten feet above the ground. I have seen this behaviour before but you have to react quickly, I took five steps forward and then shot him hand held. These birds are not inordinately shy but there’s a limit and he flew quickly back up high into the tree tops.
However, on checking I could see I had some sort of a shot, at least I had more than I had expected. Most days after looking for Crossbills you come home empty handed, but today I had something – worth the effort.







Canon R5 / Canon 100-500 f7.1 lens with a 1.4 tele converter - Handheld.

It was Norfolk 2012 during a particularly cold spell and good numbers of Short-eared Owls were in the county. Norfolk is primarily a Barn Owl county with very good numbers resident because of the eminently suitable habitat. Short-eared Owls, however, are more difficult because of fluctuating numbers depending on migratory birds and vole populations in other countries.
There was an area of little known about private land, primarily rough coastal pasture, which Owls and the odd Harrier occupied during late autumn and winter and where there was very limited access, and as a result only locals visited.
A particular path about two hundred yards long led out onto this rough pasture but stopped abruptly at a five bar gate saying ‘No Access’. Nevertheless this narrow path, enclosed by hawthorns, was perfect cover for a bird watcher.
One late afternoon I walked this path and made myself as comfortable as possible down below the five bar gate which also served as partial cover. A Barn Owl started to ‘quarter’ the pasture and I had reasonable views as it drifted past a couple of times.
Pheasants and partridges foraged for worms and insects and a distant Curlew’s call echoed across the pasture.
I could see a Short-eared Owl also hunting the pasture and it had now perched on a fence post about forty yards away. However, this was a very difficult situation photographically because almost all of the fence posts between the bird and me, sat behind the gate, would be in any shot I attempted then. Either the bird or I would have to be nearer, and unfortunately there was no further access for me. I toyed with the idea of standing up and shooting from above the gate thereby gaining a slightly better perspective but realistically I knew this would undoubtedly spook the owl and that would be the end of it.

Then for whatever reason the owl flew and perched a few posts nearer to me, my hopes and indeed my heart beats were raised!

To illustrate the geography of the situation, the fence posts followed a straight line towards me until the last four posts angled away from the gate I was hiding behind in a dog-leg fashion, presumably following a ditch the other side of the fence. At this dog-leg juncture there was a larger post to anchor the fence for its change of direction.
In my mind if the Owl perched on the larger post at the dog-leg then there would be no further posts in the foreground of any shot I took apart from the post the owl was perched on. In addition the background would be perfectly blurred with the green pasture behind.
The owl continued to scan the rough pasture for prey, dropping down periodically and most tantalisingly re-perching one by one onto a post ever nearer to me. I only had two more posts to go before the large anchor post and then this conundrum would be resolved. This really was an intriguing scenario because presumably the bird hadn’t detected me either.
There appeared to be a sense of inevitability unfolding, or perhaps it was just me hoping against hope. I waited daring not to make a sound or movement, my lens was pointed right at that large fence post on the dog-leg.
Then the owl dropped down again and flew back up but didn’t perch, it flew off, I was so disappointed, but then inconceivably it circled back around and perched right on the dog-leg post where I had originally hoped.

I can still see those piercing yellow eyes looking right in my direction.



I shot it with an overwhelming sense of achievement and it remained there for a minute before flying off into the now rapidly fading afternoon light – the closest I have ever been to a Short-eared Owl.

Great White Egrets have been resident at Llangors Lake in the Brecon Beacons for a few years and hopefully breeding is on the horizon. They remain, however, as do all Herons and Egrets painfully shy, and you usually have to take them by surprise to get near them. I was walking back from the bird hide there, where I had basically seen very little, when this bird took off and flew across me for about five seconds. I was carrying my Canon R5 with the RF100-500 f7.1 and the RF 1.4 TC attached - my standard combo these days, but even with the 1.4 TC attached and at 1120mm the camera locked onto the bird’s eye immediately.
This combo is very effective for walking around photography.

Susan and I have just arrived back from a week in North Norfolk where we visited some of our old haunts. The scale of new house building in these coastal villages is undiminished since our last visit a few years ago. These villages once occupied by fishermen and boat builders have been invaded by obviously rich retired people or extremely rich ‘second home’ Londoners. Multi-million pound dwellings designed no doubt by expensive architects are mushrooming throughout. Bespoke tradesmen using only the best materials can be seen working on these constructions. Aston Martin, Porsche, Ferrari, Bentley and many other expensive vehicles adorn the driveways of the already built houses. If anyone wants to see how the other half live then this is a place to do it.
Thankfully the marshes remain and for now wildlife can still be found. We did a lot of walking around these marshes and along mostly very quiet beaches.

Give me a beach in winter anytime!

The geese were there in large numbers and it’s lovely to see ‘V’ shaped skeins of these birds flying across big open skies while uttering their haunting calls.


Pink-footed Goose.


Brent Goose

However, November is late and water levels in the bird reserves are high and wader populations as a consequence are low, just the usual Redshank, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit and the odd Common Snipe to be found.


Redshank


Curlew


Black-tailed Godwit

Bearded Tits have all but disappeared until next spring when their ‘Pinging’ calls will again rejuvenate the reedbeds.


Bearded Tit

Different birds arrive for the winter, Divers and Grebes occupy the sea.

Snow Buntings can be seen in small numbers foraging on the tideline.


Snow Bunting

Elusive Shore Larks spend the winter in coastal margins.


Shore Lark

and Twite, a sparse breeding bird in the UK



It was a very relaxing and therapeutic time and it’s so good to have a change of scenery and habitat.

Back home now and another year is rapidly coming to an end and before long the festive season will be upon us. Let’s hope for some more traditional winter-like weather over the next few months instead of horrible wet and windy spells……..

Nearer home this time.

It was February 2016 during a horrible prolonged wet spell of weather where the fields around Llangors Lake in the Brecon Beacons had been turned into a veritable quagmire. During that winter there was a Barn Owl trying to survive by hunting these fields. Life was obviously really tough for this bird, and of course for Barn Owls in general that winter. Their feathers are not waterproof and if they get wet they can’t fly and therefore lose their ability to hunt and subsequently starve to death.
I had been watching this bird getting soaked regularly in the afternoons, sometimes it was just perched out on a branch looking bedraggled and I really feared for its life. In addition to this I saw it being attacked by a Common Buzzard - it was living on the edge!
However, these birds are made of stern stuff and it appeared to be surviving everything that nature was throwing at it. I eventually saw it catch a couple of voles - finally getting something to eat. After it was out flying on a regular basis and obviously getting stronger and the weather had improved marginally I decided to set up a portable hide near to where I had seen it perching – these birds are creatures of habit.
I waited for three hours, freezing in the hide, it’s cold when you can’t move! Finally in the late afternoon with light fast fading it perched on a nearby branch and then turned around to look over its shoulder straight in my direction – perfect!

Another memorable moment which I’m sure won’t happen again for me at that location.



What a bird!

One of my favourite images (although quite a simple shot) which also became a memorable moment occurred in the Western Ghats in India in 2010. These Ghats are a mountain range that receive large amounts of rain in the monsoon season but other times of the year can be blighted by intense fires.
Walking in the countryside after one of these small fires Susan and I came across a field that had been totally burned out with all the vegetation therein destroyed. Looking closer we could see a Yellow Wattled Lapwing standing right out in the middle looking rather forlorn, almost as if it was wondering where all its habitat had disappeared to.
It looked quite a poignant scene with the bird isolated in amongst the burnt foliage which was smoothed out by the shallow depth of field of a big lens.



It remains after all this time one of my favourite moments.

In May 2013 after flying to Seville and driving up the almost empty Via de la Plata toll road into Extremadura was a unique experience, because to travel a motorway in the UK that has virtually no vehicles on it is unthinkable. We were staying in very remote accommodation with no neighbours and a really rough track about a mile long to access it. The first time we drove there I exited our car and walked for a few hundred yards further on up the track because I firmly believed we had gone the wrong way, however, we hadn’t made a mistake and the ‘Finca’ we were staying in was very nice and proved to be a veritable wildlife haven.
Hoopoes nested nearby, Bee Eaters flew over all day long, Hawfinches were seen in the various orchards, Golden Orioles sang their fluty song, Azure-winged Magpies were common, Serins and Sardinian Warblers nested by the front gate and up the hill Blue Rock Thrushes occupied a large rocky outcrop. Common Cuckoos, Red-necked Nightjars and Nightingales were very evident in the evening, singing continuously.
Sitting out on the veranda on such an evening with a very good bottle (or two) of local wine bought very cheaply from a shop in a little village on a hillside about five miles away was a very pleasant way to end the day. Extremadura is undoubtably one of the great open spaces of the European continent, early one morning we drove for three hours right into the heart of the plains without seeing another car or person, imagine that in the UK!!
One afternoon at the Finca after a lunch of fresh salad, local ham, cheese and freshly baked bread we decided to go for a walk up the track which was a haven for birds. After numerous encounters with lovely birds and butterflies we headed back down and as we turned a corner and were a crossing a flower filled meadow suddenly an animal appeared right in front of us, out of nowhere. I can’t remember who was the most surprised us or the Egyptian Mongoose standing before us and remarkably holding a large frog in its mouth. It was half wet probably after predating the frog from some nearby water. There was a bit of a ‘Mexican Standoff’ for ten seconds which thankfully allowed me to take a quick shot before it disappeared never to be seen again.




A one off really memorable moment!!

Walking in the mountains of Northern China in 2009 was a special experience, the scenery is dramatic to say the least. Soaring peaks above give way to riverine valleys below. Herein there exists a most unusual bird which occupies a narrow and specific ecological niche. Its habitat is very specialized, breeding at high altitudes in river basins where the water flow is slow, preferring these flat areas strewn with pebbles and rounded boulders. These habitats provide the necessary conditions for their nesting and foraging behaviours. They are often found at elevations ranging from 500 to 4,000 meters during the breeding season.
Their varied diet includes insects and their larvae, small crustaceans and fish, which become a more significant part of their diet during the winter months at lower elevations. Their foraging technique is also quite specialized; they use their beaks to probe soft mud, peck at the water’s surface, and rake through gravel to uncover prey. This versatility in foraging behaviour allows them to exploit a variety of food sources throughout the year.
Resembling a bird painted by a whimsical artist, the Ibisbill is characterized by its striking appearance, which includes a long, down-curved beak reminiscent of an Ibis, hence its name.



We were extremely lucky to come across a small group of these lovely birds feeding in a typical habitat highlighted above. This encounter was another very memorable moment for us, as it was I’m sure a once in a lifetime sighting.

There are some truly standout moments that stick in my birding memory and on a birding trip to north east China in 2009 there was most definitely one. We had been walking through the grounds of an abandoned hotel which had become really overgrown and the bird life was quite remarkable with huge numbers of warblers at every turn, Yellow Browed, Hume’s, Pallas’s, Dusky, Raddes, and Arctic. Flycatchers flitted around us and little Buntings darted amongst the undergrowth. However, it was difficult to pin these birds down for a photo because of the dense foliage and their fast movements. Nevertheless it was quite an experience to have these rare birds in such numbers all around, any of these is a very good bird back home in the UK.
In amongst this avian extravaganza I could see something moving in the dense undergrowth in front of me, and for some reason and I don’t know why because there was plenty of entertainment around me, I kept watching. Then one of those special birding moments that you never forget happened. A bird just appeared in front of me - a bird I had only ever dreamed of seeing, a male Siberian Rubythroat, just the name sounds so evocative.⁹



It’s debated to be either a member of the Chat or Old World Flycatcher family, whatever the final conclusion it is a very nice bird indeed and is top of the list for me – I won’t forget it ever.

Our birding trip to The Gambia in Nov/Dec 2023 is now available in the 'Trip Reports' section on the front page.



Giant Kingfisher.

Another early morning hike today up onto the high Beacons to see if there was any evidence of Ring Ouzel breeding. In a previous blog I photographed a male bird singing from a prominent position so I was hoping that breeding would take place there. I settled down in the heather with a cold wind blowing over the top of me. You have to try to keep low and find some shelter because exposure to these cold winds can really chill you when you are keeping still.
I had been there about ten minutes sipping small cups of coffee to try and stay warm when I noticed a female Ouzel about 50 yds away landing on a rock and then disappearing into what was obviously a nest – great news!!
You have to keep your distance from these shy birds and allow them to go about the business of rearing their young. It’s vital that their numbers increase and hopefully reverse their worrying decline as a breeding bird in the UK.
I decided to move on but as I was putting my flask away I saw a male bird perched on an isolated post in a grassy area with food in his beak, and then fly over to the nest and deliver food, obviously to the young. There must be young there if both the male and female are back and fore the nest.
I assembled my camera and lens on the off chance and stayed low waiting to see if the male bird would go back into the grassy area where he was obviously looking for food for the young. I couldn’t see him return to the area and I didn’t want to disturb him by rising up and looking over. I waited, and then yes there he was again on the post with more food, I looked through some wispy grass and shot him, he looked at me briefly and then just flew over to the nest site, so not bothered – great!
I walked on down the track away from the grassy area to allow him to return, which he inevitably would in time. It’s not acceptable to try and get more shots of a bird in this situation and risk disturbance! I descended down the mountain with just my single image of the male bird, but more than happy in the knowledge that successful breeding is taken place.



Lovely Bird!

Canon R5 / Canon Rf 100-500 / Canon 1.4 teleconverter

500/sec / f10 / 1120mm / ISO 1000

Some people may baulk at an f10 aperture but using an aperture of this small size creates a deep 'Depth of Field' resulting in a sharp image right across the subject from the beak to the tip of the tail.
These cameras also handle high ISO numbers very well.
With its light weight, easy handling, small size and super sharp image quality the above set-up is a first rate combination for the photographer on the move.

I had a very early stake-out this morning on a hillside in the Brecon Beacons looking for Cuckoos. This area is not the most productive but some years it’s possible to find a Cuckoo there. The alarm went at 04.30 on a dry and wind free morning, which is a pleasant change. Everything had been packed up in the car last night ready for an early start and I was at the location by 05.15. I was able to drive onto the hill with my 4X4 because the ground is very firm at the moment and it is also common land with no animals grazing so no chance of disturbance. I had spoken to a local farmer yesterday to let him know that I would be there early so he knew there was nothing untoward happening. It’s always a good procedure to do this if possible because I find if you are reasonable with people in general they will reciprocate.
I knew what area this Cuckoo was frequenting because I had been watching him from the road a couple of days previous. After parking underneath a substantial tree to break up my outline I draped a very big piece of ‘Camo’ net right over my vehicle and sat inside with my Canon 600 f4 on a beanbag on the door with the lens poking out. This is a location where it’s not possible to get really close to the birds because the ground drops away quite steeply and it would be easy to have an accident like rolling over, which I most certainly do not want!
The light started to build but it was slow because of the cloud cover. I had some coffee and just sat there waiting – at least I was in comfort, feeling warm and not worried about any potential rain. I could hear him calling now, they’re always about early, and then the daily routine of the Cuckoo begins – being harassed by a plethora of small birds eager to drive him away from their nesting area. It was seven o’clock before I first saw him as he perched on the top of one of the trees I had been watching – creatures of habit!
I took a few shots and I knew realistically that this was as close as I was going to get because of the aforementioned geography.





He didn’t stay long though before he was driven off by his pursuers.

In a small bare bush next door a Stonechat perched and sung for a few minutes – pretty birds.



The Cuckoo flew past a few more times with a string of small birds in close pursuit, reminiscent of a child’s kite with tail streamers. Then surprisingly he just landed in the middle of a small Holly tree quite close to me, obviously fed up with the annoying small birds.



I quickly shot him before he was driven off again, which indeed wasn’t long.
As predicted rain had now began to fall, so I quickly pulled the 'Camo' netting off my vehicle, packed my kit away and reversed back up the hillside. It was now nine o’clock and I made my way back home in the ever increasing rain, time to call it a day.