tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54906803127425859142024-02-19T04:20:52.995+00:00Photos from the capitalAll images copyright by William BerminghamUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-6399867155781075802013-02-02T22:39:00.003+00:002013-02-02T22:48:35.909+00:00Just a few highlights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
All Images © Will Bermingham</div>
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All rights reserved.</div>
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To all who follow this blog. Im gradually moving to pastures new over on Flickr. All my new shots will gradually be uploaded there with much less waffle!</div>
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/92306582@N06/</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-86544278178095717432012-07-29T22:48:00.004+01:002012-07-29T22:50:04.707+01:00Some interesting beasties<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Summer Everyone! What a great week or so of weather we have had eh?!</div>
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From
my reckoning, all this sun at last seems to be good for just about
everything. The bugs were up and a-buzzing, including lots of bees
around London. Good for all the birds too as I suspect their food is
much easier to come by!</div>
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So, with the forecast suggesting that our time in full sun is over for
the time being, I have some photographic treats to share from a quick jaunt in the Wetlands Centre this morning.</div>
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Todays theme is : "Bugs but not bees." No offense to my bee friends, but my blog has almost turned into a hive with the number of bee snaps recently! So something a little different to follow....</div>
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Anyone who has been to the wetland centre will know that there is a great flower bed that greats you as you walk over from the carpark. This has been a favorite place of mine with my recent interest in bees as it is always replete with pollinators. Whilst snapping away, a bug caught my eye as it didnt quite match any of the bee patterns that I have been learning over the past few weeks. "Ho hum" thinks I, and I only just managed to snap a photo of it before it flew away. This bug was no bee. A real master of disguise with its Carder-bee-esque honey colours fur, tipped with a Buff-tailed rear, this fellow is in fact a hoverfly! Here is another pic i found on the web for an ID http://www.uknature.co.uk/A.superbiens-info.html </div>
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I felt quite pleased with myself after that spot :) But this morning was going to get even better. Whilst wandering towards the wader scrape hide, I caught a glimpse of colour flitting around in the grasses. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by 6 spot Burnets - A stunning day flying moth. Needless to say, I was happy to sit snapping away for quite some time! </div>
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Here is some info about these little beasties....</div>
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http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/Moth/37/Moth.html?MothId=143&Country=&Size=&Colour=&Features=&Family= </div>
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And finally.... I have been rabbiting on recently about the BIG BUTTERFLY COUNT. This is a big project throughout the UK at the moment trying to encourage people to spend 15mins spotting butterflies. Is there any excuse to not be able to find such a tiny piece of time free to pop out and watch these great creatures?! If you haven't already, get involved!!! </div>
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http://www.bigbutterflycount.org/</div>
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Here are two snaps I took for ID purposes during the 3rd 15 minute count that I have done so far! Today's totals: 4 meadow brown and 3 Gatekeeper (2 little white eyes in the black wing spot) </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-37176205332372898552012-07-17T18:18:00.000+01:002012-07-17T18:26:22.537+01:00EXAMS ARE OVER! WOOOO!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>ALL IMAGES © William Bermingham 2012</i></div>
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<i>Buff tailed bumblebee</i> </div>
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EXAMS ARE OVER AND THE RESULTS ARE GOOD!</div>
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Finally I have emerged from the dark, vitamin D deficient cacoon of revision.... but sadly no snazzy wings to fly about in the sun. This post aims to cover a fair bit of ground as myself and Mary-Loo (my camera) have been out and about a few times over the past week in both the London Wetland Centre and in the Oxfordshire countryside. </div>
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Not only are there going to be a whole bunch of photos, but there will also be an IMPORTANT MESSAGE about *UK Butterflies* about half way through!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcABopQnWJGRgfDuVEhCblFGLTDMJnz8Yx3di2Qu54nNCvhx52hdCjlREEHRSSCZ9cQOV4qpJGFn1MrPPvpAIqb7VRguRnBoMQiCqOkXGMRin_XahR5YK6dUfUFm5_mgQNInm33keyBPsa/s1600/DSC_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcABopQnWJGRgfDuVEhCblFGLTDMJnz8Yx3di2Qu54nNCvhx52hdCjlREEHRSSCZ9cQOV4qpJGFn1MrPPvpAIqb7VRguRnBoMQiCqOkXGMRin_XahR5YK6dUfUFm5_mgQNInm33keyBPsa/s320/DSC_0003.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i>Red tailed bumblebee</i> </div>
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Lets start with some photos from the WWT London Wetland Centre. This was my first outing with my camera after exams and the weather even managed to work up some sunshine for me. I wanted to set out with a purpose in hand and so I set myself the task of trying to spot as many types of bumble bee as possible and try my best to ID them. For an extra bonus, there will also be a factoid for each bee type I managed to snap!</div>
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Unlike some of my previous visits recently, where bee numbers had seemed a bit low to my amateur eyes, this time the flower beds were positively 'a-buzz'. The WWT centre has some great wildflower areas which are well worth a look :) </div>
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<i>Buff tailed bumblebee</i> </div>
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So here are some shots working my way through the wildflower beds. There were LOADS of buff tailed bumbles about. These a pretty big as bumble bees go. <i>DID YOU KNOW? </i>that buff tailed bumble bees are a major domesticated bee breed used for polination? Because of their widespread use, they are also banned from Oz incase they 'go native!' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombus_terrestris)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Bakt4m7vLZ80Gpv6KX2XOxtEfHhD4rnwHFt79MENct7lB-QcpS-4YE19tU17zISSbnuSiHmYUXAz29OeaQlb83DoSLwq5p1A6ktwDArX8iuZmL6K1VDTX-FemSLxr-bzWsljfEHUwYa9/s1600/DSC_0015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Bakt4m7vLZ80Gpv6KX2XOxtEfHhD4rnwHFt79MENct7lB-QcpS-4YE19tU17zISSbnuSiHmYUXAz29OeaQlb83DoSLwq5p1A6ktwDArX8iuZmL6K1VDTX-FemSLxr-bzWsljfEHUwYa9/s320/DSC_0015.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
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<i>Honey bee?</i> <i>I'm not good with the little bees!</i></div>
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Help! Anyone with a good, simple to use source for ID-ing little bees I would be very grateful :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYdZx0vL-9hXjrFrm-vUf-TiYX2L4JmKkyIrIFRQHFDS2w5NjSnmqOWUyFEPPgP5bv2_k-oCwPJqz-Rv_gEfQjnYE1Jdy4OK9L_yRHe82BwHLdSUjYx67DKuBF8YB_Cyx8gJBNhWRjYcx/s1600/DSC_0015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYdZx0vL-9hXjrFrm-vUf-TiYX2L4JmKkyIrIFRQHFDS2w5NjSnmqOWUyFEPPgP5bv2_k-oCwPJqz-Rv_gEfQjnYE1Jdy4OK9L_yRHe82BwHLdSUjYx67DKuBF8YB_Cyx8gJBNhWRjYcx/s320/DSC_0015.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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<i>Carder bee</i> </div>
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<i>Did you know? </i>'Carding' is a method of wool preparation and the bees get their name from the practise of scraping hairs from plant stems. (Certainly this applies to the wool carder bee - there is even a video online. I cant actually find somewhere which says that the common carder does it too) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthidium_manicatum)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TM0cw-571w2Vdl7047d_JeQfK3atJtxtDVaHSf2poILj9tHWIb5yRTvYwUwvjEXe-W5f6jEVFQeW495_1WnSMOkU4VNTLC-3VlSMWnrPu7_1g6tgkXWuzc7bse__elowpLs7NvZSMCJE/s1600/DSC_0025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TM0cw-571w2Vdl7047d_JeQfK3atJtxtDVaHSf2poILj9tHWIb5yRTvYwUwvjEXe-W5f6jEVFQeW495_1WnSMOkU4VNTLC-3VlSMWnrPu7_1g6tgkXWuzc7bse__elowpLs7NvZSMCJE/s320/DSC_0025.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
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<i>I think this is a white tailed bumblebee, but it might be another buff?</i> </div>
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<i>Did you know? </i>Buuf and white tailed bumblebees are <i>NECTAR NINJAS..... </i>if a flower is too long for them to get the yummy nectar from within, they will nibble a little hole further down to gain access to their tasty treat! (http://www.bumblebee.org/terr.htm)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SaAj-s1CiQjkPW_uqA5paaIzKym1K76SFNe_uEx6eF0S78-4NVdfAmWWNpfxNfGKlsSq6hzOpludokmCbGGrBRA3JTSyxjihzow36jCOpAvuV7HDE3xSChnj2oWWmuN3ezsL3Yeqwxoq/s1600/DSC_0030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SaAj-s1CiQjkPW_uqA5paaIzKym1K76SFNe_uEx6eF0S78-4NVdfAmWWNpfxNfGKlsSq6hzOpludokmCbGGrBRA3JTSyxjihzow36jCOpAvuV7HDE3xSChnj2oWWmuN3ezsL3Yeqwxoq/s320/DSC_0030.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
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<i>Another red tailed bumble I think :) </i></div>
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So just to finish, here are 3 more bumbles I snapped.... scroll down for an IMPORTANT BUTTERFLY ANNOUNCEMENT </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eapJaqS9Fy66skYca1eosFdLU7f83AYttHzMJAd3_xUAZxc8TdzjamBhCiuOaqG7G7JZZS8Rh3I_0H1smpNM6Nqr9zqzOy3oCwOf8Nlsj6zZfhgI6KSbaUHVWQCU7bbz5J0IDG4KLri0/s1600/DSC_0036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5eapJaqS9Fy66skYca1eosFdLU7f83AYttHzMJAd3_xUAZxc8TdzjamBhCiuOaqG7G7JZZS8Rh3I_0H1smpNM6Nqr9zqzOy3oCwOf8Nlsj6zZfhgI6KSbaUHVWQCU7bbz5J0IDG4KLri0/s320/DSC_0036.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Carder bee?</i> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3BDJodHRSlIiD8MwZSz835r9MjJ6FTpy-XYtlsDj5LUayqmkZOWL34WHgABmUSkQEQqifVeBmYjOzcbAaxNz8OnQPCJxju-U5yrwdeNfaPgAYGMu3GyLs6Qvha8_AgArrXOIY1-EOE5N/s1600/DSC_0040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3BDJodHRSlIiD8MwZSz835r9MjJ6FTpy-XYtlsDj5LUayqmkZOWL34WHgABmUSkQEQqifVeBmYjOzcbAaxNz8OnQPCJxju-U5yrwdeNfaPgAYGMu3GyLs6Qvha8_AgArrXOIY1-EOE5N/s320/DSC_0040.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Carder bee</i> </div>
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BUTTERFLIES ARE GREAT. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhmV_nw48Z-RQLIjlyo-fNLzValVELY_iFIIB86bMp9_shjLUrmBdgseAoZcTG8w1S3OLWRD1kZKTq7p89bxqqyaf9bzm1tBwtyHsCZbKJrrPU9FiAQJTWk3sKzHyTpZojB3PkrN2lKsv/s1600/DSC_0033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhmV_nw48Z-RQLIjlyo-fNLzValVELY_iFIIB86bMp9_shjLUrmBdgseAoZcTG8w1S3OLWRD1kZKTq7p89bxqqyaf9bzm1tBwtyHsCZbKJrrPU9FiAQJTWk3sKzHyTpZojB3PkrN2lKsv/s320/DSC_0033.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Few bugs are able to get such a positive reaction of wonderment from humanity like a butterfly. Their colours, patterns and graceful fluttering through the air has a magical effect on us all. BUT like all of us, they are having to deal with climate change. To help keep tabs on all our lovely butterflies, the BIG BUTTERFLY COUNT is underway! </div>
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IT IS SO EASY TO GET INVOLVED! All you need is 15mins set aside to be outside spotting butterflies. Not a very big ask in the sceme of things eh?!</div>
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You can find details here: http://www.bigbutterflycount.org/ </div>
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Here are some photos from my big butterfly count that I did in the countryside near Oxford. I saw a whole host of meadow browns as well as one large skipper and a marbled white. The big butterfly count website has a great spotters guide to help make the IDs! </div>
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<i>Meadow Brown</i> </div>
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<i>Marbled white</i></div>
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Just to wrap up, a few other 'misc' photos from the past few days. I hope you have enjoyed todays blog post. Do post if you have any comments/identifications! Also, if anyone wants to set me a photographic challenge for my next WWT centre visit, feel free! </div>
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Untill next time... </div>
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*<i>Hover hover*</i></div>
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A bug. Nice snap though!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZmA1HPZ6UcDSxTBdCztv7TGnzZjdz8YngxIOmjbdKv7RuGoQ47-bmvl9h0Rpp41f60NmsF3Gi6EO0vTbNx0DH6rNU3k3nIHc0IHdy5gaLECg1oCN3dYpUUf4dFEEZshyHg-muf_4dKWY/s1600/DSC_0071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZmA1HPZ6UcDSxTBdCztv7TGnzZjdz8YngxIOmjbdKv7RuGoQ47-bmvl9h0Rpp41f60NmsF3Gi6EO0vTbNx0DH6rNU3k3nIHc0IHdy5gaLECg1oCN3dYpUUf4dFEEZshyHg-muf_4dKWY/s320/DSC_0071.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Can anyone ID this bee?</i></div>
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<i>ALL IMAGES © William Bermingham 2012</i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-10764852981591830912012-06-21T01:03:00.001+01:002012-06-21T01:11:17.912+01:00A summery day for insect photography<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIz-hVOAwW7RdyoXXHhyphenhyphenDigHFU5n0T95bl1Vnrul5nTmw7wI1OVieX78BdsbHk2frer7ZchTj_Xxv4GdalDEdIKXWUIWJsZk12JgqDadNi7e9k3Qm-HWpMYQo0cpIjopCZKX5tzPg-LHve/s1600/DSC_0010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIz-hVOAwW7RdyoXXHhyphenhyphenDigHFU5n0T95bl1Vnrul5nTmw7wI1OVieX78BdsbHk2frer7ZchTj_Xxv4GdalDEdIKXWUIWJsZk12JgqDadNi7e9k3Qm-HWpMYQo0cpIjopCZKX5tzPg-LHve/s320/DSC_0010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">ALL IMAGES © WILLIAM BERMINGHAM 2012</span></div>
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Ergh. Exams. Whine whine whine, moan moan moan. </div>
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This blog update comes from the deepest recesses of university exam season. With my first exam in just 2 days time, this morning's sunny weather brought some welcome relief (and vitamin D) to my pasty revision cave complexion!<br />
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Taking study breaks are important. and with my knees just about recovered from last summer's tandem escapade to Paris, the Wetland centre is suddenly just a few mins away on my trusty fixed-gear bike. </div>
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First off, a little extra plug for the London WWT Centre. </div>
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**THEY NOW HAV OTTERS PEOPLE!! AND THEY ARE JUST WONDERFUL!**</div>
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Pictures will follow in a later blog post, but I really recommend a visit to see them.</div>
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The otters were not the aim of my visit today, however. I had set myself *REVISION RULES*</div>
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i) 1hr only.</div>
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ii) NO hides.</div>
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Summer at the centre offers a whole lot for everyone. Despite being a weekday, the centre was heaving with people ans school groups, all scampering about enjoing the sun and nature. With my limited time window, I wanted to quickly find a location to get results. My first piece of luck came in the waterlife gardens. Searching for bees, I instead spotted two dragonflies caught in a spiders web. The silken threads were so fine you could hardly believe the insects were stuck - they looked more frozen mid flight between the flowers.</div>
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Speaking of flowers, there certainly are plenty around at the moment. Lots of mootings about the various orchids that are out at the centre at the moment - I particularly wanted to find a bee orchid, but no luck today (only 1 hr remember!).</div>
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My second photo spot found me over towards the sandmartin bank. There is a nice wooden bench here with a wildflower bank surrounding it. With the warm sun beating down, I sat watching buff tailed bumblebees bzz about. It was, however, the beetles that got my camera shutter firing. I think this fellow is a common flower beetle, but his emerald green colours looked great in the grasses.</div>
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Sticking with beetles, I also managed to snap a couple of shots of an ever familiar ladybird :)</div>
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So finally (its late, im sleepy, revision has warped my brain). The last couple of pics (and indeed the first couple of the honey bees) were all taken just outside the wetland center in the lovely flower bed that greets you on arrival. Flowers, bees and bugs aplenty, I particularly like the snap below of a cardinal(?) beetle on a cornflower - with the chaotic cornflower stems making a fascinating background onto which the tiny detail of the beetle stands out.</div>
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I hope you have enjoyed reading this installment. Im always open to comments, tips, bug identifications and general chatter! And remember, BRITISH BEES NEED YOU. BEE-BEE FRIENDLY TODAY!!!</div>
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ALL IMAGES © WILLIAM BERMINGHAM 2012</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-14048055456731330082012-06-11T17:38:00.003+01:002012-06-11T18:26:20.613+01:00I BEE-LIEVE!!!<div style="text-align: center;">
Bees are important. Fact. Its completely irrefutable. </div>
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For one thing. Each and every bee is alive and buzzing, and quite frankly, they should have the right to keep doing so! </div>
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Lets be realistic though, the bottom line is this isnt how humanity as a whole tends to think. Lets instead arrive at the same conclusion, but wave **MONEY** around instead. Friends of the Earth quote the statistic that it would cost £1.8 BILLION to pollinate crops without bees. So they are important right?!</div>
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Anyone who reads this blog more regularly will now perhaps be thinking, "another bee post? has will gone bee crazy?!" Well yes, I rather think I have. But this post is not about my photography, or any of my other daily gripes. This post is to help YOU get in touch with your local bees because they need YOUR help. </div>
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Bees are in trouble, but there are loads of ways that we can all get together and make things better. We just need to spread awareness and take some small steps in as many little places as possible. Plant a flower, sign a petition, all these little bee sized actions will add up and could make a big swarm sized difference. So below are some links to help you on your journey of bee-scovery</div>
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Click, read and take what action you see fit. But please, help our bees :D</div>
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<a href="http://www.foe.co.uk/what_we_do/bee_cause_about_35042.html"><b>http://www.foe.co.uk/what_we_do/bee_cause_about_35042.html</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://bumblebeeconservation.org/about-bees/"><b>http://bumblebeeconservation.org/about-bees/</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/9090726/Save-our-bees-scientists-reveal-the-plants-that-could-halt-bee-decline.html"><b>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/9090726/Save-our-bees-scientists-reveal-the-plants-that-could-halt-bee-decline.html</b></a></div>
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All images © William Bermingham 2012</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-12852088683085796812012-06-02T17:08:00.002+01:002012-06-02T17:09:07.702+01:00Bees and Bugs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So. My last post was about beeeees, and people seemed to like that.<br />
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So....<br />
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As I am in a revision cave and unable to go to the wetland centre, I thought i would dig out a few more pictures of our insecty friends for this blog update. Lets start with dragonflies. Beautiful and deadly, I think I speak for everyone in saying that these ancient creatures are almost universily fascinating. Their method of flight, their massive variation and vibrant colours ensure they will appeal on some level to most people.<br />
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The folwoing 3 shots showcase some dragonflies from 3 countries; Holland, the UK (LWC) and Singapore respectively. Identifications/trivia comments welcome!</div>
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This last photo is the one I am most proud of, and I wouldn't have snapped it without the sharp eyes of my girlfriend spying this chap sitting oh so perfectly atop a flowering stem. A copy of this one is hanging in my hallway and always reminds me of warmer climes!</div>
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Now, for those who have had a gander at this blog before, you will know that first and foremost I tend to snap our feathery friends. But I must say, its quite rare that I actually use my bird photos for anything other than to browse through occasionally. In terms of picking photos for more daily viewing like my laptop background, it's my more macro themes shots that tend to win out. Here are a couple of shots that have previously graced my computer </div>
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And now i really must return to revision. Lets finish with a couple more bees :D</div>
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All images © William Bermingham 2012</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-23451644939117730292012-05-23T17:48:00.001+01:002012-05-25T18:01:03.795+01:00Bzzzzzzzzzzz!<div style="text-align: center;">
The weather is London is WONDERFUL. </div>
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Hot sun, cooling breeze and clear skies for a few days has been a huge uplift in the mood of the population. The parks are full, BBQs lit and revision is firmly on hold for a couple of afternoon hours!</div>
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So with this backdrop of summery goodness, I thought it would be an opportune time for a blog post about BEES.</div>
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Bees are brilliant. Buzzing about from flower to flower, they are the the herralds of spring and summer. These first two are a couple I snapped today at the London Wetland Centre :) </div>
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The LWC is a great place for photographing these fluffy chaps. Their flower beds draw in bees and bugs from all around and the variety of flowers gives the photographer some lovely variation. </div>
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Being very much an amateur at this photography business, Ive always found my bee photographs are more down to luck than anything else. The one below is one of my favorites. With a slightly slower shutter speed, I somehow manged to catch a bee in vertical takeoff from this wonderfully vibrant purple flowers.</div>
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And finally, these were some of my first bee pictures. Proboscises deployed, for me, these images capture the anticipation of a tasty nectar treat! </div>
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REMEMBER: Our bees are in trouble. If you can, a bee friendly garden is a great way to support our pollinating friends!</div>
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http://beekind.bumblebeeconservation.org/finder</div>
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All Images © William Bermingham 2012</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-27343322029882541372012-05-21T16:48:00.000+01:002012-05-21T16:48:05.451+01:00New Zealand: The best of the rest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ergh. Revision. What a dreadful necessity! Whilst I am tied to my desk, I thought I would just fill up some blog meterage with some of the remaining highlights from my Christmas in NZ. Most of what will follow were shot near the Otago Peninsula (below, thank you Google maps!) or on the West coast in the fjords :)<br />
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No text today bar these few lines... Happy browsing!<br />
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(All images © Will Bermingham 2012)<br />
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<i>Kingfisher</i>: <i>Halcyon sancta</i></div>
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<i>Welcome Swallow: Hirundo tahitica</i></div>
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<i>Cape Pigeon: Daption capense</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ChTBrq8S8Vck0OtTmIjtBVanuy77fVvvmzuyLE-jskscivs2krzsm6JRqiSkQwB638ASnA8HVsKTTV7DWNwfhsMcw7cPYIX2BhR_BwZX6yZXoU61M0le45KNrH6zQMa2ESsM85mn5qPT/s1600/DSC_0630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ChTBrq8S8Vck0OtTmIjtBVanuy77fVvvmzuyLE-jskscivs2krzsm6JRqiSkQwB638ASnA8HVsKTTV7DWNwfhsMcw7cPYIX2BhR_BwZX6yZXoU61M0le45KNrH6zQMa2ESsM85mn5qPT/s320/DSC_0630.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Black Petrel: Procellaria parkinsoni</i></div>
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<i>Royal Spoonbill: Platalea regia</i></div>
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<i>South Island Takahe: Porphyrio mantelli</i></div>
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<i>Fantail: Rhipidura fuliginosa</i></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-76741995480771928352012-05-14T23:26:00.001+01:002012-05-14T23:47:13.749+01:00The 12 days of May-Time<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxdwEgjJg1r22yqynwmdCTekKHcpsxrKCrg2l-r3b4MljgMAsI2ia0MPC_ZvSutfUjAknjSZsAiKJftPtqsqvFDIdh8LbPTVEudniu2sjNb3dbf4qeePG6TnK7Jm3UELl8T2YlSz6yKGWN/s1600/DSC_0079.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxdwEgjJg1r22yqynwmdCTekKHcpsxrKCrg2l-r3b4MljgMAsI2ia0MPC_ZvSutfUjAknjSZsAiKJftPtqsqvFDIdh8LbPTVEudniu2sjNb3dbf4qeePG6TnK7Jm3UELl8T2YlSz6yKGWN/s320/DSC_0079.jpg" width="320" /></a> <br />
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On the 12th Day of May-time, the Wetlands showed to me...<br />
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12 (hundred) swifts a-swifting,<br />
11, Martins a-nesting<br />
10, Geese a-swooping<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QUjOnn_gw-fjLLGD10SSzDuUc2GHc_HlqbVxF8NHla3jUoRTdFA1Tb7T4uNXXTxXjCkUfXxMTxmuphuabuh6fbaMnqSaooM2oW1FQy26-4ldeLNmYL7_9LC2bTV4OK9XCs0T_zTbL7NQ/s1600/DSC_0071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QUjOnn_gw-fjLLGD10SSzDuUc2GHc_HlqbVxF8NHla3jUoRTdFA1Tb7T4uNXXTxXjCkUfXxMTxmuphuabuh6fbaMnqSaooM2oW1FQy26-4ldeLNmYL7_9LC2bTV4OK9XCs0T_zTbL7NQ/s320/DSC_0071.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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9, Gadwall floating<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhum5fvtye2HZ9Un2iXrsVxQCuiGl0EJAF23P3wsyHACaTupahC9CQBu6PSi4PWyPS1R4-17ziESRjyIAIbOmf3BteW1Eg8KjPewe1qeLmxO181jhNBy8s6HI0U4gIsW0-3Dr25WI31m8hC/s1600/DSC_0026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhum5fvtye2HZ9Un2iXrsVxQCuiGl0EJAF23P3wsyHACaTupahC9CQBu6PSi4PWyPS1R4-17ziESRjyIAIbOmf3BteW1Eg8KjPewe1qeLmxO181jhNBy8s6HI0U4gIsW0-3Dr25WI31m8hC/s320/DSC_0026.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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8, Bees a-buzzing<br />
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7 Wrens a-dancing<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxHfLefgrIDtw9oXy_aHKRidW8O_Wm5XbMNjk1h_0H__s_8-TIwS32UOYwVf1VXd-o3tvLtCq0v1hK15VTVridGJKDqjlh0H9WYWD4bYbbwjxP3bEcrdeY2xVBh_qnNv606jk-cvkwd2x/s1600/DSC_0038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxHfLefgrIDtw9oXy_aHKRidW8O_Wm5XbMNjk1h_0H__s_8-TIwS32UOYwVf1VXd-o3tvLtCq0v1hK15VTVridGJKDqjlh0H9WYWD4bYbbwjxP3bEcrdeY2xVBh_qnNv606jk-cvkwd2x/s320/DSC_0038.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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6 Herons a- sleeping<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZ4hflZ86FeTwQ8GEfWzOyIJ7JekRP5VjqBnDT6x9zGj3OoSaN8sqM5EsjH5cbV0xAJL362379s4kfrTBhoee7yLy6zkAp2I3HFEMTQEFI-Nw080eODK-HZO1KJG44TGTfdXCucEWmJfZ/s1600/DSC_0142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZ4hflZ86FeTwQ8GEfWzOyIJ7JekRP5VjqBnDT6x9zGj3OoSaN8sqM5EsjH5cbV0xAJL362379s4kfrTBhoee7yLy6zkAp2I3HFEMTQEFI-Nw080eODK-HZO1KJG44TGTfdXCucEWmJfZ/s320/DSC_0142.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
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5 Shiny lapwing<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdzb4LUW06LaUomjf7sS0-MdKYeqtfzAWW0myc2BZMrQmuKuxVyPAxKSO-wJ-lZsNKi369BTnVOdR5-jIuQ_eijxS56BkIdXFG_1rcY6DfkbCz-ZE4czJTAZpyeXX9lCd-de10yW3SYB0/s1600/DSC_0048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdzb4LUW06LaUomjf7sS0-MdKYeqtfzAWW0myc2BZMrQmuKuxVyPAxKSO-wJ-lZsNKi369BTnVOdR5-jIuQ_eijxS56BkIdXFG_1rcY6DfkbCz-ZE4czJTAZpyeXX9lCd-de10yW3SYB0/s320/DSC_0048.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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4 red legged shank<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kl9wsj-FqMVFdTozngWeCtIQyu_i1yhiHlMzQgq2hiflswMShUENRc2IwhrDFlud94T-Df7UN3LJYj_6eMjqdJ4W7VgCwFFng24Vjn8ZLQnSCRKs-Ul6xe7UEVv8JWBzlkAR1xWxleV4/s1600/DSC_0055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kl9wsj-FqMVFdTozngWeCtIQyu_i1yhiHlMzQgq2hiflswMShUENRc2IwhrDFlud94T-Df7UN3LJYj_6eMjqdJ4W7VgCwFFng24Vjn8ZLQnSCRKs-Ul6xe7UEVv8JWBzlkAR1xWxleV4/s320/DSC_0055.jpg" width="248" /></a><br />
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3 Ringed plovers<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKsW3B1KlljSy5uW0tihJt834GvDejzxXyDl-q9VBFzBfUvM-X1sZ5pCzaQud__-R9UHXeaDLpAi2OI776dwHFBvlYM86fNrMHb_BM9vsv1t86AuZHZxba-m9NjjGtE6VleRXldYzun87/s1600/DSC_0080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKsW3B1KlljSy5uW0tihJt834GvDejzxXyDl-q9VBFzBfUvM-X1sZ5pCzaQud__-R9UHXeaDLpAi2OI776dwHFBvlYM86fNrMHb_BM9vsv1t86AuZHZxba-m9NjjGtE6VleRXldYzun87/s320/DSC_0080.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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2 Distant Dunlin<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLePDUlfyDk7YfSowiTBh_MnC9kIGPX7b5PdLd0aERw9do3Dlm55VlctHWKddPcTy3EKPNWes8ScxPQzLBDXWttdlXGqM6m6lsSR7YNpV2uRnaLCjNRHuaU5kGY-I2bMS98mbMtFwP8XA/s1600/DSC_0120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLePDUlfyDk7YfSowiTBh_MnC9kIGPX7b5PdLd0aERw9do3Dlm55VlctHWKddPcTy3EKPNWes8ScxPQzLBDXWttdlXGqM6m6lsSR7YNpV2uRnaLCjNRHuaU5kGY-I2bMS98mbMtFwP8XA/s320/DSC_0120.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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... and a tern fishing by the tow-er<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK83alLOHy7oGGZtPzUBM4KNW7bnMPD52UjadvKlt9opjHIe9PtVFdDnJAghwwyL4LXzqMZXELWUWGLEqXI-4F7uMp6TgtZuPTz9-t_ak7ReviAynUmXLD2Nex8neN0F-9o0HhmO4oqFjl/s1600/DSC_0092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK83alLOHy7oGGZtPzUBM4KNW7bnMPD52UjadvKlt9opjHIe9PtVFdDnJAghwwyL4LXzqMZXELWUWGLEqXI-4F7uMp6TgtZuPTz9-t_ak7ReviAynUmXLD2Nex8neN0F-9o0HhmO4oqFjl/s1600/DSC_0092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK83alLOHy7oGGZtPzUBM4KNW7bnMPD52UjadvKlt9opjHIe9PtVFdDnJAghwwyL4LXzqMZXELWUWGLEqXI-4F7uMp6TgtZuPTz9-t_ak7ReviAynUmXLD2Nex8neN0F-9o0HhmO4oqFjl/s320/DSC_0092.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVjRmjA2mVvN3O57pV8psBKEspFlABVtAE9ph_Y4dOOA6wR_R2kDT1yS2JJQk5z1kgzu3khW3Mk27ylKWiId2pJoQaJx6fKUZ0Whno7-c0n5fDsUui0IcSnLdAYDQdsEjr4eVTiqgRsfa/s1600/DSC_0123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVjRmjA2mVvN3O57pV8psBKEspFlABVtAE9ph_Y4dOOA6wR_R2kDT1yS2JJQk5z1kgzu3khW3Mk27ylKWiId2pJoQaJx6fKUZ0Whno7-c0n5fDsUui0IcSnLdAYDQdsEjr4eVTiqgRsfa/s320/DSC_0123.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-2039310643088125352012-05-07T00:06:00.001+01:002012-05-07T00:07:07.424+01:00For the love of mud<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's a fine line between mud and sea. </div>
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For the past few weeks, London has been stuck in that very British of paradoxes: A rather rainy drought. Now before you close this page in disgust, the weather is not the focus of this post. There will be no more mention of dought-brellas or drought-ingtons, believe me I am as frustrated by these throw away remarks as you dear reader. </div>
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No, today I want to focus on the devastating effect a fairly insignificant amount of rain can reak when it all decides to come at once. Just a few days ago, I stumbled upon a BBC article which made me feel very sad indeed</div>
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17966324</div>
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All about the country, it seems that our much needed environmental hydration has tipped the scales to flood in some crucial areas. Those worst affected are the wonderful wanderers of the shoreline, the dippers in the mud, the snipes, shanks, plovers and all other birds that wade.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguiaJh-xX569qFgRjuPAL0JT5R465URhn9zvuYdL0uJQER3Ro61KNJoRwOlV7zXdUwX-jhniPSRJ_zcd1M1ETTx90Pezqc_j9HccCNKg1sxaPnTxJBrbc4QC465h7QWb-fQlHxmuht6abR/s1600/DSC_0594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguiaJh-xX569qFgRjuPAL0JT5R465URhn9zvuYdL0uJQER3Ro61KNJoRwOlV7zXdUwX-jhniPSRJ_zcd1M1ETTx90Pezqc_j9HccCNKg1sxaPnTxJBrbc4QC465h7QWb-fQlHxmuht6abR/s320/DSC_0594.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
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But I must confess to something. Yes, I am sad that the loods around the country are seriously impeeding the breading of our native waders. They are lovely birds and a joy to watch as they quietly move about the banks, ignoring the hum drum of the other birds. But their plight has also given me an opportunity to pull together a few of my snaps from my Christmas in New Zealand :) So here they are. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs12yF4pJY00U6j-Q8qvvu2boBrvpiWaC2HRpDyvsEdBd90693ivp56W0TedH-bQZZjBpldiNZEtnRyapDhPmBhPNqiSgXNy_GEkmB6W4UmSgUL0PdYSoFNp5YRsgA_MNEX5x1xLwKPwFj/s1600/DSC_0261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs12yF4pJY00U6j-Q8qvvu2boBrvpiWaC2HRpDyvsEdBd90693ivp56W0TedH-bQZZjBpldiNZEtnRyapDhPmBhPNqiSgXNy_GEkmB6W4UmSgUL0PdYSoFNp5YRsgA_MNEX5x1xLwKPwFj/s320/DSC_0261.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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Lets start with this chap. Snapped down on the southern coast of the South Island, this is a Variable Oyster catcher. Interestingly, this fairly rare bird is the only oyster catcher that has a pure black variety. The population as a whole, true to their name, vary somewhat between a pied pattern to full black as you head south down the coast. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpaFgNHY9SwfIt7UjCu67dtbvSSTP39iNsCCbZ891EDcztclwdgfZicpf-CMTsGfLIPnynDpNqXNxl4uZFSrEWgu9q7Zl0t2AZjC_Xa91tktJW7h3HZcAfDcqAbjrR15RJ_k5tSBz8EYA/s1600/DSC_0249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpaFgNHY9SwfIt7UjCu67dtbvSSTP39iNsCCbZ891EDcztclwdgfZicpf-CMTsGfLIPnynDpNqXNxl4uZFSrEWgu9q7Zl0t2AZjC_Xa91tktJW7h3HZcAfDcqAbjrR15RJ_k5tSBz8EYA/s320/DSC_0249.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Im pleased to say that the group we saw seemed to be doing very well indeed, shepherding their clutch of chicks accross the petrified forest that made up the shoreline.</div>
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Any just to finish off this post (Ive been terribly busy recently organising events and preparing for exams that words are failing me somewhat), here are a couple of snaps I took of pied stilts up in the Mount Cook region. This delightful little bird introduced itself from Oz around 1800 and is thriving in its new home. Interestingly, I have read that they are masters of distraction when it comes to leading potential preditors away from their nests. Some have even been seen feigning injury to draw a foe over and away from their nests. A nice little account can be found at the link below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPT3rCcGDfzTy7vp7QGmvntjokQr4TxA4crql1EfS_rQe3TyJQgtnCpSFJkpIoZv3YD5elWPjM3EbqqjhOhKsFwK7ikf9wCFwSuwfsq4sCZ9_0xULceJW3oGfu0ukXQGNzCAuZptuwoBk/s1600/DSC_0333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPT3rCcGDfzTy7vp7QGmvntjokQr4TxA4crql1EfS_rQe3TyJQgtnCpSFJkpIoZv3YD5elWPjM3EbqqjhOhKsFwK7ikf9wCFwSuwfsq4sCZ9_0xULceJW3oGfu0ukXQGNzCAuZptuwoBk/s320/DSC_0333.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/wading-birds/3</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LgQd6mGQjc0CY5CZVi35XeoH5ma72S0HPXf4YU25tRe9rRuuT5Q7Nbe1wRXjPSbv2-GkiQ475sXgqdVtMdIlrMnz7kDY5Ws4UUAbDZyaq2F4l9toLBT0BGG7bgqYy-DMJR31e3q8UQg4/s1600/DSC_0365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LgQd6mGQjc0CY5CZVi35XeoH5ma72S0HPXf4YU25tRe9rRuuT5Q7Nbe1wRXjPSbv2-GkiQ475sXgqdVtMdIlrMnz7kDY5Ws4UUAbDZyaq2F4l9toLBT0BGG7bgqYy-DMJR31e3q8UQg4/s320/DSC_0365.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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So there you have it. A little expose for the waders. Spare a thought for them during this rainy rainy spring time</div>
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<b><i>All images © William Bermingham 2012</i></b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-25098743266407305612012-04-16T00:16:00.000+01:002012-04-17T17:31:01.041+01:00Sniping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ok, so quick apology first. In the last installment of my blog, I said
my next post would be a duck-tacular, and it quite clearly is not. This
post is in-fact about just one particular bird, the Snipe. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7bka8fcGnzFfu4h-nI-alMNLsGJJInu6ibCmN-hYz8czSLEizatx5OpxNtvfd8idxeCNggorV-yFMFtKQIC9qC2eK9LZHEa5YfAvvZNK9NFl2TlYALvbysUxt-LvOJvHcWUqyU_kNTqB/s1600/DSC_0534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7bka8fcGnzFfu4h-nI-alMNLsGJJInu6ibCmN-hYz8czSLEizatx5OpxNtvfd8idxeCNggorV-yFMFtKQIC9qC2eK9LZHEa5YfAvvZNK9NFl2TlYALvbysUxt-LvOJvHcWUqyU_kNTqB/s320/DSC_0534.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div>
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Snipe are a fairly regular siting at the London Wetland Centre - though by no means an easy one! They are lovely little waders, with a long beak and fantastic camoflague. You can often see one or two from the WWF and Wader Scrape hides, but it takes a little while to get your eye in and pick them out between the reeds. Consider the picture below practise! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21MSEsLXUMtE7GFcfjpT9sFUg845tKg7-vV61pybkl7wURPToXRj1by0L3Fnvch-T2ISl7YXKK6It_r6BLwfsAu-uBIZ3gSe9sDLXEfahl9ZnNL_dFSfrM4SsopDV8ZRStowpXoJfjUzI/s1600/DSC_0163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21MSEsLXUMtE7GFcfjpT9sFUg845tKg7-vV61pybkl7wURPToXRj1by0L3Fnvch-T2ISl7YXKK6It_r6BLwfsAu-uBIZ3gSe9sDLXEfahl9ZnNL_dFSfrM4SsopDV8ZRStowpXoJfjUzI/s320/DSC_0163.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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So why has this humble little bird caused me to shun my ducks? Well, any regular visitors to the Wetland Centre will have experienced what may as well be called the "Snipe Effect." Sitting in a hide, all will be quiet (well, excusing the periodic firing of my camera shutter... sorry to all those silent binocular users out there...), quiet that is until a Snipe potters around a bank and into view. </div>
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"LOOOOOOK! ITS A SNIPE!" is the frenzied whispering that then spreads from watcher to watcher and all will huddle about to get a view. </div>
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What the Snipe think of all this, I dont know. They always seem extremely serene, dipping around in the shallows. Whatever is going on out on the lake, coots beating everyone else up, geese honking or seagulls zipping about, the humble little snipe just bumbles around as if nothing in the world could cause him bother. Im sure there is a lesson for London in there somewhere...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJFb1EtUc4afBt65KcKK_uIecDAXs4xvBbXtvagJGdCuXwsDNrmnAMstCKIwzRQsf2ja9OFGDWPe8LsMGsjM3l35IXXtFJfFhnCiNwN_s5JeCrMe4C5A-SPSUjSMXq3zCyFwS-vA9Crg7/s1600/DSC_0572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJFb1EtUc4afBt65KcKK_uIecDAXs4xvBbXtvagJGdCuXwsDNrmnAMstCKIwzRQsf2ja9OFGDWPe8LsMGsjM3l35IXXtFJfFhnCiNwN_s5JeCrMe4C5A-SPSUjSMXq3zCyFwS-vA9Crg7/s320/DSC_0572.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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So here is to the Snipe. A beautiful little bird and a real gem to spot to the London Wetland Centre. They are amber listed too, so it is great to see so many seeming to be so at home in our big city!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyqFwPVomJiGRQ_q_nNieYdf79K3pNosJi5LXUYqYopHHnwBRoEmTcr2AP8wiErw0qZWzpTOv9YkhkjJA7qSb8tX2TmHVpYkpnbaJ7YZcmYZj-HDLYu36g8Sp-NvhkhdkrBmryv0JIDMb/s1600/DSC_0533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyqFwPVomJiGRQ_q_nNieYdf79K3pNosJi5LXUYqYopHHnwBRoEmTcr2AP8wiErw0qZWzpTOv9YkhkjJA7qSb8tX2TmHVpYkpnbaJ7YZcmYZj-HDLYu36g8Sp-NvhkhdkrBmryv0JIDMb/s320/DSC_0533.JPG" width="209" /></a></div>
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<i>All images © William Bermingham 2012</i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-14338300730861396212012-04-12T11:03:00.002+01:002012-04-16T00:24:20.034+01:00Bloggers BlockMany things have happened since I last updated my blog. Christmas came and went, my birthday too. The NHS Bill waxed, waned and got crow-barred through parliament, Syria is still blowing itself to bits, and today MPs have finally realised that Heathrow probably isn't up to dealing with the Olympics. <br />
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So I think its about time I popped some photos on here to hopefully provide a little distraction from the fraught world we all live in! I have some treats too - with it being so long since my last post, I have a whole bunch of photos to pick from AND they include some from my Christmas-time trip to New Zealand!<br />
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So, lets get the ball rolling with some birds from the other side of the world. <br />
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*QUACK* ...okok, so an Albatros may not actually quack, but I think in this picture he is at least thinking it! Taken just outside Dunedin Harbor, S.Island, NZ, we were really lucky that out tour boat left the harbour just as a fishing vessel was returning. The result? A whole bunch of Albatros that swooped around us, wondering if we too had discarded fish to feast on. The light was beautiful and the proximity of the birds meant I managed to get some nice portraits of their incredibly expressive features.<br />
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Just round the corner from the relative bustling of Dunedin city is the Otago Peninsula. It is FULL of wildlife and well worth a trip. The albatross I captured were taken just off the peninsula, and indeed there is even an albatross colony up on the headland. But these mighty birds are put in there place by the wonder of the New Zealand yellow eyed penguins. A local farmer called Sam took us to see them in a little secluded cove on his land, via an exciting ride in his long wheel base Landy! They are quite simply a delight to watch. Coming ashore to their nests in the evening, the penguins waddle around the pristine sandy beaches. We were lucky enough to see two of the birds arrive together and dance with each other on the foreshore. <br />
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These penguins are not only wonderful, but they hold the unfortunate title as one of the most endangered species of penguin in the world. Lets hope the great work by these chaps continues to help their number rise! http://yellow-eyedpenguin.org.nz/<br />
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INTERMISSION: Here is a Dolphin.</div>
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Ok, enough NZ wildlife. I will post some more highlights from my trip in following posts. Lets come back to London and the WWT centre just to round off.<br />
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With such a lovely March, I managed to escape my placement for a couple of odd days and get myself to the WWT hides to unwind and get some snaps. As some of my previous bloggings show, I continue to have a love for water in my pictures, and to indulge this, I've recently spent some time focusing on the diving ducks.<br />
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Its a tricky business trying to capture them as the breach the surface of the water after a dive, and i certainly haven't even come close to improving my methods, but here are some results so far.<br />
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More to follow I hope! And a couple may feature in *sneaky spoiler alert* my forthcoming post on a collection of duck portraits! (I am determined to be a more consistent blogger again!)<br />
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And finally... I hope this blog has provided a little distraction from the trial and tribulations of the world around us. If it encourages some people to see the nature that survives even in the depths of London too, then I feel I have done a good thing! Here is one of my favorite birds of all time. Taken on the path just outside the WWT centre, this long tailed tit was nest building - but quite frankly, I prefer to think that he always sports such a smashing moustache! <br />
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All images © William BerminghamUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-57060103152703500632011-12-10T15:48:00.001+00:002011-12-11T09:38:35.526+00:00Brrrrrrr!What a chilly Winter's day today was! Having just finished another module in my long tour of the UK education system, I thought I was due a nice relaxing reward. Right on cue, I woke up this morning to be greated by a stunningly clear blue sky and a crisp breeze.<br />
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Lesson 1 of today: Buy some gloves.<br />
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As I strolled along the Thames path towards the wetland centre, Teals were nibbling at the waters edge in the low tide mud. I stopped to take a few snaps trying to capture their vivid colours against the streaked and channels muddy shore, but with little success correlating my limited effort - It must be warmer in the WWT hides!<br />
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I must say im one of those undesided people when it comes to the cold. Crisp winter days, beautiful light conditions and supreme clarity are all plus plus plus. But my hands numbing up so i can barely set up my camera let alone open my front door when I get home are big 'blehs.' I think spending some of my formative years in a desert made my developing circulation complacent about things to come.<br />
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But lets talk about some photography. Having dodged the crowds around the huskie rides and the stream of people heading off to see santa (located in a hut in the north america section!) I settled in the WWT hide. Much like my last visit, I started with the gulls. Less accrobatics today though, infact, there seemed to be much more discontent between our avian friends out on the lake. Perhaps they were chilly too? Moorhen was picked on by coot. Coot was picked on by black headed gull. Black headed gull was landed on by a passing herring gull. Herring gull sqwarked a bit sheepishly at a greater black backed gull. And the crows were up for a fight with anyone. <br />
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Life is easier as a duck I think. Whilst all this guffufull was going on the ducks tended to keep out the way and snooze. Moving over the the wader scrape, the somnolence of the ducks was uninterupted, and the light and colours of the reeds, teals and water plants was lovely to behold.<br />
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As I gazed out at this peacefull scene, I was given a real treat. Out from behind a reed bed came the first ever male Pintail that I have seen. Sadly, he never really came close enough for my lens to give him the credit he is due, but I managed to get a few half decent snaps of this truely elegant visitor. <br />
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Oh, and here is a snap of a teal showing off his colours....<br />
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With thoroughly numbed fingers, I headed home for lunch feeling dead chuffed with my Pintail spot. Lunch today was going to be AWESOME. Having hosted a Christmasy dinner the night before, there was a big bowl of leftovers waiting for me. As if sensing my festive mood, A robin popped out of a bush and settled on a fencce just a meter away from me. Sharing a few quizzical looks while I snapped his portrait, I almost felt like he was showing off just for my lens. A lovely end to the morning :)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-5183173809178273272011-11-16T20:44:00.001+00:002012-04-16T00:24:55.976+01:00Now that's aviation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Gulls.<br />
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What first comes to mind? "Ergh," "Ewe," "Humph?" How about the echoing cries of "AIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGG" at the seaside? <br />
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I must confess. In the urban sprawl of London, I dislike gulls. Ducking and diving for scraps on the roads and pavements, they are up there with our friends the rats in my estimations. (Sorry everyone)<br />
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Things change at the wetland centre. For the reason why, there was no better example than when I visited last week - I was greated by a vast number of them, making the cacophony of noise only gulls can. And they were incredibly active. Ducking and diving, swooping and skimming accross the lakes surface. It all looked rather fun.<br />
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So for this blog post, the focus is our friends the gulls. Photos are a mix of old and new - enjoy :D<br />
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Sitting in the WWF hide (soon I think I will ave left an impression in the bench where I always find my perch...) I turned my lens to trying to capture the skill and pannache that these birds employ while hunting, socialising or just having fun.<br />
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The next two photos come under the theme 'verticle.' Its almost as if the bird has been cut and past back into the photo after being rotated 90˚ as even just before impact, these black headed gulls kept their wings extended.<br />
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Next up, fishing. Or... Stealing. Or just play?! Nature does not have the greatest of tollerance for sillyness. And sillyness is what I witnessed one sunny morning at the wetland centre. Feeling very pleased with himself, a herring gull had caught himself a fish. "Yum." Thinks he, as he gracefully wings his way accross the lake.<br />
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CAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Reverie over. The mob begins. Spotted by the flock which was so docile just moments previously, a wall of white wings rises from the lake and mobs our friend and his breakfast. Ducking and diving, the play pans out in a bizarre reverse pecking order: Herring gull loses fish to another herring gull. Herring gull 2 loses the fish to a smaller gull. Smaller gull loses the fish (after much pestering) to a black headed gull. Black headed gull realizes fish is a bit big and after dropping it a few times, surrenders it once more to a herring gull. So. Competing fo food like this is a wise evolutionary strategy? WRONG. After the gulls had spent all that energy, the only chap to get breakfast was a crow. Watching patiently from the sidings, when he perceived the silliness to be drawing to a close, he swooped in, grabbed the fish and was gone. Game. Set. Match.<br />
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And finally, to bring this whistle stop tour of gulls to a close. Here are a few pictures from my archive of gulls being gulls. Taken in Cardiff (fishing for minnows) and Henley (the later 2). Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-77930106464566414642011-11-11T17:33:00.000+00:002011-11-11T17:33:30.166+00:0010/11/11: An Autumnal affair"Its getting chilly," I was thinking as I stepped out on a rare day off to scamper over to the Wetland Centre. "But come on, its more or less mid November! It should be much, MUCH chillier. What are you complaining about?!"<br />
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"Humph." Thinks I, and casting meterological averages aside I fall back into reality: "I'm chilly".<br />
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And whats more, just as I got to the Wetland Centre car-park, my previously 'full' camera battery was now reporting a rather measly 1 bar out of 4. No hundreds of rapid shutter shots for me today then! This is NOT a bad thing. I dread to think what I would have been like if I had discovered photography before digital. "Considerably more in debt" I think would be the key phrase.<br />
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So, flashing my card and bustling past mothers with babies, watchers with telescopes and strollers pondering along with autumnal whimsy, I scamper to my hide of choice and make myself comfy.<br />
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It was a good day. There were HUNDREDS of birds on the main lake at the London WWT site. HUNDREDS.<br />
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Gulls. Ducks of bewildering variety. Lapwings. Grebes (Small and Gr Crested). Herons (10). Cormorants. Coots (angry). Moorhens. Crows (devious). And I'm sure there were many more! AND everyone seemed to be active and on full display for my lens.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mWNJ6co23YEX10eqMb0KbnLQfNtdQErGOSqpK9Sfttdsj_U_loymanEOGiz0hZ53d_aZVMSCcz3uXCcal1YGqol89suyLTL0SSGCKqC386f2Mx1tbQnt3tGYX99cTxiNZuBiRTf8nW3V/s1600/DSC_0087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mWNJ6co23YEX10eqMb0KbnLQfNtdQErGOSqpK9Sfttdsj_U_loymanEOGiz0hZ53d_aZVMSCcz3uXCcal1YGqol89suyLTL0SSGCKqC386f2Mx1tbQnt3tGYX99cTxiNZuBiRTf8nW3V/s320/DSC_0087.JPG" width="256" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZScnhg6A8fcrsqfsfHW40-H9-xSj8jRYfYsjK3rBtaC6NqqC0SxEhKtxibd5hTn6RepCuVERzvr7rpvX2i5CDkFaZAmzITj4d33lUYPE3DV1Y4EIp8MCNujXfDJ28drXz4jGeZyN2XJlo/s1600/DSC_0094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZScnhg6A8fcrsqfsfHW40-H9-xSj8jRYfYsjK3rBtaC6NqqC0SxEhKtxibd5hTn6RepCuVERzvr7rpvX2i5CDkFaZAmzITj4d33lUYPE3DV1Y4EIp8MCNujXfDJ28drXz4jGeZyN2XJlo/s320/DSC_0094.JPG" width="231" /></a></div>The first two of todays photo focus on a rather handsome duck. After much flicking through books I believe he is a Gadwall. It took be bloody ages to realise this because most illustrations show no hint of the dashing auburn flash at his side, and I only confirmed his identity when i spotted the short phrase, "gadwalls also have white and brown colourings but tend to be rather too shy to display them." Not this chap, his lovely hazlenut flash was proudly out for all to see. <br />
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Moving on!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZHv1nGOXavJGvNcIeUiN2YhPpwVmFh6zHd9BtE34frlTVe-eb5TRy47JzsPRtnZxeIexM780sumbjrhaSlRndgvlAvx45s_5v9ngKFj4_1P2E1pvV2AqvgR_gdse5GbvUJ_sjxPIOTMI/s1600/DSC_0091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZHv1nGOXavJGvNcIeUiN2YhPpwVmFh6zHd9BtE34frlTVe-eb5TRy47JzsPRtnZxeIexM780sumbjrhaSlRndgvlAvx45s_5v9ngKFj4_1P2E1pvV2AqvgR_gdse5GbvUJ_sjxPIOTMI/s320/DSC_0091.JPG" width="257" /></a></div>This is not that great a photo. But I have a soft spot for little grebes. They look like little balls of fluff when above water, but submerged they are the terror of many a little fish. Here he is in the Autumn sunshine, and again below diving for his lunch.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20pknOTy3bUtIyi2O2lOMY_qGbmnlxQDvkKqwtlltJhMaDMoPz4NXbOE1G1QEJ4ThPq40Y-7KUbtSCidpLA_o7a6x0snRzNz5-V8PfyF6EsCyj2YLJPpQg0v2QYHIZfGNXklk0F8BLJ3W/s1600/DSC_0100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20pknOTy3bUtIyi2O2lOMY_qGbmnlxQDvkKqwtlltJhMaDMoPz4NXbOE1G1QEJ4ThPq40Y-7KUbtSCidpLA_o7a6x0snRzNz5-V8PfyF6EsCyj2YLJPpQg0v2QYHIZfGNXklk0F8BLJ3W/s320/DSC_0100.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>And finally, and without further adoo as I need to make dinner for some friends... Here are 2 fun photos of a (Black headed?) gulls. Neat.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclWOzjmeBkfXoUUjoN2_dc06DIB1sMbfe264a5X4ln_VVT3l4i9c26xEdyWe8bVVys2P425jLpC940HWHUO2L5p0GRPnB8GTKvaFR09VlCf6nLgrJUmQ9d7AickfF3immBJIK7rVSJp_c/s1600/DSC_0125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclWOzjmeBkfXoUUjoN2_dc06DIB1sMbfe264a5X4ln_VVT3l4i9c26xEdyWe8bVVys2P425jLpC940HWHUO2L5p0GRPnB8GTKvaFR09VlCf6nLgrJUmQ9d7AickfF3immBJIK7rVSJp_c/s320/DSC_0125.JPG" width="228" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvBJ7u02__bv-iIno3p-0Q1-uHnBZQujZtFntArwfp64QblQ1lp1XKw1O8_21Rs2oX9j7BVuLkLH1B_zGDJ1xyHtQFtJDG9uS_6WnOa83uQkE53BhRJIPYOkaUtOZcoZ-rHLLpTLiwxUt/s1600/DSC_0133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvBJ7u02__bv-iIno3p-0Q1-uHnBZQujZtFntArwfp64QblQ1lp1XKw1O8_21Rs2oX9j7BVuLkLH1B_zGDJ1xyHtQFtJDG9uS_6WnOa83uQkE53BhRJIPYOkaUtOZcoZ-rHLLpTLiwxUt/s320/DSC_0133.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-66641855706533408712011-07-20T16:29:00.000+01:002011-07-20T16:29:09.154+01:00Blogging reborn in black and white....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ok, so I have a number of appologies to start off with. Firstly, and largely to myself, I am sorry for not blogging in so very long. Sadly this is largely due to my camera lying dormant on my bedroom floor gathering dust, while I was a tad overwhelmed with work.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Secondly, the post that follows is not the normal focus on the nature of London that would normally fill this page - In fact, the shots arent even from a captial... BUT, what i have for your delectation today is a foray into the world of black and white, and I hope you enjoy :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So, these pictures are a short sequence from my recent trip out to Vietnam. In the past, I have generally stayed clear of black and white photography - largely because it is completely new to me. Havng toured a few galleries, it occured to me that black and white can very easily make a picture look good - deep contrasts and a sense of monochrome romance - but to take a great photo in black and white that stands out in the crowd is no mean feat. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Experience lacking, I have used this skirmish with B+W to practise the things that I had been working on last time to went to the WWT centre. Along with my bird photography, I have been aiming to improve my compositions, bringing more depth and atmosphere to my photos. The subjects that attracted me in Vietnam were the markets. Walking through them was like wading through humanity - alive with sounds, sights and (of course) motorbikes. There was huge contrast not only between individuals, but between calm and chaos - These are the things to wanted to capture.</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"> Pictures 2 and 4 are from a little town called Hoi An. The town itself is frozen in time - designated a heritage site, the old architecture of centuries of trade have been preserved, leaving the only real change being the change from traders of the old world commodities of asia to those of the new world, i.e. the trade of the tourist. </div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">The photo below is one of my favorites. When I was perusing this stall, the lined features of the man behind the table really caught my eye. It seems I want alone with my interest in him, as the little girl in the darker background also sits watching him. This is the picture which really sums up the Vietnamese markets to me - goods of all shapes and sizes, sellers of all ages. </div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">The next photo is the last from vietnam for the blog. Taken without tripod, propped against a building to try and steady my hand, this lantern shop really shone out of the darkness late in the evening in Hoi An.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjP-aH2TrU-ZgpOUnVNK2DYFMc7RXepcyX09RW5SmDS7YmoGfxGoRORLfEciuy5L5pTAjhVNYBIYfqJ68S_cFskM8ZmKSI8jiYHYQjTsB0fGMErIMt0QrGskLBpeOFNEEKktsIfKl9P0qa/s1600/DSC_0747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjP-aH2TrU-ZgpOUnVNK2DYFMc7RXepcyX09RW5SmDS7YmoGfxGoRORLfEciuy5L5pTAjhVNYBIYfqJ68S_cFskM8ZmKSI8jiYHYQjTsB0fGMErIMt0QrGskLBpeOFNEEKktsIfKl9P0qa/s320/DSC_0747.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> Last, (and possibly least!) this was an earlier experiment with B+W that I thought i would tag on. Taken at HORR in Putney, it shows the Imperial 2nds coming back in to the boat house after a very sucessfull race. The 1sts were already landed and dry and I wanted to catch the rowers as they passed the bundle of oars on the foreshore. Sadly, in my haste, the end of the oars was just cropped out of the photo by my zoom. Humph.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaWoIykunMtXBOTMzEXc2DrKLzmBNrkGm2YPKJPy0kKBXMVx9TQ4B3m1zlQc6Qog5iKBTpXSM7QCbiWShRKqX2eZ-Haj53wxMsn8DAdD51CHWPAYPp_sHTgSeXFLnH9-etyklFWwYhT9G/s1600/DSC_0477_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaWoIykunMtXBOTMzEXc2DrKLzmBNrkGm2YPKJPy0kKBXMVx9TQ4B3m1zlQc6Qog5iKBTpXSM7QCbiWShRKqX2eZ-Haj53wxMsn8DAdD51CHWPAYPp_sHTgSeXFLnH9-etyklFWwYhT9G/s320/DSC_0477_2.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the pictures this week. Next post (which will be soon!) Will be back to wildlife with some shots from Singapore. If anyone has any advice or comments in general, please write them below :)</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-6150704404129154152011-01-09T22:21:00.000+00:002011-01-09T22:48:11.025+00:00Happy New Year!<div style="text-align: center;">Happy New Year one and all! Now, for some reason my blog is not allowing me to arrange the photos in this post, so the best will be saved until last!<br /><br />To get the ball rolling, here are a couple of (heaven forbid!) landscape shots. I took these before Christmas whilst walking through the South Bank Christmas Market :) The winter sunshine was really bringing out the colours around the sights and I snapped these two in passing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCD1vm-P_njycM8aAhiZQcpnomlXe8fG6noG7zgXMhlUM378szSq0PIc9m_Z1LXdceoqfEDd-3YH9OaFBtXaG41AMjzqF2AlYcjvRr3WqXEwySKPaffvoX_r8KcPL520YOM-zrG2Oj9T1/s1600/DSC_0321.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCD1vm-P_njycM8aAhiZQcpnomlXe8fG6noG7zgXMhlUM378szSq0PIc9m_Z1LXdceoqfEDd-3YH9OaFBtXaG41AMjzqF2AlYcjvRr3WqXEwySKPaffvoX_r8KcPL520YOM-zrG2Oj9T1/s320/DSC_0321.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560318406101206050" border="0" /></a>The London Eye<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Aw2-7Wx9MNV3usVR5OnUcPEm8yoeeYNb3dDgxa-cVimkhHk6dUhCwoRCFVA5V4K2_JtBJBMMMD8A54H6pQCtxygesoAvL3xmGVxJfBOqGhOJ77wq-a03egRu3SnoRssd5At_KEDl_SH7/s1600/DSC_0349.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Aw2-7Wx9MNV3usVR5OnUcPEm8yoeeYNb3dDgxa-cVimkhHk6dUhCwoRCFVA5V4K2_JtBJBMMMD8A54H6pQCtxygesoAvL3xmGVxJfBOqGhOJ77wq-a03egRu3SnoRssd5At_KEDl_SH7/s320/DSC_0349.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560317897832386594" border="0" /></a>View of parliament<br /><br />So that was 2010, now on to 2011 and more familiar photographic subject teritory for me! A sunday brought the first crisp, sunny day of 2011 for which I was back in london and free to wander up to the Wetland Center for just an hour. The late afternoon winter sun was really highlighting the main lake to creat a wonderful atmosphere to photograph the wildlife.<br /><br />The first highlight of the afternoon was some activity on the islands as a new heron flew in to join his compatriots roosting in the reeds. i caught this shot as he drifted in to land.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQIPckC7-7LpZnCSaPHQWYFlDxpCzUDv-M7ulOQ68anevxzA2yyAeHzB-5mnMy55xo8QEv61pw9LAxDHtO700C5pEYutjnExNnrqqpLV2IAXizf_ypuVgwVOzy8zr1GPfeVlgJn0Et67a/s1600/DSC_0459.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQIPckC7-7LpZnCSaPHQWYFlDxpCzUDv-M7ulOQ68anevxzA2yyAeHzB-5mnMy55xo8QEv61pw9LAxDHtO700C5pEYutjnExNnrqqpLV2IAXizf_ypuVgwVOzy8zr1GPfeVlgJn0Et67a/s320/DSC_0459.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560317884640008898" border="0" /></a><br />And now the highlight. I suddenly realized my time had run out and i needed to head home when a juvenile grebe popped up from the reeds directly in front of the hide. One further dive and he surfaced with a catch. His timing was impeccable, I had not yet packed up and I fired off a stream of shots as he consumed his afternoon snack.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_PuQD9f1Kj15riFZE6VZ6Myt1Ipi7wWMaNV9pVEXtZZ3VDzrdGpVdJznKZx7gXAbGMzWhASO80JOCHoopX04IWbC1V8181-vKUFqskNqhN5mgaEu1QdkoP9P5acVCbyZ5JHcAdKSWQkk/s1600/DSC_0480.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_PuQD9f1Kj15riFZE6VZ6Myt1Ipi7wWMaNV9pVEXtZZ3VDzrdGpVdJznKZx7gXAbGMzWhASO80JOCHoopX04IWbC1V8181-vKUFqskNqhN5mgaEu1QdkoP9P5acVCbyZ5JHcAdKSWQkk/s320/DSC_0480.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560317882476019506" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxewGwQmBIcVpkNObYKoAUx2Dejr12bcGP1fQfjPhhWommTAJbaMIfnZmqcNbHPNNpmRq0Fhc92vG9L8mbc5D-oJASf6zhkEoDOduXsSg0NKmUbUM1lFRvrOTrvib2yKcQlclP6LsTlYT/s1600/DSC_0484.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxewGwQmBIcVpkNObYKoAUx2Dejr12bcGP1fQfjPhhWommTAJbaMIfnZmqcNbHPNNpmRq0Fhc92vG9L8mbc5D-oJASf6zhkEoDOduXsSg0NKmUbUM1lFRvrOTrvib2yKcQlclP6LsTlYT/s320/DSC_0484.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560317872452474546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiBgPZcg2j93K2vMK_wFmMu8Ucd9lELaYxgyuXQsCN0tAZ8aMd0EIWYUb4zghG7XUX4-ReW88Yj9qSZVEk-uE79czdqFSuf2JERj2f6WirPbYTFrJfk6X6BPgKKKhfFGMsswTx-obiJXU/s1600/DSC_0486.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiBgPZcg2j93K2vMK_wFmMu8Ucd9lELaYxgyuXQsCN0tAZ8aMd0EIWYUb4zghG7XUX4-ReW88Yj9qSZVEk-uE79czdqFSuf2JERj2f6WirPbYTFrJfk6X6BPgKKKhfFGMsswTx-obiJXU/s320/DSC_0486.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560317878423774242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiBgPZcg2j93K2vMK_wFmMu8Ucd9lELaYxgyuXQsCN0tAZ8aMd0EIWYUb4zghG7XUX4-ReW88Yj9qSZVEk-uE79czdqFSuf2JERj2f6WirPbYTFrJfk6X6BPgKKKhfFGMsswTx-obiJXU/s1600/DSC_0486.jpg"><br /></a><br /><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-91097538758186015272010-10-26T21:20:00.000+01:002010-10-26T23:10:22.344+01:00Autumn rays<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNp410tIWTNw5E4Yo7HWP9uLh3AKhNn03J1u0JkED1UUz6eB6gcRsNjDhr_FZ-eaXd6C0hRm2x3T5pHdMRMJk-vMgqj2k-gzOYSo-Nhv4h5PhmB4gKF_YZEJDLfXbaHwxZ_wUeex0wRTy/s320/DSC_0405.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532466635963218562" /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Photos from the capital has been a desolate dessert of inactivity for far too long! So, just as the clear blue September skies were forecast to come to a close, I managed to catch the last afternoon of radiant sunshine before the rain drew in. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This post comes with three themes of photos. First up are a couple of examples of me playing with my circular polariser. Im still playing with this bit of kit, but i'm continually amazed by the quality it lends of any reflective surface. These first two photos show two angle of polarised light. The first, with the swan, I turned my filter to bring out the blues of the water, to crisp up with beautiful ripples across the lake surface. The second (below) was a different angle which seemed to excentuate the browns and greens of a passing teal and the foliage behind. I am still am amature with this filter so any advice/suggestions are very much welcome!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqY0h_rk6rhXr1fYOcVao4rqGxlofcUHDgLfvlJh57ji8Lbs2KAj9-4PNRZxm5zoIPcY9IQWUfLWrfwie1rOE6vB2_mAVzHmyLHrAohwsFMthFeMtRjWHSDivlFShwxtEqlIy8D5nn6UqR/s320/DSC_0379.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532465612135805730" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ok, theme two. This is a continuation of me trying to develop my photographs as a whole. A little while ago (see a prior post), Lindsay commented that many of my photos lacked any sort of depth as I tended to capture subject against either sky or water. So in the next series of 3 photographs, I have tried to incorporate various backgrounds/reflective patterns to give a more wholesome photograph. Subjects are a little grebe, a teal, and a gathering of a teal a lapwing and a snipe, respectively.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYb8aAN_PSozEiCP8dR-ce6wXOVSjvDj6_6aaAOES5dVLiOHv5LWWveJzciL_dWuOYBg-jTqULFPd__lKlhMAS9iUxq9PjILEgJe6Vo_zHU5iuZbnDtzmJO53QPFw4Rc-n9FC3U1Wc0fCh/s320/DSC_0418.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532466641985966594" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfa2XozOrxdXvIZdNSYJu0vevMjZyUjjaAwnGtffZC5v5vIPc3_iQCXmLU-d7DvK6J966r99iogcaLrL-ugQzL1MfVlE2y81I_b4SdF4QRs4rQh-kEjru68pzCSNZFyRM0yQYwct19mBv/s320/DSC_0381.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532465624275003442" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 205px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN-0iHSINIfqbKaTf6pDBB3DLnauD1H_GK2WMIEKQM1yIqshRZPSxCbdN2aLOUQ0eKkeS6AmEhqCOLvZ7Eq5TXc0byuHnn-xez9GugKVHefwYa4AvhCq-y_4Wku_F08Jujte__MfgtltyR/s320/DSC_0357.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532465604150073650" /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And the final few. These are more for my own enjoyment. First up is a product of a long time sitting, waiting and nearly missing the moment when a snipe finally flew across to a new island. Largely due to luck, I managed to capture this shot as he drifted in to land. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPrIa_mMs2KOfSI650fKu5FvmvTb06fMsACIW6QqjmgejjyuORhWOEa3uIxi8YenTAP9i_4ErTzdwe7fP_wVzm8uJxt-bj8zZciCP14S6R8W7nF8zFQq-zU_xYSJwU_0-mbWJjgQqBW1j/s320/DSC_0534.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532466651094937234" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The final couple are of some old favourites of mine. Gulls never disappoint in providing acrobatics that are a challenge to photograph, but give some great results. The first picture is saddly blurred, but i thought it was cool - I think this is as close as you get to a handbrake turn under wing power?!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7-YpS7X9R_sBTJjqHY5pAwS8PFJTYaAKLjhTbEaBA5Dc3m3RFaM6jQyDt2q95P-bNmL5gniZI2FSMvWGU5LbcTpVHlzJuoI_io4G8Cbt_OIN9wBIYp7-z4kPMwmujT-_g5AhEYrwvgNq/s1600/DSC_0360.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 221px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7-YpS7X9R_sBTJjqHY5pAwS8PFJTYaAKLjhTbEaBA5Dc3m3RFaM6jQyDt2q95P-bNmL5gniZI2FSMvWGU5LbcTpVHlzJuoI_io4G8Cbt_OIN9wBIYp7-z4kPMwmujT-_g5AhEYrwvgNq/s320/DSC_0360.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532465609273778514" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lastly, I really love this photo. It was early in the day when I was playing about with settings, but somehow I managed to really capture the colours of this gull. I love the orange of the beak against the blue of the wings. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nrNcyL4G2ob-20-HglJ98l9lhape2_Qh8-vR2VjRRdPwbFmVOzmydpj7xf4chOjAL5LrNeqcWPQ0nabWU5MsdKY1vqmof3Ou-7S1sXD0XniLskl4-jqZMqdmIhhptotpvzEpAyhm78lW/s1600/DSC_0342.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nrNcyL4G2ob-20-HglJ98l9lhape2_Qh8-vR2VjRRdPwbFmVOzmydpj7xf4chOjAL5LrNeqcWPQ0nabWU5MsdKY1vqmof3Ou-7S1sXD0XniLskl4-jqZMqdmIhhptotpvzEpAyhm78lW/s320/DSC_0342.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532465593003121874" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's to hoping there will be some more clear weather soon!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-18489962610698247632010-09-11T21:43:00.000+01:002010-09-11T22:19:50.570+01:00A Holiday from the Capital<div style="text-align: center;">As the summer begins to wain, I finally returned to the capital.... and promptly left again! Going straight from a busy year studying graduate-entry medicine to a full time summer job and straight back to year two was perhaps a bit ambitious, so I decided a mini-break was in order! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I am fortunate enough to have family recently moved to the Netherlands in a beautiful area between the Hague and Amsterdam. To compliment the scenery the sun also turned out for a one day performance between fronts of rain - thank goodness I decided to take my camera with all its frills/lenses attached!</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9y9khjn7-cG6kDqVUAEfAThTyC6TUAI17w_AS6Zr2XmVTwNRNG6SL_13H4YftVLhysUGlSwhgOrEf0mlG5naqEC2waAxi0FZjYM2yS9-XVpF8199PB1Ej6zcLiJ0zCc_Sg0X1U4JQnPUQ/s320/DSC_0284.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515760356016931666" /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So, to business. It may be a new location for my blog photos, but the usual subjects came out in force. They put on a good show for me to practise with some new toys too - I recently went on a filter splurge and have a shiny new circular polarising filter for my 70-300mm lens. Im very much learning as I go with this one, but it is already showing its worth in adding extra quality to shots over water.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIgHELbvo2tAUR6mfwRWP3YSALGlf7UfUtW-Q02w5kWXfpDEVykFepU-MWqVcqeTGZ-t42ZTb1xDt1zS3VKYh3-MfJaRXrtHBDvE51af2ij_vF2qMYwD9lMNRrBuJef_cXQwQZZg50JA8/s320/DSC_0264.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515759951342487506" /><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 219px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAWV9wl1-85gdKyZBsTqQYqk_TXJGcvOajgnpULcm4hmWWa6ce0IPMWjYE6r_SvoScQycReWjTMzgPjBZ4NZCwN7qLYm6nILIO01t3rH7-P0er_YuF17QxS1DrdVw_Jw7OiZKzgXEv4Tw/s320/DSC_0256.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515759936933318882" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">These two shot of a coot in flight and a fishing grebe were taken from a boat on a beautiful lake. It was quite windy and the choppy water adds a lovely depth to the shots.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The gem of today, however, did not come in bird form. Early in the morning, I walked out of the house and caught a glint out of the corner of my eye. A dragonfly was hanging in the midst of a bamboo hedge in full sun. Que a surge of over-excitement and a dash for my camera. Snap-snap-snap-snap. I had a field day, the dragonfly was most obliging and hung motionless throughout. I even had time to dash inside to replace my 70-300mm lens with my father's Nikkor macro lens and snap a couple in incredible crispness with this fantastic bit of kit. All in all I was a very happy photographer :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJJ3HpLiaBsLkk_i2Nokp7UnuSqy6BQy-gbmGYFwCRKiLuK1nPnHyfOPPqlgz9xcRU5xbtlhd90AsHju21PCiqwNyLekORijWJix5y33ZDehZhxlcC-qDQgOuC_eEBVqMBkTTidw-u9pJ/s1600/DSC_0013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJJ3HpLiaBsLkk_i2Nokp7UnuSqy6BQy-gbmGYFwCRKiLuK1nPnHyfOPPqlgz9xcRU5xbtlhd90AsHju21PCiqwNyLekORijWJix5y33ZDehZhxlcC-qDQgOuC_eEBVqMBkTTidw-u9pJ/s320/DSC_0013.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515759930426212898" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSd0gRT9837kB02fdDmuZMFwflT3pWWA4FwiBypIKQVDlQM5o9Ik4KZNZ34hhzArKEquvdS7piVWXOw0DPO59YIayZsQZD2mm88gH79Rk9vT2dsbaJZA7AFQ2DjJOjeniQ4eE_qnP1VDA/s1600/DSC_0034.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSd0gRT9837kB02fdDmuZMFwflT3pWWA4FwiBypIKQVDlQM5o9Ik4KZNZ34hhzArKEquvdS7piVWXOw0DPO59YIayZsQZD2mm88gH79Rk9vT2dsbaJZA7AFQ2DjJOjeniQ4eE_qnP1VDA/s320/DSC_0034.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515759918307232738" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDI7RX9Lnt8-fX1QLrflSO0Dc9Nkh5_XbwZ6XjaQL2qx8WViic8M6XO8qegaJSQgKox5NtnSMSFMt3WqpnPKLIPB70zmymTbr0YKU0fukC8rODDDMgCv4HW8_yMZYXC8jQRNDqBuY125oI/s1600/DSC_0030.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDI7RX9Lnt8-fX1QLrflSO0Dc9Nkh5_XbwZ6XjaQL2qx8WViic8M6XO8qegaJSQgKox5NtnSMSFMt3WqpnPKLIPB70zmymTbr0YKU0fukC8rODDDMgCv4HW8_yMZYXC8jQRNDqBuY125oI/s320/DSC_0030.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515759908588646018" /></a><br /></div></div><div>ps - Ive been trying to Identify this dragonfly but to no avail. If anyone has an idea please let me know!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-61437185158976093482010-08-13T22:09:00.000+01:002010-08-13T22:33:44.751+01:00Finally another post!<div style="text-align: center;">What a busy Summer this has turned out to be! Working full time to save up some pennies has meant that the majority of the good weather passed me by with very few clicks resounding from my D40 shutter :( </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It was last weekend when I finally found an excuse for some photography when I managed to zip off to Rutland water en route to a friends wedding in Loughborough. For anyone unaware of this gem, it is a lovely part of the world to wander around. When I was young and lived in the area, my parents used to take me for walks and pottering around picking up fossils from the beaches. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEims4Gmz44f8OfX8eJw0qSUgwNjmlvhH51ga1bzs0zpCUUxqNjCetA9y2MFhQMwG6QcA5_SS1iiuucMRHVcO8RnZzcjJK3uh-RFsutfY0qwuPOYjQg5pRp-oszzbjl7NyWrwsJ6tjhxPvow/s320/DSC_0077.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505006822496004130" /><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;">This time I was there for birds though. In terms of variety, the selection was very similar to the LWC - Ringed plovers, Lapwings, a selection of waders. Some new faces for me as well though - notably the appearance of a few little egrets. The number of terns was the most striking feature - Many were flying over the lakes hunting for the many young scattered over the islands. Here are a few of my better shots from a very brief spell before heading off to see my friend get hitched!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxHKMjOteRhzkzv6AH4u-EGKgb7RZpaytpFjHt-ndxq79nmttm06w3dNZrSZp5ujBR742QtA9EHi6niCwy4AgKDAiWkthmUgLZqeYQ1c307geCD0bd5trJjV3i_gwrRYHIPAR8RtofrE2/s320/DSC_0075.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505006811934617602" /><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mUMZfntxWSB058KdPnn5UbWvkjobq48P6NpNjBgnuAZJfV4_4T7C3h1MPyJfxG2ppGM6P7-A93IdL7etr2QjARaNj69t0Mg3mWyUGX8pSAoDUPy5_ess8QAhH4HNXKdQ_HcRDzf9EucE/s320/DSC_0068.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505006806515097490" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlojL6iEu_kmVwvswltvoy7FRofc8SgJP9ObppEMqCHd-Puub1QXM1LfWjitmLp_rCcWfolNUaCyKKy6epDaHjbj8WVgzl0TgKI0bRPuEXG0wBQyMpDNQ9TjX0fDjBd9YhHuEPmBK3myde/s1600/DSC_0028.jpg"></a><div style="text-align: center;">And now for something completely different. Staying in Husbourne Crawley for the past few weeks, the night sky has been wonderfully free of light pollution. Standing with our necks tilted right back, some friends and I saw a whole host of shooting stars and satellites crossing the nights sky. Photographically, I couldn't resist the challenge of some nighttime photography. Though the prize of a decent meteor pic eluded me all the way until my battery died, I have popped the photo below up to recover some sense of pride - In the bottom left hand corner is a very small little trail of one of the meteors that teased me by darting just out of my frame.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlojL6iEu_kmVwvswltvoy7FRofc8SgJP9ObppEMqCHd-Puub1QXM1LfWjitmLp_rCcWfolNUaCyKKy6epDaHjbj8WVgzl0TgKI0bRPuEXG0wBQyMpDNQ9TjX0fDjBd9YhHuEPmBK3myde/s1600/DSC_0028.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlojL6iEu_kmVwvswltvoy7FRofc8SgJP9ObppEMqCHd-Puub1QXM1LfWjitmLp_rCcWfolNUaCyKKy6epDaHjbj8WVgzl0TgKI0bRPuEXG0wBQyMpDNQ9TjX0fDjBd9YhHuEPmBK3myde/s320/DSC_0028.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505006830482806898" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-24361028979715829382010-06-25T18:05:00.000+01:002010-06-25T21:10:36.058+01:00A mid exam break - Bugs and Birds<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Two exams down, 1 to go! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">After a particularly brutal anatomy exam, I couldn't go straight back to to the books - With the sun shining through my window, the wetland centre was crying out to me to take a break and unwind a little.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In my eagerness to escape the pit of revision that is my room, I actually arrived at the center 20mins early - there are worse places in the world to have to hang around! Nestled in a shady spot, I did a bit of light dermatology revision to add an extra air of justification to my morning of photography. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">With perfect, warm, breezy weather - I felt I was relaxing into a relaxed landscape - birds barely bothered flitting out of my way as I strolled the paths, dragonflies hovered hypnotically between swaying daisies. I almost (almost!) forgot about work! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sadly, the grebes werent going to be as photogenic as during my last visit. They were paddling off in the middle of their lake - though i was pleased to see the young chick still with them. For the hides were quiet. Nothing particularly remarkable on the bird front - I thought i glimpsed a warbler, and there was rather excited flock of ducks (yes - ducks!) zipping about occasionally - but otherwise I was joined by the usual suspects; coots (angry), lapwings (busy fending off crows), ducks (running from the coots) and a plethora of chicks! Here are some highlights from an otherwise uneventful morning...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4H3PIT3aLEUbxVFXMhLsuwCEzff2Z4KAfLQZy5nZ1hNinrjIqfeIZQbtCqEPXREHsGTxh5cagzVM_PsDtQSAODJoyj2SFJ4GDC4_twgqnfMm2SrzNMeciQ1Un-SI2nc9EYKRIelDrlLYM/s320/DSC_0068.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486763130091592402" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lapwing</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifk87_xLWVzBlhR_w4FlNHw7-2w72dBZgryoZ04dDkDpJG9OjeHxYaIoMT-G3N5JzCCqyq91S3MpzZ7XSXo5vAe2gvr9-7qhRNjUuRE6rRyAYQcx4Bh5G-sOGQiLD_zaeQ_dzp_zbEZweZ/s320/DSC_0094.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486759910666312946" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 296px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDZt8Ng0hVSyLmuGWhWlHHZGQZWUV6TUscHCyq2nTAcLtLqxguyiNbntSzi2PbBMWVbqh1BsgcLsm5vAgNAeBlWl9DWcS7VgImhD0LgrAOy8lAKcZlBUD3u0mrt3miGhLDr1cQIpvcbST/s320/DSC_0075.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486759912938547858" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 67px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRUVZ0onSoNsOWfOic1ysSGCXHkH3YfQTTsdIvaq_aIygl48bm8v8JosrhLfFut1GzZOovoDoy5QMdoM2cPCHacdPICWsvBIi8vor5J_abP3RV4YUy2PO9l_8tqJvoHX5bXYrtq-_YLUc/s320/DSC_0070.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486759921586498370" /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqEjR1Hb1GjXrwMIp8bce5DG5F_TwNLIlVzqrZ2REesXOYAskZ_s1rynNfD8s8pkbuS-Kftlpcbj-55PSsvWvy__NQOi5on7VOt1B1FQpjbcSarRl2gHdaZClUVRruVHXN7UUN-mhe9Zw/s1600/DSC_0121.jpg"></a><div><div style="text-align: center;">Angry, angry coots!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">One nice feature of today was the butterflies and dragonflies. Big and small, their vibrant colours were a wonderful feature, flitting in and out of the daisies, here are a few of my better snaps</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1j-DhQjI8VcqFVuSyZcxLPyu21pIv12RdBVTLnINLIrDhD-TcqPkgKioFaZ9X3y7bVVpR01Uyc55Yh9eiWThU-TsnmDIacvSyF67WGOkhIgUuYmHexpWm88wgJI23acaC0HkHAwlkeh6/s320/DSC_0128.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486805658873090898" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 205px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqEjR1Hb1GjXrwMIp8bce5DG5F_TwNLIlVzqrZ2REesXOYAskZ_s1rynNfD8s8pkbuS-Kftlpcbj-55PSsvWvy__NQOi5on7VOt1B1FQpjbcSarRl2gHdaZClUVRruVHXN7UUN-mhe9Zw/s320/DSC_0121.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486759935978260818" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnmRags0cEF8mOX_sBR7sA-Nktnnbp28cnQW3QVh91hA-ykik6zpTAsr4aKVUq-9JM-JHlRIGaYiCjw0IzxlZe2aVF3LvllmO-tcIlCyx_pltyd4CUBAVShyphenhyphentxxyN8qAw-MLFRgwaNpIZ/s320/DSC_0006.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486759903741319186" /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#999999;">All images copyright William Bermingham 2010</span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-83835745118788347242010-06-16T19:33:00.000+01:002010-06-16T20:45:40.636+01:00Grebes Grebes Grebes Grebes!!<div style="text-align: center;">Exams are v v close and revision is v v boring. The only solution to the monotony was to zip to the Wetland as soon as the sun cleared all the pesky clouds away.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wow was it a beautiful day. Far to beautiful to revise. Far to beautiful to sit in a hide. So, cross legged, I found a comfy piece of grass with a fine view of the Great Crested Grebes. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaL2DR7dmwA8UW-vswaazxUATHR9btbgfOzoc7cv-HqbxWhqhlqqRM2gx1M3v2vT5VdhwbwDWPLPvc80g3Ad6Nm72N1bETznWAim1OmxLIfxVX2dSzEjeuZvBWGkjBLC-MvGQ45YVa4d4C/s320/DSC_0237.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483444335599007154" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Talking to a few passer bys, apparently the tale of the grebe chicks is not so idilic as these pictures may suggest. Just 2 days ago there were 3. Herons? Kestrels? Gulls? Who knows. The good news is that the adults weren't going to let this last little chick out of their sight. Tucked up on mum's (or dads?!) back, his little zebra-stripped head would peep out comically from time to time. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 203px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGcQTAf1zjStwX9K1cEWDi1MyWGHQTRSz1bLZI2j_ULSR6j271qihuVssDEtjFAGHNP3qEw1FwLyZGHYEnnP3YHamtZd4EdVhjjcGJ-dv7m-NOTy3TPUpllSotav0G84c_2bsZ3vphcpC/s320/DSC_0432.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483459833420955106" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So, when I arrived, just the one adult was in view - but not for long! From across the lake, the second appeared with a mighty catch. "Surely," thinks I, "that cant be for little stripy" - Oh but it was. Despite looking to be pretty much the same size as the chick, with a few deft flicks, the fish was upended and wriggled down into his tum.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bX8BjDQ1YAJ6VNgrBTak6EJF35a26lwJq4PHsPOronv64RnIuh9gZE14vUhwyYciTvSL-wNu8C6YsLsaJaEkxX0jtSocKgmuD1P9a5l0dkCzgH-bPNT33gup7BN_YkoT1nj9WFH2qAII/s320/DSC_0263.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483444341730417410" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwuRPWym5XiT6O03S0w682ePZfqnBdMIIzyWssSGkoZwN-Ax5trt8ZuDhVTys6yfKWPS9GaG1RYby2zxFeA79c08GWLiIVZl9HK2qm4zkG0rJqqZ703QEqWhGEbTlFk1S9ztRi74R7frq/s320/DSC_0271.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483444353067764322" /><div style="text-align: center;">After lunch, I got another little treat from the grebes. The adults spent a few minutes dancing with each other. Not quite to the extremes of the mating season, but tapping beaks flaring their displays. Smashing.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNy7HKnSHIsVl4thSR2iev58CGvkoMYbTWi8tRehHxQEJunR4cgSs7zMfnQ-JmNKhgZz8ZKY33K3dJrglca2vRozSbajZQNvyNkluY5m47lEekRhPsCr0dfP0s9oPpTAVNz-R9aER_mvOV/s1600/DSC_0322.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNy7HKnSHIsVl4thSR2iev58CGvkoMYbTWi8tRehHxQEJunR4cgSs7zMfnQ-JmNKhgZz8ZKY33K3dJrglca2vRozSbajZQNvyNkluY5m47lEekRhPsCr0dfP0s9oPpTAVNz-R9aER_mvOV/s320/DSC_0322.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483444364435764066" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">On a more photography based note - I was thinking today about a comment Linds made about my pictures to date. She pointed out that often I use very plain backgrounds of either water or sky (see my earlier gull photos or my little grebe portrait) and, whilst this may highlight a subject, the shots are very 2D. So, I hope I have improved a bit on this front today - I focused mainly on the triangular reed (seen below) to try and frame the grebes. Along with this, I was also conscious of the wind patterns across the water leading to different bands of colour - so I tried to use these for a bit more depth. Comments/Advice welcome!</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 320px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMotqNWPpkLxvJMklZxkOK_XBaHwoFO1riDxc_sOVK3r1_y51pcg9jEEUVf-o0IAakzlkP9RS7mn6ezVMOP4kUnCnZtea6b2Sag9KOpYfiH1gXeOIbNT7O6CFrsBDRqh-lM_zg78TofS_/s320/DSC_0607.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483444330132863058" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ive also toyed a bit with this image. Its a bit over done with the reduce quality here on the blog, but I like the vivid colours.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-55351794361227448002010-06-05T14:16:00.000+01:002010-06-05T14:49:02.301+01:00Beetles, birds and one very unlucky eel.<div style="text-align: center;">Despite exams looming once again on the horizon - I couldn't resist making the most of some sunny weather and heading to the Wetland Centre. A beautiful calm, warm day with only slightly hazy light streaming across the lakes heralded for some good photography.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">To kick things off - I cant resist putting this photos first, despite it being one of the last I took today! I find beetles fascinating - something I attribute to a previous life as a 19th century explorer/coleopterologist for lack of better explanation - so when this one buzzed passed me I scampered after him to find where he landed. Beautifully radiant in the sun, I later identified this emerald beastie as a rose chafer. Gorgeous.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtE-nbUyscOWXJMyGAv5xORwAq2M9aYWPMjmG977yJWIVWmJPylgcE2TlbsIDkAkpNzFqdYKdFtP45cYT12vKYItidrxOOI-Q49Yb0xKAolCgA6uLM2fQnpwx4mwpja5v4WLda8VmyiDT/s1600/DSC_0539.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtE-nbUyscOWXJMyGAv5xORwAq2M9aYWPMjmG977yJWIVWmJPylgcE2TlbsIDkAkpNzFqdYKdFtP45cYT12vKYItidrxOOI-Q49Yb0xKAolCgA6uLM2fQnpwx4mwpja5v4WLda8VmyiDT/s320/DSC_0539.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479279529204006258" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">For more info on this lovely beetle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetonia_aurata</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ok, so back to a more chronological approach. As is my ever developing routine, I started at the Wader Scrape hide. As i settled down, an old friend of mine (see a few posts previous!) started hopping about the luscious greenery right in front of my lens. Feasting on the plentiful bugs, this little wren looked wonderfully content as he flitted by!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 254px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GC2BjsySFoF4MC2tlBpPh8EIwZ5Nw8lv-fJHCHA2OF-nzNaSUNhQYboG-XM2bI7w9cH59Nifsqe1AZM3N0wKEi3F1i7swt9_l0gROvF17GPdDwa8uvGzwQesJldqkl62T9J1y9DoUe_D/s320/DSC_0283.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479278580246432850" /><div style="text-align: center;">Things then became rather calm. The cosy, warm weather seemed to be as soporific on the ducks as it was on me. A little while later, however, I caught a flash of colour out of the corner of my eye. Sadly I wasnt quite quick enough to catch him as he passed close to the hide, but to see a kingfisher is a real treat! This was the best image i caught - he was rather far off by this point so it is rather grainy.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnxeV7u3m556Vylj0AFtQ5nUM-eGIDFJzLjetBgVSfqlJn7uR6Qk0-BIIubG2sPoGhwVtRCH8ZmvAKSFcM9g9azKtAiq-reQ8nSE1I0uTIRGj0SyfA4HNJGZwWpBnsg57CmCSZI86T9c2/s1600/DSC_0494.jpg"></a><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSohYY4AeHF8_DmZ4GvJXgkF71KMHaP37fuF8BbWlnDhMa8ls_gOJRRFCWp1GZcHYjn5wwToqnXjZFbmpKXo7JdaPUcJKbwAO8SAxRiEKj1UcH9MxUnIsa0Nqiw3iytaUcHtPlm_9XUtb/s320/DSC_0292.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479278586035490898" /><div style="text-align: center;">Despite the excitement of the kingfishers, things quickly settled back down at the wader scrape and i decided it was time to move on. As midday approached, activity at the other hides (dulverton and WWF) seemed to pick up. I caught this shot of a starling coming in to land largely by chance, but i love the contrast between his oil-slicked black and the green of the foliage.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnxeV7u3m556Vylj0AFtQ5nUM-eGIDFJzLjetBgVSfqlJn7uR6Qk0-BIIubG2sPoGhwVtRCH8ZmvAKSFcM9g9azKtAiq-reQ8nSE1I0uTIRGj0SyfA4HNJGZwWpBnsg57CmCSZI86T9c2/s1600/DSC_0494.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnxeV7u3m556Vylj0AFtQ5nUM-eGIDFJzLjetBgVSfqlJn7uR6Qk0-BIIubG2sPoGhwVtRCH8ZmvAKSFcM9g9azKtAiq-reQ8nSE1I0uTIRGj0SyfA4HNJGZwWpBnsg57CmCSZI86T9c2/s1600/DSC_0494.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnxeV7u3m556Vylj0AFtQ5nUM-eGIDFJzLjetBgVSfqlJn7uR6Qk0-BIIubG2sPoGhwVtRCH8ZmvAKSFcM9g9azKtAiq-reQ8nSE1I0uTIRGj0SyfA4HNJGZwWpBnsg57CmCSZI86T9c2/s320/DSC_0494.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479279521857383522" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Back to bugs, and if there was one type that was really conspicuous today it was the dragonflies. They were everywhere! This is one of my better efforts at snapping some of these little on one of the smaller ponds by the path.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwqwk_HZBKWSOupCZL36t-9R4ojtdurOq7kl9FOCq6cjmDPak7qu8yLQdjnZ7zfVY4akons_GotigfY9a2XMUUvfY3tsDnhfNYwTrcWWQStDDtDzqAE8ESOuY7iWui6pjo6Ef5aRofjnF/s320/DSC_0387.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479278590588205810" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The best is yet to come! Just as I was about to leave and return to the monotony of revision, a eagle-eyeled bird watcher spotted something rather brilliant. A cormorant, who had been cruising around near the hide earlier, was causing a commotion in the middle of the main lake. Amazingly, he had caught a rather large eel and was thrashing around in a duel with the slithery serpent. After a prolonged struggle, the cormorant's sharp pointed beak won out, and without a second glance, the improbably large eel was flicked up and gradually gulped into the belly of the bird. Amusingly, throughout the Coots clearly found it all very interesting and gathered round the cormorant, seemingly as enthused as we all were in the hide! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The only unfortunate detail about all this was the distance. Too far for my 300mm lens, these snaps are heavily cropped - but i think they give an idea of the events!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 221px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGyL9e3sg8V9o-WuN1ggMzd7YBSsS1DqzF_xs6nYYr2aKfPK6OrhnrMNaiJmVg-p6syF3TxyUDuaa4jeB1SUHciPh-koARADR3C_dA_nd8lUZu2uv3sz0KpzazZ0JwBliU7BUo2W9iwuh/s320/DSC_0427.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479278596667591394" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6WPODbVt_thDvP4b_2OhgkqFToljkDYX9KgCTCCqj63h2JplM7dTWuzt8cZxZ5uqpDVF69_CGfhPGiy0tm2TDezaWGC9M0J9iILPBO018Gakk2o76HZeynBMmELJlGb72kBsGZI8ouKwq/s1600/DSC_0443.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6WPODbVt_thDvP4b_2OhgkqFToljkDYX9KgCTCCqj63h2JplM7dTWuzt8cZxZ5uqpDVF69_CGfhPGiy0tm2TDezaWGC9M0J9iILPBO018Gakk2o76HZeynBMmELJlGb72kBsGZI8ouKwq/s320/DSC_0443.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479278602710642850" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-77312870651244549282010-05-22T14:02:00.000+01:002010-05-22T14:44:32.729+01:0022.5.10 Sweet Summery Days :)<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTe9hQrQZW0C6a8U-rkZnfr84mv_LFXy1xVTifzNiQNsYoT-hApQWEJpI04zSoSkHc9saPQ1PisN0-Qoj_Gg_SdGedT_D2VXBm8yGacWDXgE7oWupgT-W5ZKGSE6VrqPhpNJ4EvJBfqLJy/s1600/DSC_1225.NEF.jpg"></a><div style="text-align: center;">Having been repeatedly foiled by lectures and dull weather, this weekend finally provided some free time and gorgeous weather for me to scoot over to the wetland centre. With clear blue skys, a strong sun and light breezes, I was expecting a production day by the lakes. Having arrived at 930, I headed straight for my hide-of-choice at the wader scrape. As a pootled along, I snapped my first two finds of the day - a reed warbler (not uploaded - he was hiding fairly deep in the reeds) and this juvenile long tailed tit.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI91Z3rRtZHiqAVegshtCxwd4Q3fuTyqGzHaOa1I3OES9zfxwD2owQLQZgPMlqlJZjlHOZ8FWuVKlXyyOAq3YzBpZALf6irljBTqXtXYOxKo3o_JSfEIXXO4NOjVgTArfr0zm1y7Jmbcme/s1600/DSC_0244.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 243px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI91Z3rRtZHiqAVegshtCxwd4Q3fuTyqGzHaOa1I3OES9zfxwD2owQLQZgPMlqlJZjlHOZ8FWuVKlXyyOAq3YzBpZALf6irljBTqXtXYOxKo3o_JSfEIXXO4NOjVgTArfr0zm1y7Jmbcme/s320/DSC_0244.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474080385709120594" /></a><br /><div>Having gotten off to a good start, my luck began to run out. Whilst pulling up a bench in the hide, a tern dramatically swooped overhead and dived into the lake directly infront of me. Was my camera ready? No. Did the tern hang around? No. Instead, I managed a snap a few frames of a black headed gull as it flew past.<br /><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtH_0Nf6ZStEPXGDt5KCHuDVYH91tyWNvaLfTN2jt6pn_Er2Kh1QV4LCT6I_yEch2VybjpgwgGLjRlasuwdmGyPVxwEJn_MxrMGZdCEH4mI-ES5h51ebiQBbLmqdqAfKCkKhhNBIhJ6rh/s320/DSC_0262.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474080370052123890" /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Unusually, the wetland centre was really really quiet today. Time rolled by with very little activity in either the wader scrape or main lakes. The exceptions to this rule, were of course the sand martins who at least provided a wonderful spectacle even if they are too small and speedy to photograph! In a rare flurry of activity, I did manage to catch this goose as it took off from the lake, running across the waters surface to pick up speed.</div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwo3EKN5dhwJfkByZXHOltd7SJ1L8oszrw_dORkGe-SPb6VoWi6uK5UHnlMSNcDAnNGjqWF9EwEDSGOgtcyN0k9NVXjQvDWoYKwXzg8w3cmFYBDJdlSyMieM-NaeSoDQrwT-aGjzOc7Go/s320/DSC_0346.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474080375049785202" /><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">To match the relaxed mood on the wetlands, a duck with her chicks sauntered by the water scrape hide. With such gorgeous spring weather about, I couldn't resist putting at least 1 duckling picture in my blog :D quaaaaack.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcggooBgvbVUM3koZvIEFYO0OXT6cz8INkcRzfDRn28RabAouSb_IHbdYSo47iL_VCIgpC6hh8pcqHAGcqiBsGxLQTp_VFTcgpX0FIXhGMXQ_v5AHsoQe4E_mkMqobPw-O1XEvx528tZgv/s320/DSC_0257.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474080360683308754" /><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">With time marching on, I was beginning to gather myself up to head home for some more hours of revision, when I got a little reward. The tern was back, and stayed just long enough this time for me to catch a snap as he hovered briefly about the water scanning for fish. These sleek migrants are truly a pleasure to watch bring back many happy memories for me - I used to watch them in Stevenage where they nest on the lake nr the town centre. The picture at the bottom is one I took there 2 years ago as one of a pair returned from a fishing trip :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDw7830Xke4Voh2-BByXY6PFaP9Z4YPcHDGXfTPgiJrlmPjR0la1Dwd7yywGtfYktgFEyPOo5zr0tPAkvoEW-sdh_TxNaDgqCmoTdgP3KtEh2s1iM33VflHqxNsvac7sZncVvcBgs0ilBB/s320/DSC_0298.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474080373756373314" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTe9hQrQZW0C6a8U-rkZnfr84mv_LFXy1xVTifzNiQNsYoT-hApQWEJpI04zSoSkHc9saPQ1PisN0-Qoj_Gg_SdGedT_D2VXBm8yGacWDXgE7oWupgT-W5ZKGSE6VrqPhpNJ4EvJBfqLJy/s320/DSC_1225.NEF.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474089628236086610" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 320px; " /></span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490680312742585914.post-17134656220386856472010-04-22T21:43:00.000+01:002010-04-22T22:41:11.373+01:00Another sunny day, another wetland centre trip!<div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 232px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglOxZYSneX2JoUqPoHJs_0V5Q00jlPV4GFqHknNrIrOTMmsV_7YLQ-KpQPs4zfRt5OoC4q-ZHQEJNCv-eKpRKrZfXRtMmQ73_WdbA469NaL7NJCQDY_b3CVsydooetmTNCKJvf5eQ-LrnW/s320/DSC_0356.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463067892703149538" /></div><div>A rare lunchtime finish from lectures gave me a rare opportunity to scamper down to the wetland centre on a weekday. With planes back in the air, it was by no means the peaceful scene that had greeted me a few days previsouly, but the sun was shining and the birds were... well, sleeping mostly! Settling into the wader scrape hide, a number of waders - sandpipers/ringed plovers/snipe/redshanks - kept me happy as they skirted round the islands, dipping into the calm water.</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZw9RS8_ppPSf9GV-D2Ge2O3OijH6oSxiOvyJYKGNx08z866ZgAzbT5G83wGZqlIQm7b1dUDTa-y9IJ7olLQhXjSAMbvGvUI1sY5IlznnYDShEqK9WwDbPxHbDgVh2-S6emFcXp03ILp6b/s320/DSC_0338.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463078395862810978" /><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Another visitor to the wader scrape - Always keep an eye on the fence to the right of the hide, last time I snapped a wren, this time some starlings were hopping about the rails :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi206-bdNVsFFcwvScmj4TWsYWNy3PZwkWznCJcPk0nm4YH8QcKDaaViKc8U4T8D6SU3wHyE33c8EQS3Tw9TkCTMdicfamdD7qYV8n10cL1g6G5OPH_UWt7Ka2ZZEP01uQRzqihkCWYjz1G/s320/DSC_0261.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463067871555057378" /><div>After a little while, I skirted back to the WWF hide. En Route, I saw one of my favourites - A long tailed tit. These happy little chaps always remind me of my years in Cardiff where they used to congregate in the trees around the university all through the Summer. I caught this one with my camera on sport mode as he hopped about a tree.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmU6-RCCDS9VYWyY7Jb8E1zBeJtP59ujL0v2fWN5OLuGYhWu9efeqfTbt8xDphx4vc5k6bEcMUF0k4xpBgHEXunHuhqI2VgyqUIKXmTCqdn3hl_28ELSAvV3U128i47EdcpZNIXEsNsIk/s320/DSC_0406.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463067876665232690" />Just to finish - this tufted duck was having a tussle with another. I caught his as he crashed in to land just in front of the wwf hide.<div style="text-align: center;"></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZAYfp6Jj_GxoiXs9YCnFq4tF9GaYfuvAaj_t8RdPZtUxcbMkJNvxzfQJbWzIF7J3hD3s87olHrLuFIrUEf2XwRBOYyftgpUvXedyihTx1Kw8lnru7CnGtpvTcmqhRs3ZY2e0HqdvahHI/s320/DSC_0426.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463067885147539378" /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0