On the door step! Little Egret

We had a ride to the Yorkshire Dales yesterday and went up on the moor behind Masham just beyond Louthwaite Reservoir it was a lovely day, a bit breezy but we saw Peregrine, Wheatear, Meadow Pipits, Red Grouse, Kestrel, usual stalwarts of the moors. No photographs though.

Get home having my tea and someone comes to the door to say that there is a Little Egret on the weir on the River Derwent just 200 - 300 metres from home. I rushed my tea and got out to get relatively close whilst the Egret was on the weir, under trees this gave a nice black background against the white of the bird. It then flew in a tree which is a first for me and offered some different shots.

It just goes to show you can travel 130 miles only to find the best (only) shots of the day on the doorstep.

Young Reed Warblers - North Cave

The other bird shots last Sunday at North Cave were off these young Reed Warblers.

They were in the hedgerow above a ditch and at least three of them were seen. I guess I would not be so lucky with adult birds. Carrying my tripod mostly on my shoulder on the circuit around the reserve paid off. They say you should always use a tripod for wildlife photography but its not always that convenient or easy. I have a Cley Spy Mule pack so it goes on my back but once the camera and lens is atop it goes on my shoulder which 3 days later is still sore. But its worth it.

Hope you like the shots.

Spoilt by vegetation

Fluffed up

Common Tern - North Cave YWT

A good visit to North Cave Wetlands today where the temperature was 10 degrees more than at home and was lovely and sunny, seems a while since that was the case. Its that time of year when the birding scene is quieter but there was plenty of butterflies and we saw Peacocks, Red Admiral, Brimstone, Gatekeeper, Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood.

I got loads of shots of some young Reed Warblers which I will process and publish a few. Towards the end of the walk a Common Tern was fishing over the pool and when it came close I tried my luck for about five minutes most were to far off but I like the pictures in this sequence particularly the first shot.

Dragonfly Nymph

I got these shots of Dragonfly Nymph on Friday extraordinarily as far as I am concerned in a neighbours garden pond, only, six foot long. They emerged up the lily stems But the Dragonfly's have not emerged in the cool, wet weather we have had over the weekend, I fear the worse.

Apologies for the lack of comments on the blogs I usually frequent, goggle has become hideous, I make a comment it wants my password, I enter my password, it makes the comment and then states the action could not be completed. Suggestions on a postcard, that's all I can use!

All shots taken with Sigma 50 - 500mm lens