Ten Metre Tide

Earlier this month I made a visit to a favourite part of the coastline to witness a ten metre tide.It was one of a series of big tides and I chose one of the better days weatherwise to visit the coast.It was a good decision as the weather was warm and settled .The wind was offshore and so the tide didn't advance as far as I would have wished but still brought the thousands of waders within camera range.As usual about an hour before high tide there was plenty of action as the waders flew in from the feeding grounds out on the Ribble Estuary.There were the usual large numbers of knot and oystercatchers and a decent number of bar tailed godwits and grey plovers.Very few sanderling and dunlin seemed to be around but they could have roosted elsewhere along the coastline.

I was kept very busy with two cameras recording the action and after an hour or so I was satisfied with the results and I returned on the long walk back to the waiting car.I have posted a few images from the day of the flocks of birds and some closer shots of the knots and godwits. Hope you enjoy my efforts to capture the spectacle of a wader roost.I am never satisfied and know I can do better. This spurs me on to return on the next big tide.Next time some of the waders maybe sporting their breeding colours and should make for some nice images. Thanks for looking in and keep tuned for more from my travels with the camera.   

Seeing Double

This week it has seemed more like Spring.There has been warm sunshine but it has been tempered by a nagging cold wind.It is the time of the year when my thoughts turn to photographing great crested grebes. I have probably over the years taken more images of great crested grebes than any other birds.It is now when they perform their elaborate courting and mating rituals.I therefore visited a local nature reserve where the grebes at times perform nicely for the camera.I believe that earlier in the month the pair of resident grebes had been performing the weed dance on a regular basis.However on my two visits this week there was not a lot of action from the pair.

It was still however delightful to observe the grebes and other birds present and to enjoy the fine weather.My second visit was enjoyed with warmer conditions and the nagging wind had subsided.These conditions provided some great opportunities for reflection shots of the grebes and a mallard which with his emerald green head looked stunning in the afternoon light.I was also pleased with shots of the grebes preening with outstretched wings reminiscent of cormorants drying their wings.Hope you enjoy my selection of images from my visits and I will be back soon to capture more images of these delightful birds. Thanks for looking in.

A Chorus Of Frogs

Yesterday was the nicest day of the year so far.A warm sun shone from a blue sky for most of the day and it was very pleasant to be out and about.I decided to visit some local ponds to see if the frogs had returned for their annual spawning ritual.The ponds are in a park but not all of them are favorable for the frogs to spawn.I did find plenty of frogs in a couple of the ponds,one in particular held many dozens.As well as the wonderful sight of many frogs and frogspawn there was also a constant chorus of croaking from the excited frogs.

I enjoyed myself with the camera for an hour or so with all the activity that was going on.On one of the ponds the frogs were out in the middle and couldn't be reached. The big lens came in handy here and I was able to focus in on the action.On another pond I was able to get much closer to the action by wading into the margins and using a smaller lens.I have posted a few images from the frog session and I may possibly return for more when the weather settles down, it is currently pouring down again.Hope you enjoy the selected images and thanks for looking in.

Out and About

Managed to get out and about one afternoon this week.I visited a couple of local nature reserves.My first port of call was to Longton Brickcroft where I was hoping to see the great crested grebes displaying.The pair of grebes on the main lake were sleeping and did not appear to have started nest building.On the smaller lake there was a lonesome grebe calling for a mate but no other grebes were in sight.What was nice to see were two pairs of goldeneye but I think they are just passing through.

Later I visited Mere Sands nature reserve at Rufford.Again there was no sign of displaying grebes so maybe I am too early at these two locations.Again a nice surprise was a group of little egrets,not a common sight at Mere Sands.They were preening and enjoying the afternoon sun.There is still a lot of disturbance at Mere Sands with workmen cutting down and burning big swathes of woodland.No sign of the kingfishers but a couple of herons and the egrets gave me some opportunities for the camera.I hope for more action in the coming weeks as temperatures rise and nature responds.Thanks for looking in and hope you enjoy this week's images.