MERRY XMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015

SWANPOOL 12/12/2014

Paid a quick visit to Swanpool at Falmouth this morning after not getting out for Two weeks, managed to get a few images of one of the two Scaups that are still around, also had a quick showing of the Long-Tailed Duck but did not manage to grab any shots.
Also took a few of some of the other local residents.

SCAUP ( SWANPOOL).

SCAUP (SWANPOOL).

LOOKS LIKE A PEN FOR BREAKFAST, OR ELSE ITS WRITING CHRISTMAS CARDS.

JUV TUFTED DUCK (SWANPOOL).

LITTLE GREBE (SWANPOOL).

COOT (SWANPOOL).

DESERT WHEATEAR (GWENNAP HEAD) 30/11/2014.

Went down to Porthgwarra yesterday morning and walked up onto Gwennap Head to catch up with the Desert Wheatear which has been ther for a few days.
Managed to get a few images of this very obliging bird in nice conditions.
Then went over to Kelynack and caught up with  the nice but distant Dusky warbler.

DESERT WHEATEAR (GWENNAP HEAD).

DESERT WHEATEAR (GWENNAP HEAD).

DESERT WHEATEAR. (GWENNAP HEAD).

MONO MONDAY WHEAL PEAVOUR MINE RADNOR.

SUNSET WHEAL PEAVOUR MINE, RADNOR NR REDRUTH.

ISABELLINE SHRIKE, COMMON BUZZARD & GREAT TIT 16/11/2014.

A few images from the last couple of days, The Isabelline Shrike was taken on Friday Morning at Pendeen.
The Common Buzzard was taken this morning at Pendeen, and the Great Tit was taken around the feeders at home this afternoon.

ISABELLINE SHRIKE ( PENDEEN ).

COMMON BUZZARD ( PENDEEN ).

GREAT TIT ( LANNER >

LESSER WHITETHROAT (STITHIANS RES) 12/11/2014

Popped up to Stithians Res this morning to try and catch the Lesser Whitethroat that has been there for the last couple of days.
After a couple of hours not seeing it I was just about to leave when I saw a small bird drop into the conifer nearest the road.
Still could not locate it at first, then it appeared low down and I saw it was the Whitethroat, managed to get a couple of shots when a squall of wind sprang up and I lost it again.
After around 30 mins I was about to leave again, and peered over the fence from the road and there it was sitting in a bush sunning itself. So I spent a further 20 mins taking some shots of it, as these are the first images I've got of one.
So in the end patience paid off.

LESSER WHITETHROAT.

LESSER WHITETHROAT.

LESSER WHITETHROAT.

PAINTED LADY ( SANDY COVE NEWLYN ) 09/11/2014.

Not had much to post lately as I have not been out due to the foggy wet windy conditions over the last couple of weeks.
Still I did manage to get out this morning for a few hours,and although I took a few bird images for some reason they were all rubbish and not worth processing,so a few more for the trash can.
But did come across this Painted Lady Butterfly which was a  real pleasant surprise as its so late in the year, and was totally unexpected.
So at least the morning was not a complete washout. 

PAINTED LADY (SANDY COVE (NEWLYN).

PAINTED LADY (SANDY COVE NEWLYN).

PAINTED LADY (SANDY COVE NEWLYN).

SEMI MONO MONDAY 27/10/2014

Have been toying with the idea to resurrect my Mono Monday series this winter,although I do not have many images in the library as yet so I will see how it goes.
So just to break things in gently here is a Semi- Mono. 

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME.

Popped down to Copperhouse Creek at Hayle Yesterday afternoon to see the Lesser Yellowlegs which has turned up.
Although it was quite distant still managed to get a few decent record shots.

LESSER YELLOWLEGS.

LESSER YELLOWLEGS.

ST MICHEALS MOUNT 20/10/2014

Popped down to Marazion this morning,weather was not to bad although the cloud levels were building up.
Not much happening on the Avian front so thought I would take a few shots of the Mount as the light was pretty good.
Stopped off at Hayle on the way home, best I could get were distant views of the Six Whooper Swans flying in, Two Jays and a flypast by a Kingfisher.
Still the Mount was worth the trip.

ST MICHEALS MOUNT MARAZION.

HAYLE ESTUARY 10/10/2014

A few images from a quick trip to Hayle Estuary yesterday morning, after early rain it turned out to be one of those beautiful Autumn mornings.
The light was superb crystal clear with great light.  

BAR-TAILED GODWIT.

LITTLE EGRET.

LITTLE EGRET.

OYSTERCATCHER.

REDSHANK.

ROCK PIPIT.

Not the best of shots as this one was in total shade.

COMMON BUZZARD & RAVEN 02/10/2014

Thought I would start the month off with good intentions, and get a post on.
These two images were taken over the past two weeks on trips down to Kenidjack & Nanquido Valleys.
I am at the moment playing with some new Raw editing software, Its Adobe Lightroom 5 and I am now starting to get to grips with it. 
First impressions are that it is an excellent piece of software which has some pretty powerful and useful features.
So these are the first two images I have posted  using it.

COMMON BUZZARD.

RAVEN.

Real lack of posts this month as I have not done much photography and the times I have been out subjects have been few and far between.
So it was nice to get down west yesterday morning,started off at Marazion and managed to catch up with the Spotted Crake which has been around for a few days, on the way back I stopped at Hayle Est and got a few images of a Curlew which was just below the bridge on the causeway,

CURLEW (HAYLE EST ).

SPOTTED CRAKE ( MARAZION )

COMMON SANDPIPER & GREY HERON STITHIANS RES 28/08/2014

Just a few images of a visit to Stithians Res this Morning, all taken with the 400mm Lens, for the sandpipers I used A 1x4 extender and for the heron a 2x.
Also nice to see you John and have a catchup.

COMMON SANDPIPER.

COMMON SANDPIPER.

GREY HERON.

LITTLE-RINGED PLOVER STITHIANS RES 26/08/2014

Caught up with the Little-Ringed Plover at Stithians Res yesterday afternoon,with some nice views in front of the hide.
This juvenile bird has been around for a couple of days,and with some other species picked up around the county it looks like the Autumn migration is under way.  

LITTLE-RINGED PLOVER (STITHIANS RES).

LITTLE-RINGED PLOVER (STITHIANS RES).

DUNLIN & LITTLE-RINGED PLOVER (STITHIANS RES).

FULL MOON & BAR HEADED GOOSE.

These images were taken over the last week, the moon was taken last Monday when it was at its nearest point to Earth in the last 20 years.
The Bar Headed Goose was taken at Hayle Estuary on Sunday and has been there for a few days, although it is possibly an escapee it is not ringed so as far as I am concerned it is added to the year list.

FULL MOON  (FROM CARN MARTH ).

BAR-HEADED GOOSE.

BAR-HEADED GOOSE.

BUTTERFLIES & DRAGONFLIES GWITHIAN 30/07/2014

Once again apologies for the lack of posts,I have been having PC problems for the last couple of months. So I have upgraded from XP to windows 7 after  a number of installations issues its now working reasonably well. Also have been away for a week into the Cotswolds which was very enjoyable.
So these images were taken last week on a visit to Gwithian NR , and just shows how the butterfly activity has improved with the hot weather.

SMALL SKIPPER.

COMMON DARTER.

DARK GREEN FRITILLARY (FEMALE ).

GATEKEEPER.

GOLD-RINGED DRAGONFLY.

PALE CLOUDED YELLOW.

PEACOCK.

RED ADMIRAL.

SMALL COPPER.

MEADOW BROWN.

SMALL TORTOISESHELL.

SPECKLED WOOD.