Bird migration at Redmires reservoir

Today I biked to Redmires reservoir, to check out the bird migrations that probably is at the end. The morning started well for while I was about to unlock the bike (it was still dark outside), I heard a tawny owl calling in the nearest tree and suddenly it was sitting on branch 4m from me and stared at me. We have an owl here every night, but it's really hard to get a picture of it. Because it appears, only when it is dark: (
We gazed at each other for a moment, thought, picking up the camera but it did fly away.
After 40min of cycling up for the hill and the lovely headwind :(( I arrived at the reservoirs.
Then went to a place where there are panoramic views, this is the place where the big bird flock`s come and fly over. While I went to the place so I took the opportunity to check for water voles but unfortunately I did not see them. However, I saw a new bird species, it was a water rail, but it was to quick to get a photo off and it disappeared into the grass. Then I stood there and watching the migration birds, there were lots of starlings, pigeons and geese.
starlings flew low and came in flocks of 10-100 pieces i saw total of 1000. After 2 hours i started to freeze because it blew and was about 3C so I went further into the woods. And there I was able to see Europe's smallest bird called Goldcrest and is about 8.5-9cm long. Then I went to the bike and passed canada geese, so I stopped to watch for them a while and one of them was playing it looked very funny when it was up and down in the water :)).

Camera equipment i used: Nikon 3Ds and nikon 200-400mm f4 lens.
click on a picture to enlarge it!

Wood pigeons in the distance

One group of starlings

Goose playing

Hello! where are u guys :)

Long-tailed tit

The smallest one in europe, Goldcrest

fungi

Big bird :))

Ångra ändringarna

Hike in monsal dale

On Saturday I, my wife and a friend were off to Monsal Dale for a hike of about 10 km. It was sunny but the wind was cold.  We went down to Monsal Valley and along the river Wye back to were we started. The river is known for its excellent fishing for brown trout, rainbow trout and grayling.
There was no problem to see fish in the clear water, they were everywhere.

Unfortunately almost all the leaves from the trees have fallen down, which felt odd as elsewere there are plenty of fall colors. Might depend on the trees?

Best known is Monsal Dale for the bridge crossing the river wye, and it looked pretty impressive, I must say.
The route took 3.5 hours and it was very easy to walk. The walk ended at the pub the Bull's head in the village Ashford-in-the-water.

 

Camera equipment i used: Nikon 3Ds, nikon 24-70mm f2,8 pol filter.

Click on a picture to enlarge it!

 

 

Some pics of a waterfall

Have spent a lot of time down in the Rivelin Valley this week, has photographed mushrooms and so I have put up some bird feeding stations.
I put up the The bird feeder `s so i can get closer when i take bird pictures.
Otherwise, I just have been strolling around there and tried to find something interesting to photograph.
A place I always stop at is a small waterfall of about 1.5 m and there is always something to photograph. Have seen trout that have tried to force up the waterfalls, but have unfortunately not been able to get them in the picture yet. But I will try when the weather gets better, it's been fog 3 days in a row and then overcast. Now I want some sun before I go down there again :))

Camera equipment i used: Nikon 3Ds, nikon 50mm f1,8D and a tripod.
Click on a picture to enlarge them

Fungus, Mushroom and more

Some pictures from yesterday, when I was down in the Rivelin Valley and photographed mushrooms.
The weather was very foggy, damp and warm. But down in the valley, it was not so much fog. Stayed also at a waterfall which is about 1,5 meter high, and there I saw trout who tried to force their way up for the waterfall. Tried to take pictures of it but had only macro lens with me, so it wasnt easy. But I'll get there someday to try to shoot it.

Photo equipment i used: Nikon 3Ds, tamron macro lens 90mm Di f2,8 and a tripod.

Hike from Moscar to Hathersage

Yesterday me and my wife went on a little hike that started in a village called Moscar and lies along the A57 road when driving towards the lady bower from sheffield.
Then we continued to go by Stanage Edge which is 4-5km long, and is also popular with climbers. For some time ago in some areas they Quarried rock from the mountain to make grind stones, and some can still be seen on the hillside-carved, but never removed.
I think the stone is some sort of sandstone.
From here you have incredible views, but unfortunately the light was pretty hard so it's not easy to get good pictures.
But we could not complain about the weather windless, sunny and about 15 C, and we also had a little frost on the shadow side in the morning when we came to Moscar.
After about 3km we turned off Stanage Edge to take us down to Hathersage and the last bit was mostly through woodland mixed with pastures. The stretch we went took 3hours but we walked slowly, enjoying the weather and took many photo breaks. The funny thing was when we got home around 15  the weather changed and it was suddenly very foggy and it also continues today : ((

Photo equipment i used: Nikon 3Ds, nikon 24-70mm f2,8 lens with pol filter and nd grad hard edge.
click on the pictures to enlarge them!

In the beginning of the hike

From stanage edge towards hathersage

Stanage edge towards high neb 458m above sea level

Stanage edge

wood lands

Path up to stanage edge from hathersage

Highland cattle

 

Some pics from the week

I've Been to the Rivelin Valley quite often this week, and yesterday I was at a place which is also along the Rivelin river and where I have seen a lot of holes in the ground which is probably from the badger. So I thought to check them if they dared to show themselves but unfortunately I was not lucky enough to see them while I was there, they're nocturnal so it's not often you see them.
And so it was meter high ferns everywhere so it's hard to see at all.
Will probably return there in the spring instead then it's probably easier to see them.
But while I stood there and looked something smelled really good, a bit like strawberries did not think much more about it but when I went away from there, I took a different route and arrived at some place that had lots of meters tall orchid`s and it was those who smelled so good. Took a few quick shots and went on looking out for owls, but no luck there either. So I rode home in the dark and rain. :))

Kestrel and magpie fighting

Today I went down to the Rivelin Valley, walked around there for 4 hours. The weather was really nice today, sunny and warm.
Went there because i want to put up some bird feeding station so I can shoot birds in winter, up close. But it's so steep and scrubby everywhere so I'll have to think of another place. Down in the valley, I took most pictures of different fungi and some pics of the autumn colors in trees, that are now finally starting to come. But what I'm most waiting for is to beech forest to get their colors firmly now,  it is only on the tops of the trees as fall colors have arrived and some trees who started a bit early. So I hope it will be good then, or it will be just that, so that leaves just fall off without time to get their colors.
Anyway on the way home as I passed the open field and there was a kestrel who tried to chase some thing but it seemed to have some bad luck. And not any better when a magpie came to annoy it. But it was fun to follow the 2 when they shouted and chased each other, i could follow them for half an hour and they were in the same place all the time. Unfortunately, they were about 30m away from me and with a 400mm lens, then it is not so close. So the pictures are pretty hard cropped so the quality is not the best :))

Camera equipment i used today: Nikon 3Ds and Nikon 200-400mm f4 lens.
click on a picture to enlarge it!