NW Scotland Balnakeil Bay - Oyster Catchers

Photos of Oyster Catchers on the beach at Balnakeil Bay near Durness this June...

 

 ....that took to the air.

NW Scotland Balnakiel Bay Durness - Dog & Walker on the Beach

Dog jumping on the sea edge after a ball this June.

 

Scotland Faraid Point Durness - Puffins June 2016

My post of 5th March 2016 posted photos I had taken of Puffins in 2015 & 1974 at Faraid Point, Durness in the far NW corner of Scotland. This post prompted the comment that in May there were no Puffins at Faraid Point, apparently all cleared by stoats. 

 

So with concern that I would see any Puffins, I returned this June, going back to the same spot as in 2015, and to my relief there were Puffins, and took these photos.  Aided by being closer (I braved a ridge to a closer observation point - last year the ground was wet & slippery) and by having a mono-pod, I was able to get clearer shots.

 

The numbers of puffins on this little outcrop seemed higher than last year, with potentially 50+ birds.  

What I did not make clear in my earlier post was that the 2015 photos were not taken actually on the Point, but more at the Eastern entrance to the North cliffs of the Point.  Perhaps this would explain why the person who commented did not find any Puffins, as he would have been looking at the grassy slopes nearer the actual Point where my photos in 1974 were taken,



Wilstone Reservoir Tring - Drangonlfy and Darter

Photos taken over the last two weeks at Wilstone Reservoir last week.

 

Emperor Dragonflies mating...

 

....and a single in flight.

 

Red Darter at rest....

 

....detail crop....

 

.....resting outside the hide.

Wilstone Reservoir Tring - Hobby with Dragonfly Wings

Sitting in the hide at Wilstone Reservoir this week, the birds on the spit (mainly Lapwings, and Teal) went up and looking around I saw the cause, a Hobby flying away from me.  Not great photos as the distance was at least 150 yards away, and more into the light, so bird mainly in shadow.

 

However, when I looked at the blown up photos, interestingly I realised I had captured photos of the Hobby pulling the wings off a Dragon Fly (There were plenty of Emperors that morning - I will post some photos of them, including mating, in the next week). Click on the photo to see the detail.

 

Dragon Fly wings intact....

 

....Pulling them off....

 ...Leaving a trail of gossamer wings.

 

I waited an hour with the hope of getting a closer shot, but the Hobby never returned.

North West Scotland - Fish Jumping Out of the Sea at Night

Arrived back after a day trip to our chalet near Ullapool in June as the sun went down at just after 10in the evening, only to hear splashing in the sea 60 yds away.  Putting on my midge net I stood on the veranda with my telephoto, and pointed towards where I thought I could see a disturbance in the sea in the gathering gloom.  Was it otters or perhaps a seal playing with a fish?

 

Certainly there were plenty of ripples.  After taking lots of photos I got this shot, which later when I downloaded it onto the computer was completely black.  But with photoshop I got this fish shape appear.

 

I did also get a couple of shots of fish jumping (also greatly photoshopped)

 

I am not really sure what species they were (Salmon or Sea Trout - probably Sea Trout), nor why they were jumping.  The weather had been very dry this summer and the rivers were very low, so the returning fish could not enter the river mouths, so perhaps they were hanging around waiting for rain.



East London - Its a Dog Life

I could not resist taking a shot of this watchful little dog looking down into the street from a first floor window in Duff Street earlier this week.

 

I wonder what is wrong?

Durness - Dancing Sandwich Terns

A photo sequence of Sandwich Terns in a pairing display including a Sand Eel offering and a charming dance around each other at Balnakeil Bay, near Durness in the far North West of Scotland in June this year.  They were some distance away on the beach and taken with a 600mm lens and are heavily cropped so the quality is not too great.

 

The pair fly in with a Sand Eel....

 

....and land, presumably the male with the tasty offering....

 

...., and start dancing,....

 

....with the Sand Eel quickly consumed (the pass was sadly missed).

 

The terns rotate around each other....

 

 ....waving their heads.

They move closer to the sea...



 

....The male makes his move....

and attempts to mate.



 

All in 3 minutes.

North West Scotland - Grey Seals

 

 Grey Seals resting on rocks at beautiful Loch an Eisg Brachaidh, just South of Lochinver in June.

 One appears to give me a wave!

North West Scotland - Buzzard

Buzzard in the wind in June...

.....hovering like a Kestrel.





Not the greatest quality, but some way off against a cloudy sky.

Bedfordshire - Scarlet Tiger Moth

This yellow, black & white caterpillar was spotted in a Lavender Bush in the second week of May and I quickly took a photo with my pocket camera which turned out to be poor.  I went back the next day to take a better photo, but it had disappeared.  I failed to identify the species from the photo and forgot about it.

 

 

Then two days ago, to my surprise, I came across this beautiful Scarlet Tiger Moth sitting on the brick wall adjacent to the Lavender.  Checking photos of moths and their caterpillars on-line, I am pretty certain that the lost caterpillar became this wonderful moth.

 

Not wishing to disturb the moth, I did not get to properly photograph the bright red lower wings, a small flash can just be glimpsed in my photo.

Totternhoe Knolls, Bedfordshire - Barley Fields

Walk this afternoon around the fields near Totternhoe Knolls.

 

Photos of the ripening barley crop (I think it is barley!)

Modern Life

I am ok so long as I have my mobile....

 

Gallows Hill and Slapton Grand Union Canal - Birds

Yesterday Morning's walk.

 

Jay on Gallows Hill 

Common Tern over Slapton Grand Union Canal

Female Reed Bunting collecting grubs in Rape Seed field next to the canal.



Chiltern Hills - Pasque Flower

Photos of the beautiful and threatened Pasque Flower on the Chiltern escarpment taken last weekend.  I have been visiting this spot for a number of years and the plant appear to be holding its own.  These appeared to be the first blooms with a few other plants with buds pushing through the grass . In recent years the plants have been protected from the grazing animals sitting in wire cages.

 

From a photographer's point of view last weekend's visit was excellent as the flowers did not have the cages, but I wonder if they will survive in this area no larger than approximately 50 or so square yards.

 

Soap Films

Takes me back to the days of my youth when at Rock Concerts (and local bands at the local hall) light shows of inks soap and oil mixtures were projected onto the stage.

 

Recently I came across photographs of soap films that were far stronger and varied than the old light shows.  I thought I would give it a try, and these are my second attempt. A bit of trial and error and difficulty of finding depth of field as to get the colours to appear on the flat soap film, the camera has to be at a slight angle to the perpendicular from the soap film, not helped by the natural movement of the film that can be quite fast.  So slow shutter speeds are out, meaning that the aperture on the lens is quite open.  Lack of depth of field can be seen in most of these cropped shots.

 

Still I am quite pleased.  A bit different to my usual subjects.

 

A bubble that stayed as the film dies....

 

....finishing with a bird-like shape!

 

More to come when I have time to set it up again and they are good enough to publish.