Alongside the Cam

Just a couple of images from this morning's walk alongside The Cam. The new lens is a joy to use and is giving me the opportunities to capture birds singing and in flight. The heron is in focus, but the cuckoo isn't! However, with such a reduction in the number of cuckoos, it was great to have heard it at a distance for about half hour and then to see it in flight! At least it is just about identifiable.

I haven't yet been able to identify the yellow flower growing on the river bank. I expect there is someone who can help with identification though - thanks Ann!

Warbler

I shall need someone to help with the identification of this warbler - please! What impressed me was how much effort and expansion of throat area is involved in 'singing'. When just perched it is a very elegantly shaped bird.

The Lake

A few weeks ago a pair of Great Crested Grebes raised three chicks. Today I went to see how they were getting on and was delighted to see there was an adult with one chick. At some distance I could see that the adult had caught a huge fish which it was having difficulty in swallowing. Eventually it was successful while the accompanying chick showed little interest in the fish.

One huge fish took a while to be swallowed.

Within the hour I saw an adult with two chicks! Although the chicks had a go at diving they were reliant on the adult for fish! A considerable noise accompanied the adult returning to the surface. When the adult had been successful in catching a fish, both chicks gave chase to the adult swimming away from them until the nearer chick got the food. There was no way of knowing whether the same chick was getting all the fish or whether the adult had a way of ensuring each had a feed.

Common Tern

I have taken so many photographs in the past 10 days (with the new lens) that I haven't got round to doing anything with them. However, I was so thrilled this morning to capture this ringed Common Tern fishing on The Cam that I just had to do something with it. I was surprised to see just what a large, plump fish it managed to catch and carry away, and I particularly enjoy the reflection in the 'bluer' image.

What a cracking lens I've acquired! I shall enjoy learning how to get better images with it.

Birds

I have been privileged to have the use of a range of telephoto lenses recently - and that has led to my now being the proud owner of my first telephoto lens - I took possession of it today! Here are a couple of photographs of birds I took first thing this morning using a loaned 100-400mm lens, handheld. Although they are not super images I was very impressed with the versatility of the lens and ended up seeing much more of the action once I had cropped the images drastically.



With the naked eye I hadn't been able to see the Yellow Hammer was singing, nor had I been able to see that there were two young Mistle Thrushes demanding food from a parent bird. What a delight my own 100-400mm lens will be. I can't wait to get out early tomorrow morning!

More of Southwold

I haven't managed yet to find a way of incorporating text in between images, so here is another collection of photographs taken in Southwold, and sadly not necessarily in the intended order.

Southwold

Not having been to Southwold more than once before, it was lovely to see it bathed in sunshine with a stiff breeze blowing - on election day, but that's inconsequential! These images are a record of the place rather than being an artistic collection of photographs.

On the way to Southwold we called at Blythburgh Church
and enjoyed these wonderful clerestorey
windows and the light they let through.

Long tailed tits

I had the opportunity today to try out (again) a couple of telephoto lenses, just as I was about to order, I think, a 70-200 f2.8 Mk II lens plus x2 convertor! I'm glad I haven't placed the order, as the images I took at 400mm with a 100-400mm lens were noticeably (even on the LCD screen) sharper. None of these images is for a competition, but I thoroughly enjoyed taking them and learnt more again about telephoto photography.

The first three images were with the 70-200mm lens at 400mm (with the x2 convertor), the second three with the 100-400mm lens - again at 400mm. This natural history photography requires lots of patience! These small birds are rarely still when feeding young, occasionally hovering, and their calorie consumption must be huge.

Wild flowers

I'm sure someone will be able to tell me what this blue flower is. It is about 10cm high and quite prolific in a local wood.

More blossoms

Although my favourite blossom is probably apple, it is difficult not to enjoy others too. The top left is Amelanchier (in our garden) and very short lived in flower. The top right is wild cherry blossom, and the bottom two are different viburna (again in the garden).

Blossoms

I have every intention of putting images onto this blog much more often as I should like to capture the seasons throughout the year based on the flora and wildlife in our garden and seen on local walks. I've also had the opportunity to try out some wonderful lenses recently, so some of those images will feature too - hopefully!


All these blossoms are from different apple trees. Surprisingly a couple were in a Landbeach wood. The others are in our garden. I'm looking forward to the malus blossom buds opening.

Points of View

The Camera Club had a themed competition over a week ago and I didn't submit these images for the following three categories - water, natural abstract and "there's beauty in a building site". Perhaps it isn't obvious which category they represent?!

Hares

Although an inadequate image because of the lack of focus (and they were a very long way away!), I took the photograph to be reminded of the joy at seeing these three scampering about a field on a sunny April day in Suffolk.

Panned trees

These two images were taken of an old tree alongside The Cam, the innards of which had been set alight somewhile ago. The patterns are intriguing. They were taken at much the same time as the ones below of graffiti and involve zooming the lens while the shutter is open.

Graffiti

I have used a zoom lens to 'create' these images of graffiti on the bridge supports of the A14 over The Cam. I don't often get involved with this much colour and saturation!