Lakenheath Fen II

A few more images from an outing to Lakenheath Fen yesterday afternoon.

A delight was to see a couple of Cranes flying towards what I assume was going to be their roosting site for the night.

 A number of other birds were flying around before the end of the daylight and these were Starlings and corvids, probably Rooks.

A couple of Greylag Geese also put in an appearance.

I had a very high ISO setting for these Rooks roosting in a poplar tree, and the evening light was taken at much the same time.   I was impressed with the functioning of the Canon 5D Mk III and the handheld lens.

Lakenheath Fen

Ambitiously I decided to see if I could handhold a 300mm lens with 2x extender.   Although there were plenty of images which were not sharp, I've now got to decide whether I risk this combination of lens and extender when on holiday next month.   I think more practice is indicated!

It was lovely to watch both a male and a female Reed Bunting in some reeds.   The male is moulting which is why he isn't looking quite as smart as will do later in the year.   There was an obliging Chaffinch too, near the feeders.

Another venue and another Bittern, but it didn't come that close to be photographed.   The last of the five images must be of a female Pheasant - again at a distance.

Men in the Blue Boat out Sculling!

It was quite early in the morning when these 'oarsmen' (as my father would have said) or those more often referred to as 'rowers' these days, were having an outing in sculling boats.  These are the men who have been chosen for the University's Blue Boat to race on 6 April against Oxford - you know the one!   Their sculling technique was impressive and so was their focus.   I guess their having an outing in sculling boats will have sharpened up their skills at balancing the boat when they get back into the 'eight'.   No one was wasting time, on or off the water, and they were showing a competitive edge much of the time.   Getting around Baits Bite Lock was an interesting exercise with each person using their own technique for carrying a sculling boat and a pair of blades.   All were in sculling boats except one 'pair' - the most difficult boat to row because of the balance being dependent on each of them counter-balancing the other.


In the first picture I've kept the exposure as it was taken to show that most of the sculling boats had lights on their bows - it was that early in the morning!

Lackford Lakes - first visit

Yesterday was sunny and not too cold, so good weather for a trip to Lackford Lakes.   The lakes are disused gravel pits and one of the hides looks perfect for Kingfisher spotting, but had run out of light and time to make use of that hide on this outing.

From the Seggal's Hide a Bittern was seen, and its camouflage was perfect!   One can just see the bird in the photograph.   Soon after we had left the hide, the Bittern gave a full appearance of itself!   Typical!   I shall have to go back and try again.

It was lovely to see Heron, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lapwing, and both male and female Golden Eye.   I think there were also Gadwal, but I shall check that out before posting their images.

Ann's Birthday Celebration

It would be underscoring the number of years Ann is celebrating should the number appear in the title, but the images make it obvious.

A friend of Ann's provided some excellent food and this is the cake Carol also made for Ann.  What skill and imagination!   It wasn't long before Ann had provided the Canon 70 with a wide angle lens!   I don't think Canon has yet produced a Canon 70D so once again, Ann is ahead of the game!    Congratulations Ann!

Swans in the main

The first two images were taken at Welney at dusk and just afterwards.   They were taken with a compact camera - Sony RX100 Mk1 - and presented something of a challenge for the contrasting light, but also very limited light.   I'm enjoying the results though and am impressed with what this little camera can achieve!   I have it with me much of the time and am not ashamed to use the different modes and programme settings.   Very handy!

The second pair of images were taken at Milton Country Park this morning when I tried some more HDR 'in camera' and am interested in the effect the HDR funtion has had on the reeds.   They were also taken with the Sony RX100.

The final duo was also taken this morning.   It was interesting to see a family of Mute Swans still together - 2 adults and 4 cygnets.   While walking the dogs I thought I would just capture this family of Mutes.   I then recalled a speaker at the Cambridge Camera Club last season who talked about and showed some impressive images of wildlife which he, Paul Beastall, had taken at water level of waterfowl.   I thought I would try it!   So I lay flat on the ground, yes it was wet and muddy, and started composing the picture with swans reasonably close.   However, there was another image for the taking (which thankfully didn't actually happen for obvious reasons) which could have been of me flat on the ground photographing the swans, with one of our dogs standing on my back!   Where were you?!

This is the HDR image of the reeds, and it has that much more detail in all aspects of the photograph.


















 How much more dramatic the image becomes once one is photographing a swan from almost water level!

Snettisham RSPB Reserve

An early start was fully rewarded by the sight of Pink Footed Geese, Oyster Catchers and Knot, in their thousands, taking to the skies as the predicted high tide covered their feeding ground on the mud flats.   This is a spectacle to be repeated as it is a magnificent experience, particularly when a flock of Knot fly straight towards you at great speed, generating an exciting sound of wing beat and 'whoosh'.

As dawn breaks the colours are dark and blue, but once the sun is about to break over the horizon, the colours change to pink and orange.   Next time it would be worth taking an additional lens to capture a wide angle shot or two.    Additionally, more attention needs to be given to exposures as the light is changing all the time and adjustments need to be made!

An unforgettable visit.

Welney

Yesterday the weather was uncharacteristically bright, dry and calm, so a visit to Welney was indicated before yet more storms hit our shores.   The only hide open was full of families watching swans being fed as the light faded.   It wasn't too cold or windy to use the open annexes attached to the main hide, but there wasn't that much activity.   In the end I took some photographs from the car park of the few whooper swans flying into the reserve as the light disappeared.      

There is plenty of activity once the feeding starts, and I was amused to see the member of staff wading (yes, wearing waders) across the front of the hide with an 'amphibious' wheelbarrow!   Ingenious.

The road to the reserve is easily navigable, but roads around Welney are closed to traffic.

The last image is not a composite - the very new moon really was there!

Milton Country Park - in sunshine

Although still muddy under foot, it was enjoyable to walk the dogs this morning under a blue sky and in sunshine!   Different from the weather experienced yesterday for sure.

Perhaps I haven't been observant previously, but I don't recall seeing catkins so early in the year.   It was a joy to see them bathed in sunlight and also to sense, and know, the days are starting to get longer!

The first image is an early attempt at using the camera's auto setting for HDR - and it works!

New Year's Day at Sutton Gault

What better way to start the new year  - lunch at The Anchor!

Thankfully the road from the south east was open up to the PH, but closed after the bridge.   Of all the vehicles which drove past the "Road Closed" sign there was just one which drove through the water and that was the cab only of a lorry, successfully.

The wind and rain made the task of trying to capture the atmosphere of the wet Fens in Winter somewhat 'interesting', but worth the application nevertheless.

This tree says it all really - up to its middle in flood water with wind and rain lashing it.

 These two images are of the road under water with a 'southerly' blowing.

The cab, I think from Poland, was cautious in its approach and got through.