Crocus

Last week was warm and sunny so I took the opportunity to spend few days down in the botanical garden here in Sheffield.
The crocus was at its prime but as usual is was over just in few days. I tried to get photos with butterflies feeding from them, but unfortunately I only had the macro lens with me the first day and it was impossible to approach the butterflies with that. So I decided to take the big zoom with me the next day, as with my luck it was strong winds and the butterflies never even showed up. The day was not wasted as there are always many other things to photograph there but more about that in the next blog.
                                                                           
                                                                           

Bonfire Night

Bonfire Night is an annual event dedicated to bonfire, fireworks and celebrations.
In Great Britain, Bonfire Night is Associated with the tradition of celebrating Guy Fawkes' actions on 5th November. A similar bonfire tradion survives in parts of Scandinavia and is known as Walpurgis Night.
I got a free pass from my wife to the event so of course I took the opportunity to photograph fireworks. I have never photographed fireworks properly, I mean with tripod and remote shutter release. So here are some colorful pictures that might cheer you up in the boring darkness of november :)

Golden Plower

A couple of nights ago, I was off to Redmires again to try shoot Golden plower.
It was tough in the beginning they were not where I expected they would be, I was thinking if it's the nice weather that has been now for a few weeks, made them change places.
It's pretty dry in the fields and they maybe just moved to places where it's a little wetter for there it might be easier to find food.
Anyway, after strolling around the area for a few hours I started to give up hope of getting a photo of the bird, I heard that they were there because they beep quite a lot in the evenings but it's hard to see them in the tall heather bushes .
The sun would be about an hour behind the horizon, so now it was a little hurry, but when I was on my way home walking in the heather, I heard a beep that came from an area where they have burned away heather and there it was.
But now I had to get close enough to get some good pics of it, so I lie down and crawl into the heather and hope that it would not fly away, but I was lucky that the bird was not so afraid, I could lie in the heather and try to attract it using whistle.  But closer than 10m it did not come,  I was pretty happy anyway.

This weekend I will go to the south/west coast of Wales, where I'll visit Skomer island. It's a small island that is known for its wildlife, especially puffins for there is southern England's largest colony of them. There is also 1/3 of the world's Manx shearwaters, but they only come to the island in the dark hours so it will probably be no photos of them.

Golden Plower/ljungpipare beeping

 

The Beautiful Bluebell Forest

Here in England between April and May you can in ancient woodlands (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_woodland) find something impressive, which is bluebells almost covers entirly the forest floors. They spread amazing scent and look beautiful.
I've been in one of those woodlands for the past two evenings and photographed. The closes one to us here in Sheffield is the Ecclesall woods. It's a 400 year old forest, which is required for these flowers.
Ecclesall Woods is best one to visit in Sheffield if you want to see bluebells, but unfortunately it is not as good as some other forests around the country.
The flowers do not cover the forest entierly, but in some areas it can be an awful lot of them :)
I found it was rather difficult photographed because of all the small trees and shrubs that always were in the way.

This weekend Sat-Mon (bank holiday here in UK), I will again go to the Lake District NP. This time we are hiking with a bunch of friends and climb the highest peak in England - Scafell Pike with its 978meter above sea level. It may not sound impressive but it is very steep and difficult to climb.

Bugs and forest flowers

This morning I took the opportunity to go down to the Rivelin Valley before the rain comes.
Overcast weather as it is today usually fits excellent to photograph flowers and insects because it gives a more even light.
So it was that I occupied myself for couple of  hours. Now it's nice in the forests with all the small flowers anywhere in the Rivelin Valley.
I photographed with macro lens and Nikon 3Ds with iso 1000 because it's so dark down there and hand held.

Sometimes you're lucky

Yesterday it rained and blew all day so I was not so eager to go out and take pictures.
But I like to take pictures of wet birds and animals, because they can look so fun out with wet fur or plumage.
So yesterday I was fortunate because a jay landed on the only branch of the tree outside my window which is without leaves and right in front of the window 6m away.
So it was perfect, I can be indoors and shoot soaked birds, the only problem is that I have to shoot through a window with double glass and rain drops on it, but it went pretty well, I think.
Jay is really one of my favorite birds, I've always liked their colorful feathers that glow blue, and because they are not easy to get close too, it becomes a little more sport then to get good pictures of them :))
I also had the good fortune to shoot a wet Carrion Crow in the same place, it must be something magical about that branch :)
Now I'll  get out in the rain and trying to take pictures of ducklings which I saw yesterday down in the Rivelin Valley.

By the way if you are interested in Pilgrim Falcons, here is a link to the Pilgrim falcons in Sheffield. The chicks were hatched yesterday so it might be fun to follow them.
http://efm.dept.shef.ac.uk/peregrine/

Bank holiday Monday

On Monday (bank holiday here in UK) me and my wife went off for a 18km hike that began in Logde Moor and then towards Redmires Reservoirs and then a side trip to Stanage Edge and back.
The weather was fantastic, 17C and a lovely warm sun, and it seemed almost the whole of Sheffield was at Stanage Edge. I have never seen so many climbers there, like yesterday.

During the walk, we managed to see a bit more unusual birds as Dotterel, but I had only the wide angle lens on so there was no pictures taken. Another unusual bird, Ring Ouzel, I was looking for didn't make an appearance as there were so many climbers on their nesting place. There are signs saying you should avoid climbing at some spots, but people do not seem to care :((
The poor fellows are probably very stressed, but this amount of people is very very unusual.

Anyhow, I have swapped my old 10-24mm wide angle lens that I could only use on D90 (crop camera) to a 16-35mm f4 suitable for a the 3Ds (full frame), and I'm incredibly happy with it.
Have only had time to try it twice but compared to the last one this is So much better. This might be also due to a change to Nikon 3Ds which is a professional camera and can handle different lighting better.
So now I've completely switched over to full-frame and can avoid carrying two cameras with me.
Here you have some photos from Stanage Edge..

Trying to take off but a strong wind make him

to fly in to the stonewall, he was not injured :))

Early morning at Redmires

Couple of days ago, I was away up to Redmires reservoars an early morning.
I had read on the Sheffield bird study group that the cuckoo had been heard there and since I've been waiting for it to appear, I neeeded to go there.
Why early morning then, well, it is most active then and it's easier to get close to it because it searches for food on the ground.
So if you are lucky then you can try to plan how it will fly around the area to seek food and wait for it in one place, but unfortunately,  this morning it didn't seek for food :(
I guess it's because it can not hide among the small trees up on moorland because there are no leaves on the trees yet.
So it's probably a little timid still, it is only the male in place so far, but the female will probably get there aany day..
So I had to go and shoot some other stuff instead, it was full activity in the fields and forests.
Pheasent's were arguing with each other, rabbits running around, and the birds was singing. It's really great to be out early in the morning when everything wakes up.

Red grouse enjoying the morning sun

Lapwings playing

Karate Pheasant

Little wild rabbit

Meadow pipit