It was nice weather on Saturday..

which leads to us taking a long walk. Actually not a long long one, as it was just over the hills from Lodge Moor to Hathersage, a walk of about 9km.
From the flat to Lodge Moor its a 10min bus ride towards peak district. Which was our starting point, and before you reach Hathersage you both pass Redmires reservoir and Stanage Edge.
As usual I was looking and listening for the wildlife, but during this time of year it is rather 'dead' and so it was that day too.
At the Stanage Edge it was rather windy, but with +10C in air it didn't matter that much, and along the edge its self, there was a lot of hikers and climbers.
Due to the wind and the exposure of the location it was here you could clearly see the victims that the latest storms had claimed.
From the Stanage Edge its just straight downwards to Hathersage which was our final stop. As the weather was really nice, we enjoyed tea in the sunshine and the pleasant warmth of spring.

The pics is taken with Nikon 3Ds and Nikon 50mm 1.8D lens.
                                                                        

Tough Now!

Now it's little hard to find something to photograph, Weather wise it has been great with sun and chilly mornings all week. I have tried to shoot Jays for a few days now, but without result. Mostly because I can not be bothered to sit still, and I'm starting to freeze after 2 hours and then I just give up, and it does not help to dress warm either. I have also been up to Redmires reservoirs but there was not much bird life there either, except for some different kinds of gulls and roosting lapwing's. I Also checked for water vole but they were not there, but they might remain inside at their nests in the winter.


Bird food thief

Willow tit

Roosting Lapwing's

Black-headed gull in winter plumage

Black heads

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

Early morning at Redmires Reservoirs

Yesterday morning I was up early, I thought getting to the reservoirs before the sun was up.
It was a long time since I was up here, mostly I went there for now it's migratory bird times and you never know what you'll see for interesting, it may well get some rare birds too.
Well I got to the first reservoir around 7:00 and there was a lot of seagulls in the air, they usually spend the night at the reservoirs and then early in the morning they flies away. Saw a few other birders, these reservoars are popular with ornithologists, because the passing amount of migratory birds here some day can be enormous. And to see it, then it's early mornings and late evenings that is best.
But this day was not one of those days, the only thing I saw was a lot of Pink-footed Goose.
Walked around there on the trail`s and looked for something to shoot, unfortunately it seems that the birds are gone by now, or so they hide themselves only '. I read in some newspaper that the birds feathers change at this time, and then they're much shyer. Went and checked for water voles but did not see them either, so I went to the rabbits and they were there, so I followed them for a while. But now the sun began to be too high in the sky and the clock approached 13:00. So i decided to go home.

Photo equipment I used this morning was the Nikon D90 and Nikon 200-400mm f4 lens and a monopod. This combo gives with the camera's DX crop (1,5) sensor 300-600mm F4 lens.
Click on a picture to enlarge it!

Up here the autumn colous is on the way

A sheep in the morning light

Heather

Wild rabbit

Pink-footed Goose/Spetsbergsgås

Pheasant (female)

 

Wild rabbit

Not edible fungus

Howerflies/blomflugor

Morning pictures from Redmires

This morning I was awakened by 4:00 pm which is way too early, but what can you do when you want to be in place before the sun has risen. So it was just to bring some sandwiches, and then off with the bike to Redmires Reservoirs. Once in place,  I went to the middle reservoir, which has a minimum of water and wading birds, which usually go and eat by the water's edge. I lay down on the sleeping surface and put on my camoflauge and waited and waited but nothing happened in one hour. After about an hour, the birds begin to enter the sand bank, but unfortunately it was not them birds I was after that came but just ordinary wagtails. That was just to make the best of it and shoot them instead, that was pretty fun anyway to follow them because it was 4-6 wagtail chicks. They were not so afraid, for some of them landed just a meter away from me and stared at me :) Got some nice pictures of them, but after I had lain there for 2 hours it was enough, there were not any other birds. So I did my usual round first past the water voles and then the rabbits. The time was now 8:30 and it was fairly light out now which is not usually good photograph light, so I headed back home.
This may be my last blog before I go to Sweden again, I will be one week in Kalix (northern Sweden) and then a week in Norwegian Finnmark Vidda (Iesjavri). And there me and my brother are going to fish for large grayling, trout, char, so look out.

Click on a picture to enlarge it!

water vole/Vattensork

Canada goose in the early morning hour

Pied Wagtail/Sädesärla (juvenile)

Pied wagtail



Pied wagtail in morning sun

some snail

tufted duck and chick

White wild rabbit

Willow tit/Talltita

Willow tit

Early morning at Redmires

Yesterday the clock woke me at 4:00 and it was time to take the bike to Redmires Reservoirs, I wanted to get there before the sun rises, which it does 0500. I wanted to be early on the spot to try to sneak me in the golden plower, but once in place it was only to find that they were not even there: (and also that there were 3 sheep farmers who went through all the fields and scare all the birds while they gathered all the sheep: ( So it was just move on, I decided to photograph morning dew and other things that were highlighted nicely by the rising sun. The morning was really hot around 20C and humidity, appeared to be a fine day. Went on down to the reservoirs to look for birds, middle pond had a whole flock of gulls nesting on the beach, also saw the typical species that tends to be there. On the way there as I passed the rabbits I took the opportunity to take some photos, got lucky that the white rabbit came up and ate, it's really cute. Then suddenly when I was down at reservoirs the fog came out of nowhere, then I decited to go home. It was now at: 08.30. The great day that was promised it disappeared completely in the fog.

Click the picture to enlarge it.