Grey Wagtail scored 10 for the balance.
River Gymnastics
Tag: blog
Making The Most Of The Day
as i pull my weighted blanket back the cold of our static van hits my head and shoulders, quickly into the small bedroom to get my thermals on and warm green gear. I feel so relaxed in military clothing its not a reminder of the 22 years i served more a comfort feeling and one i can crawl around in while my body still lets me.
I never take anything for granted and know one day i wont be able to crawl along the forest floor or up a tree so i cant be seen. But as long as i can do it i will forfil my life of taking opportunities and making the day as interesting as possible. The van door opens and the freezing air hits my face, as i make my way down the track to my old haunts i first gazed eyes on in 2014.
Bluebell wood as i named it soon to become the nesting area for the Redstart, and Spotted Flycatcher and Tawny Owl. The nest boxes i put up are all in good condition and i will be visiting todya to see if any birds are using the boxes. The Old tree that was home to te Great Spotted Wood pecker has fallen so becomes homes for the wood mouse and insects.
The morning was quiet when i walked up a slight incline with grass and dew covering my way ahead. I looked up to see the face of my friend i see every year, we looked at each other for a second and i turned and walked back to give it freedom. The special moment is hard to describe i try and tell it your safe i wont harm you, i know it wont understand me but i do feel are meetings are one it will remember and i know i am no threat to it or its family.
I walk away and turn, its gone and i reflect another reason why i get up early, to my left movement catches my eye and the long Brown Ears with Black tips tells me its a Brown Hare startled by the Red Fox. Making my way into the woods i hear the Nuthatch and the Redstart. Its been an hour since i left the van so i ake my way back along the path making my plan in my head for the day ahead, i must visit the woods this afternoon and see what comes to visit me.
Song Thrush
The beautiful singing Song Thrush came to feed on my feeder with Sunflower on, its something i have not witnessed before as i see them feeding on worms on the ground. Anyway this is a lovely image of it looking up at the feeder above. The long legs and beautiful markings on the breast together with a huge amazing eye just makes it so special and sits in my top 10 list for its song it produces every morning and evening singing for an hour or more at a time, springis here.
It happened.
Bubbles float down the river, Oystercatchers sound frustrated by the Heron flying in to fish, the Female Mllard swims by with her remaing ducklings calling to them all the time to stay close. The sun shines on a new branch i found and looked a great place fot the Kinfisher to land. Foolish was i that i put my extender on my lens and soon as i did the Male came in and landed for a minute or so turning bothe left and right and straight at me. I was ell hidden but i could kick myself, the extender was playing up so my images were all soft meaning the detail goes from the bird. I have to post as its the best encounter i have had with this my second favorate bird.
Germany Barracks to River Bank Wennington
45 years pass since we met, the 2 lads are no grown men no different than when they met. Sitting on the river bank at 6.30am with a flask of coffee is when a Kinfisher lands. They laugh and joke abot many things.
Blackie
The Little Blue Tit
Waiting for the Kingfisher this kerning when a Blue Tit came in with some nesting material and waited above me on a branch, so I put 2+2 together and worked out I was sat near its nest. As soon as I moved it flew down to where I was sat and went into a small hole in the tree..
Cropping
What can the photographer capture at distance will always be one major factor that will mean the difference between purchasing a camera body. When the person behind the body and the experience together with the right settings and right light conditions is when you can be out of range of your subject but still get a nice image you can post and write about after post editing.
Yesterday I spotted a Curlew in the distance and with sunbehindme I took some images. Using Lightroom mobile I did a very heavy crop and some slight adjustments
This is the the power of having megapixels at your disposal. I will be very honest when I say the Sony A7r4 200-600 will stay with me even if in the future I get another camera.
Day 7 River relax
Sat on the river for a couple of hours in the sunshine, lovely relaxing to the sound of the Greta. Again it was very quiet then a nice Grey Wagtail came in to do some preening on top of a smooth rock at the edge of the water. I used the APS-C mode which got me in closer but i sacrificed half of my mega pixels. Still the image quality is brilliant on the A7R4 200-600.
Evening Safari
Sony A7R + Sony A9ll out on the moores with Al to look for wildlife and came across some nice species of bird and a nice Brown Hare. The Skylark were feeding behind a wall as we looked out over the valley. The light was not good but it was a first for Al seeing a pair of Skylarks so close.
Driving back we spotted a Lapwing flying low followed by a Curlew both in a field to our left so I pulled over and parked up so Al could get some pictures, he got some beautiful images of the Lapwing landing.
Driving down the lane to look for the Barn Owl I spotted a Brown Hare and stopped Al took some images before i jumped out and took a few.
A lovely drive out on a beautiful sunny evening.
Sitting and Listening
It is 6 m and the water is running slow as the sun rises over Ingleborough. A little Tree creeper makes its way up a mossy branch just to my left. It is not aware I am there sitting waiting for the King of the river to make an appearance.
The Chiffchaf sits high in the tree above me calling for a mate. The male Mallard didn’t find a partner the year so it looks for food as I drink my tea.
The roots of the old tree dangle into the Greta like syphons sucking up the fresh water that comes down from the mountains. Will I see my second favourite bird, i sit where I sat 6 years ago and watched the young fledge.
I just heard the call of the Blackcap a lovely little bird, male showing his black cap and the female with her lovely copper coloured head.
I sip my tea and wait, its freezing but I do what I love and if the rewards are to be then that makes me so happy. But if I sit and the Blue Flash doesn’t appear then so be it. Another effort worth the the time, I will just sit in the glorious countryside next to the river and dream of the Kingfisher.
The smell of wild Garlic as I watch 2 little Wren’s chasing each other between the roots of the old 🌳.
An hour passes and my excitement fades, shall I move or sit and wait. Is the female still on eggs, if so the male won’t be hurrying to get fish or dragon fly for the young. The sun now shines down on the river, light great for the photographer.
The beautiful Grey Wagtail yellow breast and Long tail, it sits on the rock opposite me, then moves off quickly as I reach for my camera. A Collard Dove lands above me looking down as if to say are you waiting to take my picture.
Now the Chaffinch starts it morning song followed by the Robin. Across the field Belted Cows graze on the wet green grass, black rump white middle and black front.
I start to think was the rain we had back in March so bad it raised the river up just at the time the Kingfisher was choosing its nest site. If it was it will have moved down river where the bars are higher,less chance of flooding.
4 visits this week and no Dipper or Kingfisher sightings so it’s got o be late breeding I feel. It’s so quiet even at our van, birds still chasing each other looking for a mate. Or is it me just expecting to see what I see every year at this time.
To be continued.
River Tales by Blackie.
Picnic in Longsdale
Lovely lunch in the village of Kirby Longsdale by the river looking over the beautiful English countryside. The old village has some lovely buildings and an old church.
Day 3 Countryside Life
Started today with a nice walk a 6.30 along the lane and along bluebell wood, it was lovely walking alone listening to all the birds and spring lambs calling out over the fields and hills. I was really looking for the Roe deer who make more frequent visits to the fields at this time of year. There was a Brown Hare that broke cover and ran fast across the field but it was to far away for an image.
I came back and started painting the decking planters at the front of the van then i cleaned the gutters out, planted 3 big wooden mushrooms and repaired a wooden sunflower i carved 3 years ago that needs some colour adding to it.
After lunchi went out on my bike to the villiage of Burton and went down by the river. There is lovely little water fall wher i can sit and do some Crystal Ball photography. I also took my ND filter for the 23mm Fujifilm lens. I had great fun trying to make the river silky smooth, then i did some creative crystal ball photography on the river.
I am still very new to this style of photography but with some visits and more research i will get better i hope.
There was a small opening just to the side of the small water fall so i positioned the camera as low to the water as possible and set it to timer mode 10 secs then took the the image. I like how the falls look really big but there tiny, also i like the bubbles at the front. i kept the aperture on f16 to capture foreground to infinity.
Rons life through the lens 