As an extension to the ongoing "I saw my first kingfisher today" thread, I thought it might be interesting if people wanted to post and share any wildlife pics that they've taken. As I said on the other thread, that way instead of just talking about what birds and other wildlife we've seen, we can also show photos of them. 

 

Hope you think it's a good idea.

 

As the current topic in the "kingfisher" thread is herons, I thought I'd start with a couple of pics of them that I've taken...

 

Juvenile heron (looking very interested in a dragonfly)

 

Heron in sunset silhouette

 

Next up, a couple of pics of blackbird chicks, which I was lucky enough to get while looking out through a window at home.

 

 

 

Come on then, show us what you've got. The only condition is that the photos are ones you've taken yourself.

 

We get light pollution here, up until midnight-ish, then it's blissfully quiet and dark, Sunday mornings are amazingly quiet. Saw two crescents in the sky a couple of weeks ago, one I knew (I hope) was the moon, the other heaven knows, I was walking the dogs so didn't have my camera, had to relaunch a swift the same morning, first time I've really had a close look at one.

Priceless

That sounds interesting Dave. Was one possibly a reflection of the other, reflecting of the sea. I to had the pleasure of seeing Swifts. close up a few years ago. They where nesting in the eaves of a old building and they had to land to gain access, so could really get close to them. Never held one though.

 

Steve

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More pretty things

 

Is the bottom one called "the little monkey flower"?

Is the bottom one called "the little monkey flower"?

They are all known as Monkey faced orchids, and are amazingly close to looking like a monkey's face, imagine the alternative! Or not!!

That sounds interesting Dave. Was one possibly a reflection of the other, reflecting of the sea. I to had the pleasure of seeing Swifts. close up a few years ago. They where nesting in the eaves of a old building and they had to land to gain access, so could really get close to them. Never held one though.

 

Steve

I don't think so Steve, though it could be a possibility, I beat up my science teacher at school so didn't do so well in science. It was much smaller and higher in the sky, I think maybe a planet that was fairly close, that or reading too many Asimov novels and hallucinations as I'm apt to having.

Dave

We get light pollution here, up until midnight-ish, then it's blissfully quiet and dark, Sunday mornings are amazingly quiet. Saw two crescents in the sky a couple of weeks ago, one I knew (I hope) was the moon, the other heaven knows, I was walking the dogs so didn't have my camera, had to relaunch a swift the same morning, first time I've really had a close look at one.

Priceless

If it was smaller than the Moon it could have been Venus 

If it was smaller than the Moon it could have been Venus

I thought that Martyn, but if it was, it was a very big Venus, titter ye not

the last of my Monkey faced orchids

I have a right game getting any images of Brown Hawkers at Belvide, when they are not flying around they are bloody good at hiding.

 

I saw this one disappear into a patch of Willow Herb, he was deep in the vegetation but I found him and managed to get a couple of shots through a gap in the stems and leaves.

 

Well chuffed ... even if he was trying to kid me he was a Scorpion 

 

This is the one and only time a dragonfly has obliged, it was sat on a field maple hedge at Sanssouci, Potsdam near Berlin

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This is the one and only time a dragonfly has obliged, it was sat on a field maple hedge at Sanssouci, Potsdam near Berlin

It looks like a female Broad Bodied Chaser ... lovely pose for you

It looks like a female Broad Bodied Chaser ... lovely pose for you

I was told it was a broad bodied chaser, but couldn't remember when I posted, I do like dragonflies it's just that I don't know one from the other

I was told it was a broad bodied chaser, but couldn't remember when I posted, I do like dragonflies it's just that I don't know one from the other

There are only around 40 species that breed in the UK, and a few of those are only found in a few isolated areas, so it is not too difficult to remember them.

Have been out a couple of times with my new camera. Much to learn about it yet - where functions are, what new things it can do that my previous camera couldn't, and generally getting a sense of how it performs. Give it a month or two and I'm hoping that I'll be as familiar and confident with it as I was the old one.

 

This first batch was taken in the Amsterdam woods early evening when there was a beautiful golden light all around.

 

 

These were taken earlier today at a Napoleonic water fort, of which there are a good number in the Netherlands.

 

 

There are only around 40 species that breed in the UK, and a few of those are only found in a few isolated areas, so it is not too difficult to remember them.

Martyn. I bet you cant remember them after you have been a niter    especially at your age

 

Steve

Have been out a couple of times with my new camera. Much to learn about it yet - where functions are, what new things it can do that my previous camera couldn't, and generally getting a sense of how it performs. Give it a month or two and I'm hoping that I'll be as familiar and confident with it as I was the old one.

 

This first batch was taken in the Amsterdam woods early evening when there was a beautiful golden light all around.

 

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These were taken earlier today at a Napoleonic water fort, of which there are a good number in the Netherlands.

 

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Russell. looking good mate, what are the pictures going to be like once your sorted with all the settings, look forward to seeing the results

 

Steve

Russell. looking good mate, what are the pictures going to be like once your sorted with all the settings, look forward to seeing the results

 

Steve

Thanks, Steve. I bought a field guide for the camera and am working my way through that slowly but surely. It's much better than wading through Nikon's own manuals.

 

I've already encountered some things that I don't like, all of which I hope I can get a better understanding of so that I can either make better use of what they do, or avoid them.

 

The first one - and initially I thought there was a fault with the camera - is something called "ISO sensitivity setting". To all intents and purposes it appears to be an override for manual ISO settings. 

 

I was trying to get some underexposed landscape sunset shots and even though I had ISO on a manual setting, through the viewfinder it said auto - and it was impossible to under expose the shot as the ISO kept changing to an optimum level based on my aperture and shutter speed.

 

Eventually I found the function for that in the menu and turned it off. Still need to read up on it and see what it actually does. It must serve some useful purpose.

 

Another thing is that the camera sensor seems to be automatically over exposing shots by something like half a stop. And the colour seems to have a light but noticeable blue cast - as if white balance is set for fluorescent light.

 

White balance and everything else can be modified using Camera RAW software settings when the pics have been uploaded to the computer, of course, but I'm keen to know if there is an in-camera setting that's causing the blue tinge - I hope so.

 

All an adventure, I guess, but I'd much prefer to be at the destination rather than on the 'voyage of discovery' - if you know what I mean. 

The field guides should come with the cameras, they offer so much and are so simple to follow. I trust your still using Nikon . With being a cannon user myself Martyn Pitt ( the elder ) would be my go to person with any questions

 

Steve

Russell a useful source of info on Nikon cameras is Ken Rockwell LINK

 

He can be a bit fickle, and is not universally liked, however his guides to setting up the various Nikon cameras are written in plain English and tend to be easier to follow than the Nikon manuals. Just ignore his love of the 'Vivid' picture settings, especially for wildlife stuff.

Martyn. I bet you cant remember them after you have been a niter    especially at your age

 

Steve

Been a while since I did a niter .... a few years now .... anyway I can't remember them after I have had a nap 

Russell a useful source of info on Nikon cameras is Ken Rockwell LINK

 

He can be a bit fickle, and is not universally liked, however his guides to setting up the various Nikon cameras are written in plain English and tend to be easier to follow than the Nikon manuals. Just ignore his love of the 'Vivid' picture settings, especially for wildlife stuff.

Yes, I've been in and out of Ken Rockwell's site since I first got a Nikon - a D40 - some years back.

 

Sadly he's become too commercially oriented with his advice and likes - recommends - absolutely everything. And links to retailers are obviously placed in every review at every opportunity. 

 

Worse - he still claims poverty and the need for donations to support the "free" service he's offering!     

I thought I had found a new species of butterfly, until I realised it was just an extremely faded and beat up Ringlet 

 

 

 

Yes, I've been in and out of Ken Rockwell's site since I first got a Nikon - a D40 - some years back.

 

Sadly he's become too commercially oriented with his advice and likes - recommends - absolutely everything. And links to retailers are obviously placed in every review at every opportunity. 

 

Worse - he still claims poverty and the need for donations to support the "free" service he's offering!     

His instructions on how to set up Nikon off camera flash are the only ones I have ever read that A - make sense, and B - actually work

 

Irrelevant footnote ... his daughter was born on my 50th birthday 

His instructions on how to set up Nikon off camera flash are the only ones I have ever read that A - make sense, and B - actually work

 

Irrelevant footnote ... his daughter was born on my 50th birthday 

Oh, his practical photography advice is still great. No doubts about it. It's his opinions as an 'independent reviewer' of camera equipment that I'm cynical about. Bearing in mind his dominance in the search engines for anything Nikon-related, he's not going to make much revenue telling people that the standard Nikon kit lens - or whatever - is actually crap.

There are only around 40 species that breed in the UK, and a few of those are only found in a few isolated areas, so it is not too difficult to remember them.

I suppose so when you consider the amount of plant names I can pull out of the air, Manypeoplia upsidedownia, is one of my favourites

I thought I had found a new species of butterfly, until I realised it was just an extremely faded and beat up Ringlet 

 

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too much sun Martyn? For you both?

too much sun Martyn? For you both?

 

I put everything down to old age now Dave ... simpler and less complicated 

I put everything down to old age now Dave ... simpler and less complicated 

I know what you mean, but I also get too much sun.

On my way to the lake district today I called into Leighton Moss reserve and WOW seen my first ever great white egret, there's been three at the reserve for the last couple of days. Think grey heron size maybe slightly larger but brilliant white with a yellow beak. They are a very rare visitor to the UK and even more so to the northwest. 

Managed a few pictures from a long way off, will have look tomorrow and see if any are ok to post on here

 

Steve

Edited July 22, 201410 yr by Winsford Soul

On my way to the lake district today I called into Leighton Moss reserve and WOW seen my first ever great white egret, there's been three at the reserve for the last couple of days. Think grey heron size maybe slightly larger but brilliant white with a yellow beak. They are a very rare visitor to the UK and even more so to the northwest. 

Managed a few pictures from a long way off, will have look tomorrow and see if any are ok to post on here

 

Steve

It's still not a stork though Steve!

On my way to the lake district today I called into Leighton Moss reserve and WOW seen my first ever great white egret, there's been three at the reserve for the last couple of days. Think grey heron size maybe slightly larger but brilliant white with a yellow beak. They are a very rare visitor to the UK and even more so to the northwest. 

Managed a few pictures from a long way off, will have look tomorrow and see if any are ok to post on here

 

Steve

 

There are three that we often see on the banks of the Severn Estuary Steve. Fishing in the shallow water. Love watching them.

 

Great white egret

This picture has been cropped to show the bird a bit better. The egret  was sat about 350 metres away across the other side of the lagoon

 

Steve

Edited July 23, 201410 yr by Winsford Soul

Lagerstroemia indica in the park just outside the Bonsai museum in Marbella

 

My favourite tree in the museum, a Japanese Black Pine, which with some serious wiring would be exquisite

 

Took this picture of a strange cloud build up about three hour before the thunder storms two weeks ago

 

Steve

We get light pollution here, up until midnight-ish, then it's blissfully quiet and dark, Sunday mornings are amazingly quiet. Saw two crescents in the sky a couple of weeks ago, one I knew (I hope) was the moon, the other heaven knows, I was walking the dogs so didn't have my camera, had to relaunch a swift the same morning, first time I've really had a close look at one.

Priceless

Swifts are amazing birds relaunched one myself.

Legs not long enough to get off ground.

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Great white egret

This picture has been cropped to show the bird a bit better. The egret was sat about 350 metres away across the other side of the lagoon

Steve

Great shot.Did you notice that they have yellow feet?

Swifts are amazing birds relaunched one myself.

Legs not long enough to get off ground.

Had to propel itself with it's wings along the ground, no resistance to being handled and buzzed me soon after relaunching, so probably said thanks, at least I can dream that I'm Dr. Doolittle

Great shot.Did you notice that they have yellow feet?

 

Thanks for the compliment. Didn't get chance to see its legs or feet,

According to one of my field guides they sometimes  have yellow legs and dark feet or just dark legs and feet. Wish I had found out now. 

Thanks again

 

Steve

Thanks for the compliment. Didn't get chance to see its legs or feet,

According to one of my field guides they sometimes  have yellow legs and dark feet or just dark legs and feet. Wish I had found out now. 

Thanks again

 

Steve

The little egret has bright yellow feet and dark legs,no idea why?

Maybe its to stop the little egret thinking its a great white egret and getting above its station.    no idea mate

 

 

Steve

A female Banded Demoiselle from this morning 

 

 

 

Nearly the perfect flight shot 

 

A couple of Southern Hawkers 

 

The more colourful male

 

 

The less brightly coloured female

 

 

My favourite wildflower and loads of them at Wham, the Harebell

 

 

Spider taken in my back garden. One cropped to show it better. Don't know what species but it looks nice

 

Steve

Wow! 

 

Had a little sabbatical and have returned to a Soul Source Wonderland of amazing photographs, knowledge and a shared passion for wildlife, plants and the environment. Take a bow team - you are truly inspirational.

 

Thanks for taking the time and for sharing.

 

Peter

 

 

PS - I like everything but not enough to go round.

 

Some teeth

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Some teeth

That's a nice Pike Chris. Grew up with a stuffed and mounted 25lb  that my Dad caught. I remember him telling me that it cost 25 guinea s and it would have been the same again for the glass case but he couldn't afford it. 

It's so not acceptable these days.

 

Steve

Well it's sadly that time of year again when we are saying goodbye to the Swifts. They will have left within a week. As they begin their long and perilous journey back to south Africa. Only seems like a few weeks ago when they arrived back in the skies over Manchester. I for one really miss the screeching overhead. A sure sign that summer is on its way out . 

 

Steve

Daily update. Swifts still in the Manchester skies 

 

Steve

Well it's sadly that time of year again when we are saying goodbye to the Swifts. They will have left within a week. As they begin their long and perilous journey back to south Africa. Only seems like a few weeks ago when they arrived back in the skies over Manchester. I for one really miss the screeching overhead. A sure sign that summer is on its way out . 

 

Steve

Wooah there. Hold your horses... The swifts may be making an early departure, but that doesn't mean summer's over just yet. It's only the 2nd of August. We had a BBQ in the Amsterdam woods last night, and when we got home sat on the balcony til around midnight. Just come in from the balcony a couple of minutes ago (10:30pm local time). Summer is very much still here!

 

That said, I did notice the absence of swifts mid-week. There were a few still around, mainly making their presence known at dusk, but tonight the skies were silent.

 

For those who may be missing them already, here's a couple of pics I took while on holiday. The one of the swift over the water isn't anywhere near as sharp as it could have been, but I do like the effect of the sea in the background.

 

 

 

 

Long live summer! 

Wooah there. Hold your horses... The swifts may be making an early departure, but that doesn't mean summer's over just yet. It's only the 2nd of August. We had a BBQ in the Amsterdam woods last night, and when we got home sat on the balcony til around midnight. Just come in from the balcony a couple of minutes ago (10:30pm local time). Summer is very much still here!

 

That said, I did notice the absence of swifts mid-week. There were a few still around, mainly making their presence known at dusk, but tonight the skies were silent.

 

For those who may be missing them already, here's a couple of pics I took while on holiday. The one of the swift over the water isn't anywhere near as sharp as it could have been, but I do like the effect of the sea in the background.

 

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Long live summer! 

Love the pictures Russell. Didn't mean to make summer's over as dramatic as it sounded sorry bout that. As you say it's only the 2nd of August. 

Another bird that's missing around here at the moment  is the chiff chaff, normally hear it untill September, all gone quite unless they're moulting after the breeding season getting there feathers in shape for the migration.

It's a very quiet time for birding at the moment.

 

Steve