Out and About with David Cookson

IN THE NETS...and boy do we need to be!

2012-02-02T05:32:00.002Z

Nothing much happening at the moment, apart from Shorties all over the place....over the past weeks I have visited three site in Lancashire and one in Wales, all top secret of course, trouble is apart from one of these sites, where I have not encountered so much as a dog walker (bless em) the other three have been packed to the rafters with photographers and bird watchers.......Wikileaks!!!! No bother, it's like being in a traffic jam and complaining about all the traffic in front of you, while all those behind you are doing the same......your part of it.

Taken at one of the more popular sites, but as it was hammering down and black as night for most of the day I was alone with the owls

Only seen Mrs Kingfisher one since the first freeze, so she survived. Frozen over again at the moment, I fear she may be off to find a mate when the thaw sets in...... so a lot of work for one shot....well that's wildlife photography for you.

The Clock....twenty five to three

Purple Sandpiper found on a recent visit to Wales

I have a couple of sites where Barn Owls are active at the moment so I may have more luck with them.

In the nets, head down, concentrate.

Fortitude

Scuppered in the Nineties

2012-01-18T07:38:00.003Z

Walking on the river Yarrow around Croston looking out for Owls, a flash of electric blue zipped past me and turned off into a reed-bed, even a non birder would have recognized a beautiful Kingfisher. That was before Christmas. After many visits I have managed to build a makeshift hide and drop in a perch, now it was time to reap the rewards. The other day missus Kingfisher duly obliged and landed on the perch for all of two seconds, old man Cookson wasn't quick enough and missed the shot, but I took heart from the fact she had discovered the perch and some time in the near future she will make me a happy man.
It wasn't a complete disaster (darling) as she afforded me views with four fly pasts and a landing on a reed a little farther upstream where she discharged a pellet, something I had never witnessed before, and I did manage to get a snap of her on the reed.

Although Thursday the 12th wasn't a disaster when I returned last Friday (the 13th ) it unfortunately was. I arrived to find the spot completely frozen over and spent some time breaking up the ice, but to no avail it was freezing back over in an instant. On a four hour watch in the area on Saturday I had no sightings of my friend. If she survives this cold snap, I wonder if she will return, I will have to wait and see.
Returning home on Friday I called in at Yarrow C.P. one of my favorite haunts and although the light had gone the burning embers of the setting sun was lighting up the tree tops and this was giving some great reflections in the water and as luck would have it one of my favorite birds swam into view, a Great Crested Grebe.

So the 13th wasn't all bad news, and although I have been scuppered in the nineties I still have another innings.
Fortitude

Settling In.....

2012-01-08T11:34:00.001Z

Settling in after a sticky start, keep patting the crease, keep concentrating, the buggers won't get me out, in the sixty's now, I'm going to get a century, I'm going to get a bloody century.

Fortitude

First shots of 2012

2012-01-03T06:41:00.002Z

Like an opening batsman striding out to the crease to get his team on the score sheet, so the photographer heads out into a bright New Year to get his account under-way.

Take Off

In for the kill

On Patrol

Short-eared Owl

Snow Bunting

More to follow on my Web Site

Fortitude

Seasons Greetings

2011-12-21T15:21:00.001Z

No post of late due to major changes to computer system, anyhow have a wonderful Christmas and all the best for the New Year

The Snow Buntings of Kinmel Bay

2011-11-21T05:44:00.001Z

Photographers who find or know where a certain species of bird or mammal is, will try to keep the location to themselves for as long as possible. The reason for this secrecy is, they want to get their images unencumbered by others who will decamp on-mass and who have equipment that defies the budget deficit, but alas possess no field-craft. There could be other considerations of course, for instance the protection of the species, or maybe you have spent weeks baiting a spot, and rightly consider this your own.

A nice wing stretch

However certain (special) species become well known and are well publicised on a variety of web forums, one of these are the Snow Buntings at Kinmel Bay. Local birders have encourage the birds by putting seed on driftwood, two huge logs really, right below a viewing platform, and to their credit have been very successful for the second year running to the best of my knowledge in attracting these delightful buntings.

This bloody sand gets everywhere

I arrived bright and early at the site and as well as my camera and provisions to sustain me throughout the day, I also carried some seed, as visitors are encouraged to keep the feeding station topped up. I had the Snow Buntings, ten in all, all to myself for perhaps an hour and a half, then I was joined by Joe Wynn who I new only as a contributor to Birdguides, incidental I put a faces to a names and Joe existed in my head as someone in his sixty's, so it was quite a shock to see this fifteen year old lad sat beside me. A little later Joe and I were joined by Mike Nessbitt, and the three of us together had a wonderful time photographing the buntings. The field-craft here is quite simple, the golden rule is sit still! The average cycle is thus, the birds will fill their crop on average over a fifteen minute period, then they fly off a short distance, usually a groin for about half an hour to digest their meal before returning to start all over again.

During the digestion period you can have a cup of coffee and have chat then crucially just before they return get in position and wait. The birds will tolerate you if you stay still, but will not if you approach them while they are feeding, they will simply fly off.

Love this shot doing what comes naturally

Of course passers by and dog walkers (bless em) will spook the the birds, that is par for the course, but what really annoys me is when photographers spook them. Well sad to say that happened later in the day as one snapper in particular consistently approached the birds, not by crawling but walking bolt upright towards the feeding birds. Well he in particular pissed the birds and me off. But you see it didn't matter to him, as he explained he was local and could get his shots anytime.

This bird was foraging for seed among the boulders

Pity the poor traveler who had spent a small fortune on petrol, and Joe, as he is a school lad, he could only get there at the weekend and had come down from Manchester by train, I think it cost him something like £12.50, and the birdwatchers on the platform and of course let us not forget the Snow Buntings.
Fortitude

More From The Forestry Commission

2011-11-13T13:54:00.001Z

Just reiterating, sorry....My New Web Address Is www.dcimages.co

Forest can create some magical light and this first image goes someway towards what I was trying to achieve.

Swooping In For A Meal

Top Food For Jays

Waiting For More

Sitting Pretty In Gorgeous Light

Leap Of Faith

Fortitude

New Web Site Address

2011-11-09T18:59:00.001Z

Please Note My New Web Site Address

www.dcimages.co

Away From The Coast

2011-11-09T12:02:00.000Z

After several sessions photographing waders along various stretches of the North West coastline I have turned my attention to our gorgeous woodland. Crawling through mud and leaves made a change from crawling on wet sand and salt marsh, it was better for the camera too, with no chunks of sand finding its way into all the nooks and crannies of the image stealer. Light, light give me light. At best, by the very nature of photographing in a forest the best you’re going to get is dappled lighting, but this can be very effective both on the subject or the backdrop. At worst when it clouds over the range of subtle hues can work fine, but tends to leave the overall image a little flat.Anyhow here are a few results from the last couple of shoots....... first needing no introduction is the Red Squirrel....

And secondly a very inquisitive Jay....more on the website.....

Fortitude

Motorway Madness

2011-11-02T16:30:00.001Z

I now know why my car wants to go to Southport in stead of heading north up the M6, as yesterday (1st Nov.) I physically forced it to head north for Leighton Moss.
Big mistake.
The traffic in all three lanes came to a halt, I was just short of the M61 junction. Apparently a tanker had overturned and I along with thousands of others was stuck there for one and a half hours. Where's a bloody Buzzard or a Kestrel when you need one, I see them all the time when I'm traveling at 70mph (honest) and can't stop!
Fleetwood had to be the new destination purely for the lack of daylight hours available to me.
AND, as if that wasn't bad enough, I was once again caught up in a jam at more or less the exact same spot on my way home, apparently a multi-vehicle pile up, my guess is that someone was gawking at the aftermath of the mornings accident. Not to worry only one and quarter hours this time, and at least I could do some editing (deleting) to wile away the time.
I managed a few more wader images, but was it worth it I ask you?

Ringed Plover

Oystercatcher

I will be posting more images on my web-site soon.

Fortitude

Time and Tide.....

2011-10-31T14:21:00.000Z

I had plan A, B, and C for Friday’s high tide, but somehowmy car had a mind of its own and opted for plan D and took me to Southport.When I get to the motorway at Standish I have three options, head north for theFylde or Leighton Moss (A, B) south for the Wirral (C), but no, my car wantedto go to Southport, - Again.

Did I want to go to Southport again? No I did not. Lastmonth’s high tide was a near disaster (darling) in photographic terms. Afterarriving at Ainsdale I walked out well out of reach of dog walkers (Bless Um) Isettled down and waited for the tide to do its job and bring the waders to me.After half an hour things were looking good at the head of the pack I couldmake out Grey Plover, a bird that has eluded my lens thus far. Another quarterof an hour and I should have filled my boots as they say, then, suddenly, thesky was darkened with thousands upon thousands of birds, the army of wadersthat was marching towards me had vanished before my eyes. The reason was, theSefton Beach Patrol, two quad-bikes riding in tandem out on the mudflats,apparently searching for dead bodies (cocklers maybe?)

So that day I retreatedto Southport beach, a mile north of the pier, where as luck would have it Ispotted dunlin and ringed plover. Ah that day was rescued until the dog walkers(Bless Him), pissed them and me off.

But feeling tired and not wanting to drive too far here Iwas again. I arrived in the nick of time as the tide was well in and with theabsence of beach patrols and dog walkers, god knows where they were, but Bless-umall, they weren’t here. And what a difference the place was alive withthousands upon thousands of waders, so here are a few of the results......enjoyDavid

A Grey Plover fly past

Strictly Sanderling

A simple close up of this most beautiful of waders

Oystercatcher Salute

Dunlin with onlookers

Grey Plover

Fortitude

Canon Photo Competition

2011-10-26T06:22:00.000+01:00

I have entered this image of a Whooper Swan preening at Martin Mere in the online Canon Photo Competition.
I have entered it in the Learning to See category, it has already been recognized and awarded a Good Technique Badge.
You can view it by any of the links or clicking on the photo and give it a thumbs up, you can also view some other pretty amazing images at the same time.

Dancing Feathers...Whooper Swan

Cheers David

Fortitude

They're Back With A Vengeance

2011-10-25T13:03:00.000+01:00

I went to Martin Mere on Saturday (22nd Oct) just to evaluate the situation, I was most surprised to see the vast numbers of Whooper Swans on the mere. In past years they had been drifting in, in dibs and drabs at this stage of the season, but the numbers that have arrived thus far are so great that the management have decided to start feeding, this process normally only starts in early November ( around the 5th my birthday....hint,hint).
I managed some very satisfying images of whoopers along with ruff, lapwing, pintail, wigeon and shoveler.
The day was enjoyed the company of Steve Dolan and Charlie Owen and a couple of people who I meet from time to time, but unfortunately don't know their names (forgive me for that).
A word of warning, unless your fabulously wealthy take some food and drink with you, Steve paid nine pound odd for chips & a scoop of something (smaller than a child's portion in my opinion) and a scone, I fared little better when a sweet with custard plus a cuppa set me back five pound fifty.
Once bitten twice shy!!!!
Anyhow some pics.....

Whooper Swan

Buddies

Heave - Ho (Ruff)

Shoveler

Dancing Feathers - My favorite image from the day

A few days earlier I had paid a visit to Leighton Moss and as I entered the EM hide the sun was making it's entrance on the new day casting a pink glow on the underside of the clouds, this in turn was reflected in the water just as a pair of little egrets passed through the scene.

Little Egrets

Fortitude

Wading In

2011-10-16T15:17:00.004+01:00

A few images from the beach.........It's hard to disguise yourself on a beach and I have been told that if you lie down and crawl the waders will think your a seal and ignore you, I don't know if this is true, but I do know you get very wet indeed...

Sanderling

Knot

Dunlin

Redshank

Fortitude

Fish Commits Suicide!!!

2011-10-13T12:08:00.002+01:00

A couple of tags for this image.....

Fish Commits Suicide!!!

And for my next trick!!!!

Down the Hatch......a bit predictable

Fortitude

One Holiday Rolls into Another

2011-10-09T12:40:00.016+01:00

As Eric Morecambe famously once said I'm plying all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order. And so it is with my posts, I seriously mean to keep this Blog up to date, but a thing called life keep getting in the way.....anyhow a few shots from Northumberland back in June (I still haven't got round to processing all of them) mixed in with a few from September.

Separated from Staple Island by a narrow stretch of treacherous water are the Pinnacles home to thousands of Guillemot, by the time I took this image in late June many had departed with the lines on the crest visibly thinned out.

Arctic Tern favor Inner Farne

A typical Inner Farne welcome as Arctic Tern hover and attack visitors as they defend their offspring's.

Puffins run the gauntlet as they land their catch, as Gulls lay in wait for an easy meal, taken on Inner Farne

Puffins wiz past visitors at a rate of knots as they depart on another fishing fora.

The lunch box Puffins photographed on Staple Island

Back on dry land a Stonechat photographed at Cresswell

And a Siskin recovering from flying into the window......it flew off after a couple of hours. Speaking of which.................

................THING THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT!!!!!

During our September break at five in the morning while in bed, lying in a state of semi-consciousness we were both aroused into life by a loud bang on the window.

Fearing we were about to be attacked by burglars from Newcastle, I sent Margaret to investigate. She returned in a panic, "You'd better get up"

God! I thought it is burglars from Newcastle! I pulled the sheets over my head pretending not to hear.
"Come on, get up! we've got an injured rabbit, its jumped into the window"

Ha, not burglars then, Phew! I sprang into action at once.

With the aid of the outside light I could just make out a brownish object squirming on the ground, but on closer inspection it wasn't a rabbit at all, it was a Tawny Owl curled in to a ball with one wing outstretched, occasionally it flapped in a desperate attempt to right itself, and my first thoughts was that it was a goner.
I went out and carefully picked it up as I didn't want to injure it any more than it all ready was, and also I didn't want it to dig it's talons into me. As I folded it's wing into place it swiveled it's head around and looked at me. What an absolutely gorgeous bungle I was holding. As I held it for a short while it calmed down, then I put it down on a near by bench, to my surprise it stood bolt upright. We stood and watched it for the next five minutes, occasionally it turned it's head and looked us in the eye, I must say I was quite besotted, and then without warning it took flight and vanished into the night air.

TOWN CENTER BIRDING......HAWICK

The river Teviot runs through the very busy town center of the Scottish Border town of Hawick, and while Juggernauts rumble over the bridge the bird life below is quite amazing, Goosander......

.....Herons

and Dipper can be observed, a scene one would associate more with a tranquil place like Lathkilldale.

Back to the coast at Amble
I paid a brief visit to the harbour while Margaret had a mooch round the shops. It's a great place for Cormorants, but I found the local gull quite entertaining as they fought over discarded fish.

Black-backed Gulls

Fortitude

The Fair-Maid of Fairhaven

2011-10-07T20:00:00.003+01:00

The Beautiful Slavonian Grebe at Fairhaven Lake
I should take a permanent B&B at Lytham, what with the Phalarope the other week and now a Slavonian Grebe decided to drop in on Fairhaven Lake.
To be honest you wouldn't have turned out yesterday (Thurs 6th) as I drove up the M6 the horizontal rain turned to hailstone, with winds lashing it against my windscreen so much so the wipers couldn't take it, but the forecast promised a few breaks and as it was the only half day I had spare, I took the chance.
The first stop was the cafe....sticky toffee pudding and a pot of tea....this mouthwatering dish was eaten in two sittings as the Slavonian Grebe came across from the island and started feeding right outside of the cafe. I took some shot hand held just to get a handle of the exposures I would need for the shoot.
The meal finished it was down to business proper, the order of the day being sitting in the shelter until the storms abated then photographing as and when the grebe appeared.
Luckily it appeared at regular intervals in varying degrees of light. The water was choppy to say the least with the grebe often disappearing in the deep swell, working off been bags was a no-no with such waves.

Breaking the Water

I worked as low as I could with the aid of the tripod and the constant upping and downing along with the ferocious wind finally took its toll on my old bones, when I climbed back into the car I was exhausted but extremely happy.
The time spent waiting in between shooting was spent chatting with people I have known through their BLOGS or uploads on various forums and turned out to be a greatly pleasing affair and passed with the speed of light.

Sliding down the waves

In more sheltered waters later in the day

As the storm clouds gathered once more a small break allowed a chink of sunlight from the setting sun through to give some illumination on the Grebe
Fortitude

Grey Phalarope

2011-09-14T19:56:00.000+01:00

A few of the many images taken at Fairhaven Lake, hope you enjoy...........A brief window of good light and the wind whipping up the water made photography challenging and exciting......one of the best sessions of late

Fortitude

A Good Hare Day

2011-08-10T19:34:00.004+01:00

"A good hare day" a cliche I know, but better than "hare today and gone tomorrow"
Well out photographing the Barn Owl again last night when the farmer decided to make hay. He was done and gone within an hour and four Hares looked dazed and disorientated in the wreck of what must have been their home.

"HARES" one with a good left jab

And I managed a Barnie as well

Fortitude

Filler

2011-08-07T17:57:00.002+01:00

With one thing or another haven't had much time to finish my holiday report, I'll do that in one fell swoop this week. So here's a couple of shots from my limited time out last week.
House Sparrow

Juvenile Robin

Whitethroat

Barn Owl

Fortitude

Jollies Tuesday & Wednesday

2011-07-20T04:08:00.002+01:00

Tuesday dawned as predicted with heavy rain, that meant only one thing, Alnwick day, shopping. Well we needed supplies and as the Queen was due to visit on Wednesday it was a good day to get it out of the way, it also meant that I could visit my favorite book shop, Barter Books (BB). It's a place where old books go to die and they BB. occupy the entire now defunct railway station, it out does Hay-on-Wye for secondhand books hands down, even if you have no interest in books it's well worth a visit if your in that neck of the woods.
Wednesday
I got up and went to make a cuppa and as I walked past the patio doors two woodpeckers flew off the wall....so they are here after all. On and off for the rest of the holiday they appeared on a regular basis mainly one of two juveniles and the female parent I only saw the male once.

Female great Spotted Woodpecker

Juvenile

Feeding Time

I hadn't done the twelve mile stint of upper Coquetdale so far, so my mission for the day was to put that right. The single track road to Coquet Head beneath the Roman fort of Chew Green holds delights at every twist and turn. These days I don't venture too far from the car, but that's fine as there are plenty of places to squeeze the car in while I go to explore my favorite nooks and crannies.

Common Sandpiper are numerous in Coquetdale

Plenty of common sandpiper with young in tow, and some very scrappy wheatear again with their young, pairs of oystercatchers on the many scrapes up and down the river along with dippers and grey wagtail patrolling their stretch.
Oystercatcher

Sand Martin

Swallow

With posting swallows and sand martin quite close by on my return down it made for another memorable trip.
Fortitude

BBC Summer Watch Photo Of The Day

2011-07-19T05:13:00.004+01:00

This image of a hunting little egret was taken at Leighton Moss from the EM hide around eight in the evening.
Suitably chuffed and many thanks to BBC Nature team.
Fortitude

Jollies Monday

2011-07-12T09:06:00.008+01:00

Still no sign of the woodies, but at least we had a pleasant start to the day weather wise. The usual suspect where on the wall and feeders, although the numbers had increased dramatically since Saturday, but I have doubled the seed and introduced nigger and put up two more nut feeders.
From the wall
Juvenile Wheatear

And a Goldfinch

Margaret felt like a stroll up the lane to look at the verges for wild flowers particularly since I told her I had seen ragged robin the previous day.
We took a leisurely walk scrutinising the bank verges as we did so, as I got down on my hands and knees (not easy) to start taking some images Margaret called me to come over quickly (impossible).

Ragged Robin

What is it I asked, it's an Adder, she pointed with her walking stick, I arrived in time to see it slide away and vanish in the undergrowth.

Hidden Viper

We retired for lunch (dinner), after which I returned to the spot where we had last seen the Adder, I scoured the banking and found a hole and on further inspection I could just see the Adder's head in the darkness. As it was quite warm I settled down in the hope it would come out to sunbath. I didn't have to long a wait before it slid out some eighteen inches in front of me, it then vanished into a melee of grass.
A brief encounter

Proceedings where halted when a shepherd I know stopped to see what I was photographing, only some grasshoppers I told him, had I mentioned snake it would have been it's demise.
Fortitude

Breaking your Duck.

2011-07-10T15:07:00.003+01:00

Daddy comes to call

A brief break from my jollies session, as photography has to continue also.
Over the last few weeks I have been trying to photograph a fox that's been visiting my garden. Last week after notching up over twelve hours in my portable hide I managed a crappy shot at some distance and in the gloom.
But at least I managed a shot of sorts and that's the point, once a shot is obtained you become more relaxed, you've "broken your duck", you've seen and photographed the fox.....it's not me who's putting it off and you just know from now on your gonna get better shots.
So the food went out earlier and earlier and the fox came earlier and in good light, too good at times as it was a little harsh (I wouldn't be a photographer if I didn't complain about something).
On Friday I managed a couple of shot of a beautiful cub although growing up fast, I've named her Daisy and on Saturday her dad paid a call, hes not so handsome as his daughter, but still lovely see.
The lovely Daisy

Fortitude

Jollies Sunday

2011-07-08T11:31:00.005+01:00

After a drive into "civilisation" to collect the Sunday papers, I settled down for breakfast keeping a close eye on the wall as I did so. I had heard that a pair of woodpeckers had been visiting the feeders and was keen to snap them, in the event they didn't turn up, but a yellowhammer did, so that was number one priority.

After that I was keen to get up onto the hills half a mile from the cottage to look for one of my favorite birds the whinchat. The habitat is perfect with ferns decorating the hillside and as I approached I could hear them calling. I walked up the bridle path and looked out over the ferns and sure enough the winchat were calling from the fronds. I settled down close to foxglove in the hope they would land on one.

A couple eventually did land and that despite two Apache helicopters constantly flying overhead firing off salvo after salvo. Although not the best of light and the flowers not fully opened I was quite happy with my days work

Fortitude

Jollies Saturday

2011-07-06T18:04:00.015+01:00

It was a damp rain sodden chilly SUMMERS evening when I arrived at the cottage. Before dinner (tea) I settled down with a malt whisky looking out into the gloom beyond, the hill being obscured by mist and rain I turned my attention to the birds around the feeders, chaffinch, greenfinch and siskin were jockeying for position. The whisky was making a warm glow inside my tummy when an luminous yellow blob appeared on the wall, striking it was against the dower backdrop, it was a dazzling yellowhammer, my god it was bright.
With camera gear to hand as it always is, I put the whisky down opened the patio door and set to work. A red-legged partridge got in on the act.
Not a bad start....and two weeks to go....not a bad at all I thought to myself.

Yellowhammer so vibrant in the gloom

A pair of red legs appeared daily early morning and late evening.

Fortitude.

A Hard Day's Night

2011-07-06T09:03:00.007+01:00

A 5.30 am start to be at Leighton Moss for the early morning light, as predicted by the Beebe turned out to be a false hope. It was grey and quite cold as I arrived at the EM hide, I had expected calm waters, I got that, I had expected lots of waders, that, I didn't get!
So move on to the Public Hide, where only 24 hours earlier an Osprey put in an appearance, as it turned out I was 24 hours too late.
Cafe for breakfast.
The day was hot and humid by this time, so an obvious time to trek through the reserve to check and recheck all the hides, an exhausting 4 hours later and a not too bad a shot of a red deer, not too good either.
Back to the cafe for a cuppa. As you might gather the day isn't going to plan.
Decide to go back to the Public Hide for one more look.....nothing of course, then back to where I started The EM hide......mm mm the water was flat and milky with diffused lighting on the birds, yes birds, remember, that's what I went for.... a few redshank a heron or two, and wait is that an egret coming in, no there's two, three, half a dozen....that's more like it.
It's 8.30 pm I must go home
Little Egret hunting

Tranquil waters with a mixed bag of waders

Fortitude

Pied Flycatcher

2011-06-16T13:23:00.003+01:00

Definitely my last image, and probably my favorite

Female on perch waiting for the male to leave the nest, a rare occurrence as she fed at four times the rate of the male, normally she was straight into the nest.

And another from t'other day

Fortitude

Flycatchers have the Day

2011-06-14T21:02:00.008+01:00

Pied Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

Rushed these out from a great day out, Spotted and Pied Flycatcher within half a mile of each other, and only five miles from home, been searching for weeks, so thrilled to get them both at last..
Always under the tree canopy so difficult lighting.
Lots to get through but going away soon, so they may have to wait till I get back
Fortitude

High Pressure Low Fliers

2011-06-05T10:03:00.013+01:00

The Exocet

I made my second visit to Bempton Cliffs RSPB on Friday, a very late and last minute decision as I had other business that morning. The objective was of course one of my favorite birds, the gannet.
The photographer needs two elements for successful shots at Bempton, firstly a cloudless day with wall to wall blue sky and secondly a brisk wind. Well I had the first, but as for the latter the wind or should I say the lack of it wouldn't have moved a balloon.
Gannets with their six foot wing span, tend to rise and hang on a breeze and will float up to our eye level, at Bempton Cliffs that is around three hundred feet above sea level and as the wind will lift them effortless the males will also tend to forage for nesting material on the top of the cliffs, females don't indulge in this activity.
Without the wind, onlookers are reduced to leaning onto the rails at various viewing platforms and looking down into the abyss bellow, if you suffer from vertigo, walk away now.
Every now and then a gannet or two would appear out of the blue and scream past at the speed of an Exocet, getting "the shot" requires a steady hand and quick reflexes, not easy and not always successful, but what tremendous sport. If you come home with half a dozen keepers, then it's been a good day.

A rare occurrence as a gannet bids me good-day

Fortitude

Just for Laughs

2011-05-28T16:50:00.002+01:00

A life size ornamental Canadian Grey Squirrel creates a perfect perch.

Fortitude

A Downpour and A Sunny Spell

2011-05-26T14:10:00.003+01:00

If you don't get BBC North West Tonight you won't know in my opinion the worst weather presenter in the world.
How Eno got the job I don't know, she can't articulate, pronounce, remember her lines, so she usually waffles along ....like it will be mainly cloudy and fairly wet and with some fairly sunny spells with temperatures mainly in the in the twenties but falling fairly quickly in the evening mainly after it goes dark tommorow it.... god I thought she was on a work training scheme but we appear to mainly stuck with her and that's fairly bad!!!!!
However here's what she really meant to say
We will have heavy showers......

......with sunny spells

Taken within an hour of each other
Fortitude

New rules on Submissions for Birdguides

2011-05-25T14:19:00.019+01:00

Since my post Blazing it has come to my notice thatnew rules on photo submissions. In case anyone thinks I have thrown my toys out of the pram by leaving Bgs, I'd just like to set the record straight, I left prior to these new rules, some seven days prior in fact and had no knowledge that they were about to be introduced.
Birdguide have now banned all photo uploads of schedule one birds, plus three additions from March through June. This apparently is to be an automated blanket ban, with a few exceptions....once you have an exception you have an anomaly, so we will have to see how that goes.
Had these rules been in operation in the first place I wouldn't even have tried to upload, I would have accepted the rule. But in the absence of such a rule I couldn't understand being rejected while others were not. I won't go into all the details of our exchanges, but two things rankled, one, the inconsistency and two, the assertion that I was encouraging nest photography, and that after a full explanation of how the images were achieved.
The announcement on BGs has produced a lot of strong comment, with some forceful points being made. What has struck me from these comments is the disunity from the different faction of the birding community. As I see it we have as follows:-
Birdwatchers
Twitchers (Believe it or not until the BBC documentary I didn't know what they were)
Ringers
Bird Photographers of which I am one......and after some venomous remarks on BGs just below us are Egg Thieves, or maybe it's the other way round, until now I never new we were so disliked in some quarters.
I'm a big fan of musicals, Oklahoma springs to mind.... Territory Folks...The Farmer and the Cowboy should be Friends etc.etc. On Birdguides I have made lots of friends, it is billed as a friendly community, but as this event has show.....just scratch the surface and.....
I have in the main enjoyed my years posting on Birdguides, it has if you like been my camera club with some top photographers producing stunning images that have inspired me. It has been a pleasure endeavoring to be up there with the best, it has without doubt improved my skills no end.
Will I go back? No I won't, and not because of "The Ban", they have every right to introduce whatever rule they like, they are first and foremost a business who make their money out guiding folk to birds, photographs are secondary, they have given the likes of me a place to air my wares completely free of charge and in return they have accumulated a massive photo library, free of charge.
No I'm leaving not because of the ban, I left before it was introduced and now its time to move on and I wish Birdguides every success in the future.

The swallow signals a new Spring

Fortitude

Young Guns

2011-05-24T08:43:00.003+01:00

The garden's alive at the moment, not with tits and finches, although I have a few, but my more common species are four rooks and a bakers dozen of jackdaws, with blackbirds, mistle and song thrush also in attendance. The mistle thrush brought along it's young yesterday amidst the gales, thank the lord it brightened up later.
A popular food seems to be digestive biscuits, but were the smaller species are satisfied with crumbs the jackdaws and rooks go through a full packet in five minutes....now that's expensive!
Fortitude

Marshside in Glorious Colour & Black at Home

2011-05-22T09:00:00.008+01:00

Whilst visiting Marshside over the past few weeks I've had to contend with a mixture of greys as far as the light was concerned. So it was a pleasure to visit the other day in beautiful Spring sunshine.
Strong light isn't always the best for photography, but when a Black-tail Godwit puts an appearance in in stunning plumage then good light lift's the shot no end.
On the home front my latest garden visitor is a very un-colourful Rook.

Fortitude

As one door shuts..........

2011-05-17T13:03:00.009+01:00

Well the bridge is burned the drawbridge and portcullis locked.
So what now, well plenty, for starters BBC Springwatch have just picked one of my Dotterel shots as favorite for mid May. Not the Pic above, you can view by clicking the link the Springwatch link. It was taken t'other week on Champion Hill cheers to P.W. for directions.

Fotitude

End of the Day

2011-05-14T09:39:00.004+01:00

Little Stint

Curlew Sandpiper

The Grand Tour...Mearsands Wood...Martin Mere...Marshside, not bad for a day out, completed three times this week, although MM gets only a cursory glans these days as the wildfowl are back in their breeding grounds.
Just about to return home on my last visit, when a quick change of mind found me in the Nells Hide instead. Below me with a flock of Dunlin was a Little Stint and a Curlew Sandpiper.
I class these as record shots only but in the absence of anything better here they are.
Fortitude

Blazing

2011-05-12T15:07:00.003+01:00

A couple of shots from a packed hide at Marshside, where two pairs of Avocets and a pair of Oystercatchers are nesting on the scrapes directly outside the hide. In fact one of the Avocets stretched his legs to reveal the new chick to the world.
Evidently these photographs contravene Birdguids rules on nest photograph, and refused publication even though they allowed a photo of a full nest of brooding Blue-Tit chicks earlier in the week, and a Sand Martin in the nest-hole, also a pair of Kingfisher obviously around their nest.....what hypocracy. I have told them!!!!
Just look in on Birdguides in the next few weeks (I won't) and you will see photos of parent birds with food for their hungry chicks by the bucket load.....obviously taken at or around the nest....ops, and then what happens when Farne Island pic start to flood in? Will they be published? Yes of course.
While I'm on the subject I did think of applying for a licence last year to photograph nesting Kingfisher, until I found out that the licence was a licence to "Disturb Nesting Birds", Natural England, watch my lips you won't get a picture if you disturb them!!!!

Fortitude

Just Champion

2011-05-01T16:54:00.006+01:00

An offer to go to Fair Snape to photograph dotterel was declined as I was feeling distinctly under the weather. I instead went to my local cemetery to photograph whitethroat, I drove home still feeling quite rough. As I sat having a bit of dinner Pete Woodruff called to say there where nine dotterel on Champion Hill just east of Stocks Reservoir. I phoned the couple who had offer me a lift to tell them, but they had already sussed that out and where on their way back.
A good friend of mine Barrie Kelly phoned on another matter and during the conversation the dotterel sighting came up, I'm up for that shall we go, I explained that I was a bit under the weather, I'll pick you up, you'll be OK, it'll do you good. Reluctantly I agreed, I must be mad I thought to myself, its already gone three.

So at five in the evening I found myself standing on top of Champion Hill, when I say standing I mean leaning at thirty degrees into a very strong wind.
Strangely for dotterel they where very flighty and after an hour and a half we were about call it a day, when in the flew and landed right beside us, they were quite confiding for the next half an hour, but obstinately they had their backs to for most of the time. On the other hand we had some glorious evening light and observed a wonderful sunset.

Old Photographs Never Die, But Where The Hell Are They??

2011-04-29T10:37:00.017+01:00

I had a surprise email :- "Hi David, my name is Stewart Winter I work for the Sunday Express, could we have a chat."
As a reader of the SE I new of Stewart, as he has a birding column, so of course, we indeed could have a chat.
He was interested in the rise and rise of amateur nature photography and bird photography in particular and how we amateurs are now challenging the Pro photographers with the quality of our work.
After a nice chat about the subject, he called me again the next day on another matter, at the time I was photographing Willow Warblers, he recited a poem to the tune of Willow Warbler, it was strange hearing the little blighter in front of me singing it's head off, while a harmonious mirror sound was coming out of the ear piece on my phone. He left me saying that the photo editor would contact me to discuss what images she would require.

The said Willow Warbler
I arrived home from the shoot as Jane the PE was on the line, "We want the fluffy cuddly Starling picture" fine I said I'll send it to you when I've had a cup of tea.
That's when the problem started, my filling system is crap to say the least. Obviously I looked in my Starling file, but it came as no surprise for it not to be there. I could remember it was taken in Seahouses, but what bloody year, see the thing is I go there three times a year and have done over the past twenty years and all my Seahouses files are all clumped together without even being dated. Luckily as I was trawling through my files I came across one named Photos For Prints, bingo there it was in all it's glory, phew!!!
Jane emailed me back to say the picture looks lovely in the piece, and that I should find it in the middle of the paper on Sunday, but added it might be flooded out with another big news event that's happening.
Now what on earths happening that could be more important than my Starling picture I wonder????

A stretch of the Legs

2011-04-27T09:47:00.002+01:00

A three mile walk on the first evening in search of wheatears proved fruitless until I arrived back to the cottage gate. Then there right in front of me was this beauty enjoying the last rays of late evening sunshine.

Down by the River

2011-04-26T16:15:00.003+01:00

Coquetdale is normally very quiet, but it was a scorcher of a day and a bank holiday to boot so it was packed out. This forced me away from my usual haunts and I spent a very uncomfortable hour sitting on some very sharp rocks with my legs in the river. Eventually the shot I wanted came into view, a Common Sandpiper walking straight towards me.
Fortitude

53.3 Degrees North

2011-03-26T16:05:00.004Z

I wouldn't have a clue how far north a Dartford Warbler has been recorded, but 55.3 degrees north was enough to tempt me to go and have look at one.
This has long been on my wish list of birds to see, so when one arrived on a Welsh hillside above Llangollen at the weirdly named World's End, I didn't need too much convincing to head over there.
This was to be my second encounter with World's End as I had passed that way in 1991 when I walked the Offa's Dyke Path. I remembered the limestone escarpment above Llangollen as one of the highlight of the walk and seeing it for a second time I wasn't to be disappointed, it is simply breathtaking scenery. I wasn't disappointed with the tiny warbler either a stunning little bird and a privilege to see.

Rare Norwegian Blue Found

2011-03-06T08:16:00.007Z

The Norwegian Blue thought to be extinct for forty years has been found "Alive and Kicking" Click here for the latest.

Not a Norwegian Blue but a Wren in my garden today

Fortitude

Spring is Here

2011-02-27T13:22:00.003Z

Yes its official,Spring is here, frogs cavorting as only frogs can in my pond Saturday 16/02/11

Disbelief

2011-02-23T22:26:00.011Z

Great Crested Grebe

Not long to go now for our warbler invasion, hopefully this year will be a little more normal, having had apart from one cold snap a relatively mild winter. If memory serves me well (I don't keep records) I saw and photographed my first wheatear around the 15th of March in our milder winters. Then all hell breaks lose, well lets hope so anyway.
One species returning to our inland lakes and ponds now the ice has melted is the great-crested grebe, I photographed the one above last week, quite artistic as its wake created some lens flare. Although some dick-head commented on Birdguides accusing me of photoshoping it! My short fuse burst, I was livid and insulted. I can assure you I haven't doctored it in any way, its the genuine article. I can also assure you I've put the guy straight.

Elegance personified

This is simply one of my favorite birds, it personifies elegance, and love with its ritual courtship greeting, and exuberance with its weed dance.

Ritual Greeting

Electrifying the Weed Dance

What more could one ask for, from a common bird.
Fortitude

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

2011-02-20T14:43:00.006Z

Oystercatcher

Siskin

Great Northern Diver

Should have gone for the high tide 10m+ today, but it's grey and miserable so been doing a bit of editing instead, plus a spot of baby sitting.
Our grandson Harry brightens up the dullest of days and there's always tomorrow for the high tide.
Fortitude.

Tea and Biscuits

2011-02-16T19:02:00.005Z

Steve Dolan commonly known as SD, because he's a bit of a card you know,( get it "SD" card ) I know that's terrible "I'll get mi coat"
Anyhow he invited me down to his shack for a spot of garden birding, brilliant day brilliant company, brilliant birds......and tea and biscuits to boot.

Brambling

Greenfinch

Blackbird
Fortitude

In the Mists of Time

2011-02-07T11:02:00.001Z

A trip up to Leighton Moss has been long overdue, but my, what a surprise, as all the lakes were frozen over still. I thought that this would be a great opportunity to get a glimpse of a bittern or two, but a long couple of hours in the public hide proved fruitless.
So an early return home.....well not quite, might as well cut off on the the Fylde and see whats around Pilling.
When I arrived I couldn't see anything quite literally, as a dense blanket of fog engulfed the scene.
I decided to go and have a chat with a local farmer who I have bumped into from time to time. While we were chatting the mist rolled back and the day was transformed, suddenly I was drenched in glorious winter sunshine. Things got even better as a barn owl decided to land on a post about thirty foot away. This was an every day occurrence for the farmer, but I was trembling with excitement. "Back in a jiffy" I whispered as I left him rather unceremoniously.
The owl was in a small thicket and although it could be seen there was all manner of twigs and small branches obstructing it, but some careful maneuvering brought it face to face with the obstruction now framing the owl perfectly.

If I thought that was going to be the end of things I was wrong. After leaving the farmer I thought I would explore the some of the lanes before going home. Down by a hedgerow I could make out a raptor perching on a disused wagon. At first I took it to be a kestrel, but as I approached closer I couldn't believe my eyes, it was a short-eared owl. I couldn't get close as there was no cover, so it had to be a long distance shot with a heavy crop and simply hope for the best.

So two owls in a couple of hours, not a bad result and it was enough to entice me back a few days later. I pulled the car into a field and got out to have a look round, but as a hot air balloon was descending to land in the same field I decided that nothing was going to be flying with that monster around so I retired to the car for a coffee.
As I was drinking my beverage a barn owl appeared from behind a hedgerow and hovered not ten foot away from the car while the balloon was touching down some fifty foot away. This can't be happening, I grabbed the camera and jumped out of the car and fired of a few shots, but disappointingly I had missed the money shot.

As I was inspecting another field David and Jackie Moreton turned up and as we were chatting a barn owl flew across the road and we were off in hot pursuit apart from David who was suffering a back injury. We lost the owl behind a house, but discovered a little owl sunning itself in on the window ledge of a garden shed, although it wasn't close enough I had to try and get a shot as did Jackie.
While we were busy concentrating on the little owl the observant Mr David announced that the barn owl had flown into an adjacent shed. Well two sheds in the same garden one with a little owl and one with barn owl, now that's a place to live.

So three owl species within a few hundred yards, OK, where's the long-eared and snowy owls then????

Better Get Down To Business.

2011-02-06T11:35:00.005Z

Amongst other things I have been messing about with this Blog trying to get larger images on my posts, with help from Matt Latham I think I am getting there, but it is still a bit hit and miss.

The bad weather over Christmas and into January kept me confined to home quarters, but I did make it out to Kinmel Bay to photograph snow buntings.

A couple of meadow pipits flitted into view and I came home more pleased with the shots of these than anything else.

Even if I returned home without a shot I would have come home happy, just being out in the fresh air and with good company was a wonderful tonic after being cooped up for so long.
Also I have given my website a bit of a makeover please take a look sometime,
Cheers David

Runner-up in Birdguides POTY competition

2011-02-03T08:38:00.008Z

This image of a cuckoo taken at Cockers Dyke near Pilling in August 2010 has been voted a runner-up in Birdguides POTY competition, needles to say I'm pretty chuffed with the outcome. You can view the competition results by clicking here.

He Who Waits

2010-11-30T16:35:00.006Z

I've spent a bit of time of late building what I call my "Theater of Dreams". Basically it's a platform about a meter square with various ad-dons, it can be moved and adjusted in height. I can dress the top with dead leaves for an Autumn scene, or boulders and gravel, logs, in fact anything I want within reason.
I was beginning to wonder if all had been in vain, as all of the above is pretty useless without birds on it.
Some birds did eventually start to use it, but in pretty atrocious light although this stood me in good stead as it gave me a chance to evaluate the various backdrops.
So, all I needed now was good light and good birds.
Well all comes to he who waits.

This week also brought something of the high-life. After returning from a great weekend in Manchester watching "The John Wilson Orchestra" playing music from the MGM films (very few dates left, so if you have a chance to get a ticket, don't pay for it, DIE for it! its that good), Cheshire Life dropped through the letter box with a couple of my images adorning the wildlife section. I don't urge you to buy it, unless your in the market for a house for around Three Million quid.

Fleetwood Mac...luckily no.

2010-11-15T17:56:00.006Z

Saturday dawned to a cloudless sky and beautiful sunshine with a slight breeze that chilled the the air as it does at this time of year. It wasn't at all what was forecast. So I decided to head north to Fleetwood, where a Great-northern Diver had been reported on the Marine lake.

Red Breasted Mergansers departing the lake
A few months earlier I had made the same journey in search of a Cuckoo on a similar start to the day only to see it change to black skies and torrential downpours, well a repeat prescription was on the cards. By the time I had got to Preston, black skies,heavy rain and brightly coloured rainbows festooned the air. Great for landscape, but not for what I was intending to do. However, as I arrived at Fleetwood the sun was shinning again, although large black clouds swirled around menacingly threatening to put a damper on the day.
The main thing was that the diver was still present. The bird was very obliging at times, as was the light, but getting both at the same time was a lottery, so alertness had to be the order of the day. The water was a bit choppy so mirror images were out of the question, but all told I had a pretty good day.

I nipped down to Rossall Point in the hope of a few sanderling, the tide was pretty full and I saw none, but half a dozen turnstone kept me busy, before I returned to the Marine lake to capture the diver in some late afternoon light.

And to finish a picture postcard view of Breezy Blackpool my no option holiday destination as a child.

I love M&Ms

2010-11-08T19:08:00.004Z

Common Buzzard

Whooper Swan Preening

After a busy day around Southport I tend to work my way back and call in at Martin Mere. Even a brief visit can bring in a photo opportunity, and Sundays visit was no exception. After that I can take a variety of routes home with a keen eye for a Barn Owl maybe. Well not on this occasion although a lovely marked Buzzard put in an appearance.

Great Birds Great Company

2010-10-31T17:44:00.004Z

The waxwing invasion got underway at Barrow this week, although I didn't intend going there I am so glad I did. Not only were the birds stunning, it was great to meet up with so many old friends.

FOR SALE

2010-10-29T12:42:00.003+01:00

ANYONE OUT THERE INTERESTED IN MY CANON EQUIPMENT:-
CANON 1D MK111 EXCELLENT CONDITION
CANON 70-200 F2.8 IS LENS (MK1) SUPERB CONDITION LITTLE USED
CANON 20D WELL USED BUT WORKING PERFECTLY RECENT CLEANED
MIGHT CONSIDER MY CANON 500 F4 IS LENS

CALL ME ON 01942 241773 or 447832628977

EMAIL wildphoto[at]blueyonder.co.uk replace the [at] with@

Cheers in anticipation

10/10/10 Lucky for Some

2010-10-12T20:15:00.015+01:00

10/10/10 Weasel
A gorgeous Sunday in October a bit of an Indian summer I suppose and a lucky day as far as the date was concerned. So where to go? Well it had to be the coast as a high tide was on the cards about midday. Southport or The Wirral? Well why not both.
I intended being up early and although the mind was willing I'm afraid the body was not, absolutely not, it was nailed to the bed. Eventually I was up and at em and on the road by nine thirty heading for Liverpool and the Mersey tunnel. Had I had enough time I would have made for West Kirby then made my way back to finish at Wallasey, but as time didn't permit I went instead directly to Leasowe.

Little Egret
After parking the car I walked along the promenade looking for a likely spot where a wader or two might be forced ashore, when suddenly a six inch squiggle passed me at a rate of knots.
The squiggle was a weasel scurrying along and then, instinctively, there was I scurrying after it, well sort of. It went down the sea-wall ramp along the seaweed at the waters edge, then back up onto the prom, then back past me and all the while I was trying to get my lens on it, quite unsuccessfully I might add. Then it came back past me once more, and made several attempts to scale the last two foot of the sea defences, but amazingly it couldn't manage it, so onwards it pounded until I couldn't make it out anymore. Undeterred I went in the direction it had headed and suddenly saw a bit of movement in a crack between the ground and the sea wall, I got down on one knee and lay aim, bingo it was in the can. Then "Pop goes the weasel" off it went, the last I saw of it, it was scurrying along the seaweed once more.
That little episode lasted three quarters of an hour and once the adrenalin had departed my body I was knackered, so I climbed over the sea wall and sat on a nearby bench to rest up for a while. I sat facing away from the sea looking down to the meadow when a wheatear appeared and landed on a fence......ho no here we go again.

Wheatear
I ended the day at Marshside watching pink footed geese and other mixed waders in some beautiful evening light managing a snap or two, but the day will always be remembered for that weasel.

Pink footed Geese at Marshside

A Good Week On The Home Front

2010-10-04T19:36:00.002+01:00

A loud bang on the dinning room window meant only one thing, a bird had crashed into it. I went round to investigate as a sparrowhawk was flying to the fence, luckily for me it had its back to me giving me time to dart backwards. My camera was in the room and I crawled to get it, then gingerly got up and fired a few shots before it spotted me and flew off. I went outside and found its intended victim a chaffinch frozen under my car, latter it flew off unscathed. All this before breakfast, starting work on an empty stomach isn't recommended.
But it hasn't been a bad week on the home front, BEAKY turned up out of the blue, and few days ago I had a visiting willow tit for about four hours, it was pouring down at the time but I managed a half decent snap before it left.

BEAKY

2010-10-02T15:42:00.002+01:00

We first saw this blackbird at the backend of the hard winter and have been amazed at its ability to feed with such a deformed beak. About six weeks ago it moulted almost to a skeleton on its wings and vanished, we naturally thought it had succumbed, but not so today it reappeared at our bird table, quite a survivor.

Cocker Hoop

2010-08-17T09:37:00.025+01:00

CUCKOO AT COCKERS DYKE
As Margaret and I arrive in Coquetdale for our summer holiday, we are invariably greeted by the sound of a cuckoo calling for a mate, but try as I might I have never located the source. A few years back a fisherman in the next cottage, who didn't eat fish brought us a freshly caught trout, you'll never believe he said, but all the while I've been fishing, I've had a cuckoo for company it was sitting on the fence post behind me, I dashed out to see it fly off into oblivion.
Friends tell me to go to Scotland to see them and a grand variety of other species also, but that is out of the question for the foreseeable future.
Last year I heard about a juvenile on the car park at Parkgate, but circumstances prevailed and I couldn't make the trip down there. Then out of the blue I get to hear of a juvenile fattening itself up on caterpillars in at Cockers Dyke near Pilling before making it's long journey to Africa, as my desk was clear I decided to go for it.

I set off on a beautiful morning with the sun rising over the Pennines and the mist hanging in the valleys, but sods law was to prevail. As I headed north heavy cloud drifted in from the Atlantic and by the the time I arrived it started to pour down, it was 7am, it was going to be a long day. There was nothing for it, I had to sit it out in the car and drink my coffee. An hour and a half past and I had already eaten my lunch and still no cuckoo, its gone I thought, its buggered off to Africa. Damn!!!

ONE OF MY EARLY SHOTS IN THE RAIN
Then through the gloom "my" bird arrived and landed on a post forty foot or so away, my heart skipped a beat, even though it was too dark to photograph, well now it really was going to be a long day, cause I wasn't going to budge before sunset - that's if the sun were to ever rise!

ANOTHER SHOT IN THE GLOOM
Well it did awake from it's slumbers and put it's hat on, and the weather and light slowly improved as the day progressed. The cuckoo returned every half hour or so feeding from various fence posts and electric wires, before being disturbed by dog walkers.

HAWK EYE SETS OFF FOR ANOTHER MEAL
I was amazed by it's ability to hunt for caterpillars. From wires thirty foot or so above the ground, it would perform a variety of acrobatic dismounts, then free fall parachute, before twisting into a full head on dive, hawk fashion, vanishing into the nettle covered ground and immediately emerge with its pray and return to a perch on the wire. From fence post it would launch similarly horizontal attacks as far as twenty foot away, in both instances I never saw it miss. But should I be surprised with this bird's ability, when, from the moment it hatches its inbuilt genetics instruct it to remove its adopted parents eggs from the nest, then after feeding its self up it will journey to Africa all on it own some.

IT AMAZINGLY NEVER MISSED
All in all I put in thirteen hours on site that day, but eager for more I returned a couple of days later, in a seven hour stint the cuckoo never showed at all, I wrongly assumed it had moved on, only to be told later that it had turned up that evening. I went back the next day only to get a fleeting glimpse in very bad light.

LOVELY EVENING LIGHT AND THE CUCKOO SITS PERFECTLY FOR ME
My mate Steve took up the gauntlet the next day, he phoned me at two o' clock to say it had just turned up and the light was good, so I immediately jumped in the car and set off once more. I took up a position behind a WW2 bunker hoping the cuckoo would land on the fence post directly in front of me. Although my strategy held a bit of a risk, the cuckoo might stay in it's favorite corner and not come to my desired post, had that been the case I would have returned home empty handed once more. But I needn't have worried after twenty minutes the cuckoo duly obliged and I returned home a very happy man, cocker-hoop you might say.

The Longest Day the Home Run

2010-08-04T13:44:00.004+01:00

As the boat approached the steps in Dunbar harbour I was geared up to disembark, the boatman had barely got the boat secure when I hopped onto the steps, I said my goodbyes to everyone, it had just gone 6.15. It must have seemed awfully discourteous but I was on a mission to get to the station for the 6.28 train to Newcastle, if I missed it, it would mean an overnight stay in Dunbar or Edinburgh. I wouldn’t have minded that, but the weather forecast for the next day was atrocious, so it made sense to me to get home, my only regret, I would have to pass the chippy instead of going into it.
I made a steady plod up the hill and through the town and made it to the station with two minutes to spare, I was sweaty my pants were dirty even though I had over-trousers on – it was muddy in places on Bass Rock – I pitied the person who was going to sit next to me, indeed if I were the train manager I wouldn’t have let me on!
I needn’t have worried as the carriage was empty, I got my favourite seat next to the luggage rack, and as the train pulled out of the station I went to the toilet and cleaned myself up.
The train manager was a charming lady; I explained my predicament at having a wrong ticket and she wasn’t bothered one jot,” enjoy your journey, the catering trolley will be along shortly”, how civilised I thought. She advised me to go through to Darlington, where my connecting train to Manchester would arrive on the same platform, brilliant.
My connecting train to Manchester was eight minutes late, I know that because a passenger opposite told me so, he wasn’t best pleased as that was going to make him late for an appointment in Leeds. That got me thinking if it was running late would I make my connection on the last train of the day home to Wigan. I decided it best to ask the manager.
“Tickets from Darlington” the manager bellowed, he was at the far end of the carriage, mine was ready on the table for inspection. As he arrived I immediately asked if we were going to be late arriving at Manchester. “Ant a clue..... am dun ut Leeds” he replied arrogantly in his thick Yorkshire droll, picking up my ticket at the same time “What’s this”? “It’s a ticket” I said rather sarcastically, as I didn’t care much for his manner. My manner was to cost me, “I, bur its u rung un”, I started to explain, but he cut me short “Il tell thee haw much thy owes”. £11.80 was how much I owed, still, cheaper than a B&B I thought.
“He wants reporting” said the gent opposite, when the manager had gone. It takes all sorts I thought. My new companion and I set the world to rights on the rest of the journey to Leeds, where we shook hands as we bid each other goodbye.
Apart from the run-in with the manager, things had gone pretty well and passengers, who had up to that point been a bit thin on the ground, had all been polite. Alas all that was about to change. At the huge metropolis of Leeds, the train flooded with an influx of a more yobbish and discourteous class of passenger. Of course the train had now become a late night local commuter train between Leeds and Manchester. People thought it right and proper to sprawl about wherever they liked. Outstretched legs under tables with dirty trainers on the opposite seat, sitting on tables hunched up over their mates, trainers on seats yet again , most with phones glued to their ears or IPods playing – tsss tut tsss tut tsss – or some such rhythmic nonsense blurting out. The public address system announcements changed also. Previously they had been advising on catering arrangements and approaching stations, and “Mind the step on leaving the train” Now it changed to “Passengers are reminded that CCTV cameras are in operation”. Some comfort I thought, if I were to be mugged, at least it would be recorded for posterity.
The train had made up some time and I was only five minutes late arriving at Manchester Piccadilly Station. Once again I was geared up for a fast departure as I knew it to be quite slog over to platform 14. But the impoliteness was to prevail, as the doors opened a crowd of about thirty people rushed to gain access, while those of us onboard tried to get off, it was disgraceful and an utter shambles. The public address was repeating the message “Passengers are reminded that CCTV.................
If that’s City living then I want no part of it. Mind don’t we see bad behaviour every day on our roads, drivers overtaking at speed, cutting-in, parking abysmally, complete disregard for anyone only themselves and oblivious to the dangers caused to others – I really don’t mind if they kill themselves it’s the innocents I care for. (Sorry for the rant it just came over me)
My last train of the day left Piccadilly at 10.50 a typical bone- shaker of a commuter train, I think everyone was just as tired as I, it was thankfully, quiet an uneventful.
At 11.50 Sue arrived to pick me up. At midnight I was sitting in my lounge with a large whisky reflecting on one hell of a day trip.
Number Crunching
Rise Time 4.40am
Bed byes 1.15am
Two short car trips 3 miles total
Six connecting trains 494 miles total
Footslogging 2 miles
One return boat trip 16 miles total
Total mileage 515
That’s an average of 25.1 miles per hour awake (that’s a stupid statistic)
Food - packed lunch plus 4 cups of coffee
Cost of trains £58.60 plus £11.80 for being sarcastic (spit)
Bass Rock trip normally £98 provided free of charge by the Scottish Sea Bird Centre in lieu of photographs (many thanks)
Photographs about 800 images - still plodding through them they will appear in the the Spotlight section on my web site when completed.

The Longest Day Bass Rock

2010-07-28T18:57:00.004+01:00

I met a couple of photographers making the trip by the fast food stall on the harbour about 12.30, when Maggie turned up and ushered us to the boat where the rest of our party was gathered. After a quick briefing we were on board a heading out of the harbour past the kittiwake colony by 12.45.
The weather by this time was fair, but with clouds bunching up from our landward side, while out to sea towards The Isle of May it was wall to wall blue, the sea although not a mill pond, it was quite calm.

I busied myself setting up my equipment, putting my 70-200 f2.8 onto my canon MK3 and my 28mm lens in my pocket ready for a quick changeover, this was in anticipation of the chumming that was about to commence as we approached Bass Rock. This is normally a superb spectacle, but Maggie had warned us that the gannets hadn’t been performing that well of late; she reckoned that there was an abundance of food in the sea and the gannets wouldn’t trouble themselves for a few scraps. Sadly she was right, scores of gull’s descended upon our boat instantly, but I counted only eight gannets which circled the boat a few times before landing on the water and attacked there food in a doggy paddle fashion instead of their more illustrious eighty mile an hour kamikaze dive.

I tend to struggle with the light at sea, and it was no exception here, to make matters worse as the boat circled the sea colour changed from dark inky blue and a grey day aspect backdrop to a Caribbean setting of blue sea and skies. I was also mindful that I was photographing a white bird and didn’t want to blow the highlights thus burning out the bird; the process was also exacerbated with differing amounts of cloud drifting across the sun.
In general though the light was good to brilliant, but for the most part it was against me, so for the technically minded here are the settings I used :- ISO 200 all the time to get as much detail out of the whites with little to no noise / 3200sec was about right for the gannet with sun directly shining on it but a little underexposed on the bird against the light, but this was easily recoverable as I was shooting in RAW, when it shaded over I dropped down to 2000sec although I sometimes forgot in the heat of the moment, but found I could still recover the image without adding too much noise, I put this down the fact of keeping the ISO at 200 / I kept the aperture at f 5.6 throughout. Although I could have upped the ISO or opened up to F4 to achieve a faster speed I was happy with the balance I set myself as I could still hand hold the 500mm lens at these speeds.

And so onto Bass Rock, I am fortunate as this is my second visit to the rock so I knew what to expect, but even so it still took my breath away to be in the presence of such a colossal number of fantastic seabirds. The last time I was here I could walk a little way beyond the chapel, this time the gannets had claimed the ground right down to the chapel with a few pairs nesting on it, not only that they had also occupied part of the pathway approaching the chapel and with many more on the banks either side the concrete path/steps than previously encountered.
Time to start shooting, with only a light southerly breeze the gannets weren’t hovering above me as I would have hoped for, indeed, the majority zoomed in quite quickly from right to left as I looked out to sea, and this direction was against the light, so I immediately concentrated on the masses banked up on the terraces in good light. Searching for clean birds not too mudded up by the previous days rain. I noticed a pattern of bird approaching from the north some flying straight over me, but a few hover- landing on the perimeter rock, this meant using the500mm prime to get close shots; I might mention that although I had my converters with me I never felt the need to use them.

Some time was spent on getting images of chicks, but for the majority of time I tried to get intimate and behavioural images of paired gannets, but believe me three hours passed like three minutes and guess who was last man standing? – yep me.
The light had started to dim as the next weather front rolled in so I packed and joined the others on the jetty and tried to reflect on whether or not I had got all the images I wanted, I don’t think a photographer worth his salt would be happy with his days work without saying “If only this” or “if only that” but on the whole I thought that I had a pretty good shoot.

I was hoping for some shots on the way back to the harbour but the light had completely gone, May Island couldn’t be seen at all and the sea was quite choppy, so I packed everything for a fast getaway. We had left the rock by 5.15 and I reckoned we would dock by 6.15.
My thoughts turned to 6.28 train to Newcastle, wrong ticket or not could I make it..... I’ll tell you in the concluding report on the Longest Day......that’s a bit of a giveaway really.

The Longest Day

2010-07-26T08:45:00.004+01:00

Sorry to pinch the name of such an epic event as D-day for the title of this piece, but Tuesday 20th July 2010 was my personal “longest day” in more ways than one and will forever be etched on my mind till the day my maker calls on me. It was a day that had been anticipated with relish for a couple of months, it was the day full of promise, it was the day I was due to make a visit to Bass Rock.
Although the trip had been organised for several weeks I still wasn’t sure that I would make it right until the last possible moment. In fact the trip was still in doubt just ten hours before the train was due to leave Wigan station at 6.28 am on Tuesday 20th July. I had two major obstacles, one was a complicated family matter, and the other was the vagaries of the good old British weather. Britain was sinking under a huge low depression with the rain bucketing down and flooding many areas of the country in the process (just as well then that United Utilities had a hosepipe ban in force). Surprisingly the only bright spot on the weather map for the 20th was East Lothian the very place I wanted to go. So I rang Maggie who manages the trips, she confirmed that the weather was set fair and the skipper had said the sailing was going ahead.
The Plan - I hadn’t booked my train ticket nor had I arranged any digs. I had downloaded as many train timetables that I thought useful and a few B&Bs and hostel telephone numbers in Dunbar and Edinburgh. It wasn’t going to be a problem getting to Dunbar in time for the one o clock sailing, but there were major problems in getting home as the boat was only due back at the harbour at 6.30pm thirty-five minutes after the last train left for Edinburgh which in turn would get me the last connecting train back home to Wigan. As far as I could make out a later train out of Dunbar would afford me a grand tour of Scotland before depositing me back in Wigan around five in the morning. I decided to get there, and then work out the best way to get back or go for an overnight stay.
So there was a plan of sorts, but the plan was so flexible it was pure improvisation.
5am Tuesday - The alarm was going off on the phone, but I was already up and dressed and preparing breakfast. Sue my neighbour picked me up at six and drove me to the station in plenty of time for the 6.28, but I still wasn’t sure I was doing the right thing as dark threatening storm clouds billowed overhead. However, there was no time for second thoughts and before I knew it I was onboard my first of six trains that day heading for Lancaster. I had arrived at Lancaster on a very palatial and empty Virgin train, my connecting train to Edinburgh was a two coach Trans Pennine commuter job and although comfortable it was a little overcrowded with no space for my bulky camera bag, my only luggage by the way. Eventually I found a space between back to back seats and managed to squeeze it in, but not before knocking other passenger’s belongings off their tables, I felt a bit like a bumbling Mr. Bean, but everyone took it in good spirits. The rest of the trip was uneventful as I drifted in and out of some welcome sleep. Edinburgh Waverly Street is a huge station, a city within a city, as I had half an hour spare before the 10 o clock to Dunbar I went for a wash and brush up, grabbed a coffee and sat on a bench and phoned home to give a progress report, Margaret asked if it was still raining, but when I looked up through the glass canopy all I could see was blue sky and it was surprisingly warm. I was the only passenger on the Scots Rail commuter train to Dunbar so the guard sat and chatted with me, he told me the weather was going to be wall to wall sunshine in-between the thunder storms, he was joking – I think. I took advantage of my new found friend to see if he could work out a route for me to get home after 6.45pm, I reckoned it would take me quarter of an hour to get from the harbour to the station; the best he could come up with was the 6.28pm going down the east coast to Newcastle, but I had the wrong ticket for that trip and it was too late anyway, so it looked odds on that I would be staying in Dunbar for the night.
10.45 found me walking down the high street of Dunbar towards the harbour with a couple of hours to spare before the sail to Bass Rock. I have lots of images to process, but not a lot of time, they will appear here and my web site in due course, along with a report on the trip out to the rock.

Shopping Again

2010-07-06T18:29:00.004+01:00

"Can we go to Southport to do a bit of shopping" asked her ladyship. "Not a problem" I replied. I love shopping at Southport, I'll rephrase that, I love my wife shopping at Southport. Now lets get this straight, what actually happens is that I drop Margaret off in Lord Street then I head off for Marshside, after five expensive hours or so I meet her at the Swan chippy and we've both had a good time. Margaret has a few bag from M&S and I have a few images of Sedge Warblers.
Simply put I love shopping at Southport.

Within Ear Shot

2010-06-30T16:19:00.004+01:00

It was a very hot day and I didn't fancy traveling any distance so I was out and about locally. After crossing a field alive with six-spot Burnets and all manner of flying objects, I scurried down a dried up ditch to find some shade in a nearby small woodland. Plenty of chiffchaff calling so decided to get some shots, even though they are a bit ragged with there manic feeding process. Sitting quietly in the dell, I was suddenly aware of a presents, something lurking, something watching me. Then behind a bramble I saw an ear sticking up, my heart skipped a beat, it was a fox. It stayed quite motionless for about twenty seconds, enough time for me to slowly bring my camera to bare. "Come on, come on" I whispered under my breath, "show yourself". But it nonchalantly turned tail and melted into the undergrowth, and with it went my hopes for a sensational photograph.

2010-06-23T10:46:00.000+01:00

Comeuppance

2010-06-08T14:32:00.004+01:00

Avocets are to my mind are a vicious bird, they don't tolerate neighbours kindly, seeing off all and sundry on "their" territory. Marshside is worse off since they decided to take up residence in my opinion. I remember when dozens of Godwits in brilliant breeding plumage would jostle for position right outside the hide, now it's almost a barren dessert with a couple of pair of Avocet ruling the roost. Godwits and other species are still on the reserve, but they shelter in the backwater gullies and are hard to see. It was good to see their dominance broken by this Shelduck, it had young to guard also and stood no hackling, giving the Avocet a taste of it's own medicine.

Close To Home

2010-05-29T16:05:00.008+01:00

Been a bit busy of late with family matters plus the hot weather has kept computer work down to a minimum, can't stand being indoors when the Gods are shinning on us, that said I also can't stand the heat - but one has to suffer for his cause, and its much better than upping the ISO in dull conditions to get some speed.
One thing that has been a priority in the editing room has been sorting images out from a recent trip to North Berwick for the Scottish Seabird Center, I'm thrilled to bits that they are going to use some of my images and they have invited me up for a trip onto Bass Rock. Trying to sort out a date to visit though has been problematic, June was suggested, but my daughter is expecting and is due to present us with a brand new offspring June / early July (what timing) anyhow due to go at the end of July, so something to look forward to - oh, as well as the kiddy-winkle I might add (I think I'd better). This has meant other holiday images lay languishing on the hard drive, not only that more images are added to the list faster than I can process them, it's a problem but a nice one to have. So if you see images appearing weeks (months) late forgive me, it will be down to my chaotic way of sifting through them.
My "system" is a far cry from my days photographing the Latics in the early 80's, when I would cover the matches home or away and have to have the pics ready for the early evening editions - mind the editor was only interested in the goals and they didn't score that many in those days (no change there then). Although I do remember an evening kick off at Scunthorpe giving me a sleepless night when the boys went berserk on a goal spree banging in SEVEN and that against an opposition who's captain was Ian Botham no less - yes he played football as well as cricket - but not quite so well.
Anyhow lets get up to speed, most of my time of late has been spent at Yarrow Valley Country Park photographing Great Crested Grebes and Dippers. The Grebes are on the main lodge and I love the water at the top end given calm conditions and flat water. Sitting in the middle of that end, the water to the left is light green mirrored from reed covered bank, dead ahead reflects the blue sky and to the right it's very dark green, almost black, but the light picks out the birds beautifully, that's my preferred angle to shoot. The best part of photographing at Yarrow is that I'm outside and right on the waters edge and at eye level with the birds, unlike Mere Sands Wood although good I don't relish being cooped up in a hide. A pair of Common Terns have nested on the pontoon and have been out feeding but alas not close enough to snap them YET. The river Yarrow flows through the park and a pair of Dippers can be seen regularly on this stretch as well as Grey Wagtails and the odd Kingfisher. Patients and luck is needed to get the Dippers on camera, it is no Lathkilldale, but more satisfaction is gained from a shoot when I pull it off and another plus, it's a lot cheaper.
At another location on one of my patrols I got a cracking view of a Little Ringed Plover, I didn't miss the chance to snap it........see you soon, Cheers David

Three for Breakfast

2010-05-16T11:03:00.007+01:00

Sunday morning breakfast is a leisurely affair in the Cookson household. I nip out for the newspapers while Margaret gets to grips with the coffee and toast, we then munch and slurp our way through the "cuisine" as we catch up with all the scandal and goings on of the past week.
We are broadly of the same political divide, but do have our own opposing views on certain matters, these are aired as if at PMs question time in adversarial fashion.
Throughout this ritual half an eye is on the silver birch in case the gold crest (our favorite visitor) decides to put in an appearance.
Our conversation was going like this......
"I hope this coalition works, its more in keeping with the wishes of the people, rather than being dictated to by a landslide government" said I.
"Don't be daft, the country needs to be steered not left blowing in the wind" was my dearest retort.
"Dinosaur politics, what we need...............
"Fox"!!!
"What"?
"Fox"!!!
"Where"?
"Fox on the lawn"!!!
Indeed there was a fox on the lawn, calmly collecting the birds bread before skulking off with its booty.
Margaret cut some more bread and quartered an apple while I dashed for the camera.
I replenished the stock of food on the lawn and within five minutes the fox returned and collected a mouthful bread and apple before departing under the rhododendron bush. I suspect it had brought a cub or two such was it's comings and goings and the time is about right. A few years back during the summer we had four foxes running around the garden in the twilight hours. Lets hope for the same again, but ten in the morning will do very well indeed.

A Witch of a Hill

2010-05-08T09:26:00.009+01:00

Over the years I have climbed most every Fell in the Lake District, quite a number of mountains in Scotland and Wales and walked every predominant long distant footpath in the British Isles and Ireland. But alas the years have taken their toll on my on my weary limbs. Things now have to be planed in short stages, preferably flat stages.
Therefore an attack on Pendle Hill a mere 1800 ft above sea level becomes a major expedition. Should I make the assent in two or three stages setting up camps along the way, indeed, would I need to bivouac overnight? - then their would be supplies, Sherpas, Yaks - Oh my God I'm going to need sponsorship!!!
Well I exaggerate of course, but I would have to psyche myself up no end, take my time and make many stops on the way up to catch my breath.
The decision made, "I went for it" on Friday. I parked up beside the colossus, put on my boots, slung on my rucksack and with the sun on my back I boldly strode forth. I was transported back in time and suddenly remembered what pleasure this trekking business gave me, but it was short lived. My knees and ankles ached and my lungs felt as they were going to bust, but with measured pace "dead slow" I made it to the top. What a feeling, body and soul rejuvenated, it was almost as good as topping out on Ben Nevis - well almost!!!
And what was all this endeavour for?
To get a snap of this Dotterel.

A Couple of Shots from North Berwick

2010-04-29T18:50:00.007+01:00

A Cormorant flies past the harbour on a dead calm sea.

Female Eider battles against the choppy sea.

Pied Wagtail feeding close to it's nest site on the harbour wall

The Scottish Seabird Center before sunrise

As A Matter of Interest

2010-04-28T14:48:00.007+01:00

Here I show a picture of an Eider Duck taken in the early evening on West Beach in North Berwick and a Mallard nesting indoors in a garden center in Morpeth.
Forty miles down the coast from North Berwick lies Seahouses the gateway to the Farne Islands, not only that, it must also be the Eider Duck capital of the world. I have been going there for the past eighteen years or so and I'm so use the the little darlings (although, they can be quite vicious at times) coming to the shore line when they see people, as they associate people with food. In North Berwick however they act completely different, the slightest movement towards them and they scoot off into the sea.
Mallards occupy every park with a pond in Britain, here again shelter and food are the predominant factors, but in Coquetdale in Nothumberland they are completely wild, again bob your head up half a mile away and they will spot you and disappear in the opposite direction.
The case is almost the same for Dippers, I say almost, but their is a difference as they don't feed from people being self reliant and wholly dependant on the stretch of river they inhabit, but in most places they shy away from people while in Lathkilldale a popular walking area in Derbyshire they are most confiding.
All these birds are genetically the same, the question is what makes them act so different in their habits?

Early Morning in North Berwick

2010-04-27T11:38:00.007+01:00

Sunset over Fidra
The Cottage from West Beach
Another day another sunrise
Bass Rock Sunrise

Isle of May can just be made out on the horizon
A two week break was divided, a week in the Scottish coastal town of North Berwick and a week in our beloved peaceful hamlet of Alwinton in Northumberland.
North Berwick is a place we have often visited on day trips when we have been holidaying in Northumberland and has always been on my wish list as a place to stay for a few days. We chose a renovated fisherman's cottage set right in the confines of the busy harbour. It sounded idyllic and we were not to be disappointed, the views from the lounge looked directly down onto the West Beach, accompanied each evening with stunning sunsets. From the bedroom and kitchen we overlooked the East Beach dominated by Bass Rock and an equally impressive array of sunrises.
Each morning my eyelids were prised open by the orange glow of light that filled the room as if a flower welcoming a new day. I couldn't resist getting up and taking a peek behind the curtains....WOW, it was simply an astonishing sight with the flag poles of the Seabird Center and the plum pudding Bass Rock silhouetted against the ever changing hues of the morning dawn....natures theater.
I couldn't resist, I slipped my fleece on over my pajamas, picked up my camera and a couple of lenses, and ventured out into the cold morning air, thirty seconds later at 5.30am I stood on East Beach quite alone, save for a dozen or so Eiders huddled up in the corner of the sea wall and a few Herring Gulls gilding around, occasionally they would call out breaking the deafening silence...magic.
Reflections from the dead calm paddling pool, a concrete barrier that traps the incoming tidal water formed a mirror image of a dramatic sky. I took image after image including the sunrise which rose to the right of Bass Rock at 6.08am.
I returned to the cottage only to change my lens to the 500mm and headed straight back out past the harbour and onto the rocks past the Seabird Center gabbing some flight shots of passing Gannets, Shags, Cormorants and Eiders, all where a bit distant but it didn't matter it was great to be out on such a glorious morning. Suddenly I felt chilly and hungry and decided to return for breakfast... goodness me it was 9.30 people were by this time knocking about, dog walkers, the milk man, a few tourist and me in my pajamas.

Passing Through

2010-04-09T13:39:00.003+01:00

Early morning surprise a Chiffchaff passed through my garden. Needless to say my coffee went cold.

The Wigan Otter or why I should have gone to Specsavers

2010-04-01T18:51:00.000+01:00

A brief foray down to my local river Douglas "the Dougie" as we call it in "WIGIN", revealed the first Sand Martins of the year and the wonderful sight of a pair of Kingfishers darting upstream. A female Goosander drew me down to the river bank, but she sailed away in the direction of the Kingfishers. Maybe, I thought, if I sit and wait she will return and I will get a really good low angle shot and you never know the Kingfishers may return.
Well I waited for a while and was just about to give up, when, I noticed an object approaching, dead center of the river, a head sticking up and leaving a wake in its trail.
Bloody Hell, it can't be, it is, its an Otter!!!! - How far away is it? (Peter Kay Joke)Its only small but what else can it be
Well it approached closer and closer, strange thing was it never got any bigger. Then it was level with me. Bloody Hell Should have gone to Specsavers!!!!

The Grizzly Remains

2010-03-30T18:19:00.004+01:00

I reach the grand old age of 65 before I pick up a Barn Owl pellet for the first time. I did so on the pretext that my 5 year old granddaughter would be interested as to its contents, but as it turned out she was more interested in the telly, while Margaret and our next door neighbour were simply spellbound as we carefully unpicked the pellet.
Bones by the score, four rodent skulls intact and one in half, but what surprised me most was the amount of fur, as the fur unravelled and expanded I could have stuffed a small pillow with the stuff.
I hastily took a snap or two before consigning the remains to the bin, although I briefly thought of making a necklace and earrings with the skulls, Captain Jack Sparrow eat your heart out.

Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-24T18:28:00.003Z

I was disappointed that this beautiful Barn Owl hid deep in the woodland, but now I love the image, it conjours up a picture from a fairy-tale book.
Tomorrow I hope to show the contents of a pellet I found close by, not so much a fairy-tale more a ghost story.

It's the Equinox and Spring is Springing

2010-03-21T18:44:00.003Z

Sunday March 21st is a day of equal day and night and officially the first day of spring and for once it felt like it with lovely warm sunshine, a welcome relief after such a harsh and prolonged winter.
Everything is going to plan on the wildlife front also, today as I walked through a woodland habitat I see my first Brimstone, Treecreepers and Coal Tits are busy house building as is a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, how it doesn't get a headache with all that hammering is beyond me. Frogs by the hundreds are mating and the frogspawn is multiplying before my eyes. A pair of Great Crested Grebe float fast asleep on the water, they wouldn't look out of place on fun fair fishing stall - just catch them in a net and claim your prize - but they are keeping a close eye on the prospective nest site.
By the time I get back to the car I feel I have walked through a Disneyland film set.....is that Bamby I see over there?

Little Fish BIG Fish and no chips!!!!

2010-03-17T13:22:00.008Z

We photographers find it hard to get things right at times - actually, most of the time in my case - short of having three cameras with different lens permanently attached and wheelbarrow to cart them around in, we have to second guess what's going to happen and have the correct lens attached for the forthcoming action.
My first encounter with a pair of wild Goldeneye wasn't going to plan as they were to distant with the 500mm lens alone, so I popped on the 2x converter to get a closer shot. Then, quite unexpectedly a Cormorant erupted from the water bang in front of me flailing a fish - I could hear him saying "who's a clever boy then" - by the time I swung the camera round, the event was over, he was swimming off to dry his feathers with a bulge in his neck. Bugger, lightning never strikes twice, but for once it did, almost in the same spot another Cormorant emerged - reminding me of the film Alien - this time it toyed with it's meal, a Carp or Rudd I think, with the converter on I really struggled to frame the scene as it was much to close, I would have got a much better shot with the 500mm on it's own.
Deciding this must be a good fishing place for the Cormorants, I returned a few days later, I also decided that under no circumstances would I even contemplate attaching the converter.
Well I waited and waited as photographers do, but alas no Cormorants.
Wait though, whats that in the distance? It's a Little Grebe, with a fish!!!! BUGGER!!! where's the bloody converter?

Tora Tora Tora

2010-03-15T06:57:00.003Z

Yes for the past few days my house has been under constant attack from a pair of Long-tail Tits.
Our house is nothing if not fur coat and no knickers as we only employ a window cleaner to clean the front windows and not the back, but this has an upside as it is great for spiders as they are undisturbed in their conurbation, until that is, the tits decide to build a nest. They collect the web material to cement their fluff ball of a home together. All this endeavour has provided the Cookson household with great entertainment with constant coming and going of fluttering wing beats against the glass.
I have taken advantage of this activity shooting with my 28mm and 70-200mm lenses, but it hasn't been easy as they come in like whippets and dart all over the place, and of course the dirty glass didn't help.

At Long Last a New Post

2010-03-14T11:04:00.006Z

Finally I get round to updating my Blog.
Lately I have spent a lot of time watching a local Barn Owl, observing its habits as it hunts its prey. I have managed a couple of shots in the gloom of evening, but nothing to write home about, with patience that will be corrected.
On one of my early evening forays I was approached by a lovely couple Pauline and Neil who have a shared interest in photography and were interested in what I was up to. When they discovered that my interest is wildlife photography they enthused about the birds that visited their garden feeders. Amongst other species Great Spotted Woodpecker and Bullfinch are present all the time - my ears pricked up - would you mind if I visited I tentatively asked, not at all was the reply, you can even have a cup of tea while you take your photographs - now, how could I resist an offer like that.
So I bobbed down at the earliest opportunity and what a warm welcome. The birds as promised were merrily feeding away and the tea and chat was overflowing. After viewing Pauline & Neil's stunning underwater images and I mean stunning with a capital S, I got down to snapping from the lounge window.
I can put my hide up in the garden and shoot from there next time - sometimes life is simply wonderful. Thanks P&N

Sorry - click here

2010-01-12T19:50:00.004Z

So sorry that I haven't posted of late, the reason being I've been reformatting my web-site very time consuming with a lot of trial and error - stay patient I'm getting there. If you want to see how its looking click on link in title - hope you enjoy the fieldfare in my garden.
Cheers David

I'll Be Back With A Post Soon

2009-12-05T18:51:00.003Z

A couple of images to be going on with from a trip to the Wirral

Off Air

2009-11-16T13:37:00.003Z

The new seat-belt law as explained in the caption bellow comes into force on the 1st December 2009, it will save many lives. Don't forget BELT UP!!!!!

This computer is on lease, and unfortunately the lease expires on Wednesday 18th of November so it has to go back. It was one of those moments of madness four years ago when a smooth talking salesman from PC World persuaded me to lease instead of handing over £750 cash to buy it outright there and then. He told me it would be tax advantageous (NOT TRUE) he told me if anything went wrong it would be replaced instantly (NOT TRUE) the monitor conked out and it took six weeks of wrangling to get a new one, even though I was paying almost £9 a month insurance (Oh, he omitted to tell me that was on top of the lease). I pause for breath. I would get a free upgrade two years into the lease (DEFINITELY NOT TRUE). What happens at the end of the lease? I asked at the time. If you want to keep it it will cost you a 30 quid transfer fee (NOT TRUE). After forking out £1600 over the last four years PC World now want £125 + £25 handling fee + VAT. After I argued they dropped it down to £80 + VAT. They can have the bloody thing back, I think they've made enough out of me. Knowing the PC was going back I purchased a new one a few months back, but guess what ITS BROKEN DOWN AND IS AWAY FOR REPAIR. (I must have run over a priest)
SO I'LL BE OFF AIR FOR A WHILE.

Shore Lark Sorrow

2009-11-14T17:02:00.003Z

An picture taken earlier in the year of a wild buzzard on a baited log.

Well I have seen it, the shore lark at Southport that is, and I have even photographed it, but ho at what distance. The end result was a dot in the center of the frame, so I won't be publishing it, but I will try again just one more time before moving on to other things. However, I did manage a half decent buzzard in flight as well as a pied wagtail in a waterlogged midden. Closer to home, well at home in fact I was creeping around trying to snap a wren when a goldcrest put in cameo appearance - "which was nice"

Seeing Red

2009-11-09T20:14:00.002Z

I made a visit to Southport in the hope of photographing a visiting Shorelark and although it had shown earlier in the day it didn't put in an appearance for yours truly. That said I was never going to have a bad day after I had made a point of passing through Altcar on my way there. I slowly patrolled around the narrow lanes in my usual manner in the hope of finding a Barn Owl, this however, was also not to be. I stopped at several points to scan the panorama, and at one of these points a Heron came into view silhouetted against the light. Or so I though, as it came closer I could make out some reddish markings, I was in fact looking at a Red Kite. I couldn't believe my eyes as I had never heard of them in these parts. It came close enough for me to get a decent shot not as good as Gigrin, but what the hell this was a local wild bird and is worth more than all my Gigrin shots put together.

Starling Rush (Part One)

2009-11-01T16:28:00.008Z

I decided a little while back to try and shoot with smaller focal point lenses as much as I possibly could, with one of my themed shoots being the Starlings Roost. I had heard of one at Blackpool's North Pier and have already made one abortive trip to the resort, however, last week I received a call from Brian Rafferty who told me of a fantastic roost of 60,000 plus at Marton Mere. You will, by the way, find some absolutely stunning images taken by Brian on his Flicker-Blog sites and he has also posted them on Birdguides, if you haven't yet seen them I urge you to take a look.
Brian's pics were taken on a stunning evening, I however had no such luck as I visited Matron the following afternoon, it was grey and quite dark by the time the Starlings started to gather. This didn't concern me too much as I intended to to use very slow shutter speeds in the attempt to capture flow of the spectacle. It's all very well knowing the theory, but this kind of photography is very hit and miss and I have never purposefully attempted it before. The Starlings performed well and as this was my first experience of such a spectacle I must say that I was absolutely gobsmacked. After some gyroscopic movements they eventually funnelled into the reeds at the far end of the mere. It was very dark indeed at this point and the spectators reckoned that it was all over for the night. They all drifted away apart from one gent who I had met previously while photographing Short-eared Owls, we chatted as we made our way to the car, as I started to pack away my gear the dark sky went even darker as a few thousand birds decided to roost in the reeds right beside us. It was an earth shattering moment, I can't begin to describe the noise as the flock poured in, I grabbed my camera and started to shoot the best I could, a 10th of a second hand held, god knows how they would come out. In the end I will settle for my first results, one of them even came close to what I had in my mind, however the real test will come when the roost moves on to the North Pier as I have a definite shot in mind, I've even sketched it out. Will I get it? Who knows watch this space in a few weeks time.

The Elusive Bird and a Nice Surprise.

2009-10-30T07:52:00.005Z

This is a rare sight for me a Bearded Tit not at the gritting trays at Leighton Moss.
I was perched in the Lower Hide photographing a Bittern and could hear the Bearded Tits call in the quivering reed-mace suddenly this male appeared for all of five seconds, thankfully giving me enough time to get a snap.
Unfortunately, it is as they all are at LM heavily manacled. As far as I know these birds don’t leave the site, so why this barbaric practice (in my opinion) exists here is quite beyond me. I did manage see one without rings last year and was overjoyed, as was one of the staff as he exclaimed “We’ll have him netted and ringed by tomorrow”! Sad.
As I have already stated I bobbed down to the Lower Hide with the intention of photographing the Bittern, I always make this pilgrimage in hope rather than expectancy, but this time my luck was in. With an empty hide at my disposal I paraded up and down on sentry duty inspecting both ends at regular intervals. Suddenly there she was appearing out of the reeds, of course my camera gear was at the wrong window. I retrieved my gear and hurriedly took some images thinking the Bittern would fly off at any moment, but no she stood bolt upright for about five minuets before spearing her head down into the shallows and spiking a pike. She then ran off with it gave it a bashing Kingfisher style and swallowed it. Then unbelievably she sat in front of the reed-bed for over one and a half hours. So much for the elusive bittern, mind will it ever happen again?

The Boys are Back in Town

2009-10-23T14:38:00.004+01:00

Hey baby do these Swans have "Attitude"? I'm so looking forward to this winter season at Martin Mere.

The Light Fantastic

2009-10-14T14:25:00.004+01:00

It was one of those days when all my best made plans went down the drain. My original intention was to finish up at Blackpool's North Pier to investigate the Starling roost after having a look around the Fylde. Things started to go wrong soon after leaving the motorway when I encountered one traffic incident hold up after another, three in total with one hefty detour that eventually found me at Fluke Hall lane at a quarter past one, that after setting out at just gone ten in the morning.
I had my lunch overlooking the mud flats at low water and although it was good to be out of the car there was no reason to disturb the camera resting on the passenger seat.
Then I set off for Blackpool but as I entered the resort I was again engulfed in horrendous traffic, a sense of foreboding came over me and I couldn't wait to get out of the place, this feeling was encouraged by the astronomical parking fees on display. Soon I was on the M56 heading for home, but at the junction to the M6 I had a brainstorm - "Why not go to Leighton Moss" after all I was half way there.
So eventually I entered the Eric Morecambe hide in late afternoon. Things can only get better I thought and they did.
The hide was surprisingly full, but I bumped into Paul Foster a friend of Brian Rafferty, we had a good chin-wag in between taking shots of a Little Egret that was showing well right outside the hide. Paul went off to photograph the deer, and one by one people left the hide to head for home. I was in no hurry to leave as sunset was looming fast, and this was going to be a good-un.
I took some shots in wonderful golden light, but the most stunning light came after the sun dipped over the horizon, illuminating the birds in all kinds of extraordinary hues. As darkness approached the waders gathered into groups and quietened down with just the occasional call that echoed and reverberated around in the stillness. It was in a word magical - I think I tripped The Light Fantastic.

Bird Watching

2009-10-11T12:44:00.002+01:00

The best place in the world to eat your fish and chips overlooking the harbour at Seahouses, but be warned, you will have plenty of company.

Second Home

2009-09-29T19:30:00.010+01:00

Back from my third trip to Northumberland this year. The place is like a good malt whisky it gets better with age.

Coquetdale was as expected pretty much on the quiet side, but boy did I need a rest, that said I had a few trips to the seaside Cresswell was good for Sanderling in particular, nothing much on the pond, although I believe a Glossy Ibis turned up on Saturday, missed that one, there are plenty in the country though so maybe one will return to Lancashire.

I have rented a cottage at North Brewick situated right on the harbour next April, so I nipped up to have a gander at it, while I was there took the opportunity to photograph the Gannets off the cliffs at the back of the Seabird center. The birds were dive bombing all around, although never close enough for a top shot, but food for thought next time there.

Then there was good old Seahouses the run of mill waders were scattered on the rocks, but what took my eye was four Bar-tailed Godwits feeding opposite the entrance to the beach. I was frustrated on the Sunday, it was a gorgeous day and as you would expect the beach was packed resulting in the birds constantly being unsettled. I gave up in the end but returned for a couple of hours late on Friday, the light was fantastic and with only a few dog walker around I had another crack at them. I approached slowly, five steps, stop for a minute, five steps stop for a minute, they never stopped feeding which is always a good sign, it meant the Godwits were contented and not bothered by my approach, eventually I was in a position to get almost full frame exposures. I knelt in the wet sand hand holding the camera and was transported to heaven as I clicked away.

Getting close to nature like this gives me a great deal of pleasure, far more than shooting from a hide and the slowly slowly approach seems to work a treat.

On my way to Seahouses I passed a Kestrel feeding on a fence post, I turned round at the first opportunity and returned, it was still there, but on my drivers side, I once again turned the car round and after setting the camera up returned once more driving ever so slowly and at a distance where I could get a shot and hopefully not disturb the Kestrel I switched off the engine and turned the car at right angles to the road. Perfect, the only thing was cars were approaching from in front and behind, quickly I picked up the camera and managed only two shots before the on coming car blasted his horn at me to get out of the road, The Kestrel flew off prey in talon as I switched on my engine and righted the car in accordance with the Highway Code. I waved at the gent as we passed, he waved back with two fingers. Strange!!! Now where's that malt whisky.

A Web of Intrigue

2009-09-13T18:45:00.007+01:00

Speckled Wood

Painted Lady

Small Tortoiseshell

Garden Spider

I have been committed to work over the past week, and wouldn't you know it summer makes a glorious return. DRAT!!! Not to worry Saturday dawned well and I desperately needed some fresh air, but before I left home I had to try and photograph a garden spider that had built a fabulous web in my patio. I played about with a macro lens I seldom use, as I manually focused and hand held I wasn't expecting anything good to come from the shoot, but I have to say that I am quite pleased with the results.

Then I set off to Martin Mere. Nothing of interest to photograph, I was hoping for some pink-foots, and although a few did land they were too far away to get anything decent, so I turned my attention to the butterflies in the vicinity.

Then I went Mere Sands Wood and immediately bumped into Jackie and David Moreton both photographers and ended up putting the world to rights without taking another shot.

But it was so good to be out.

A "Reedie" Meal

2009-08-30T07:43:00.012+01:00

I briefly called into a spot were lots of reed warblers had been around during the summer months. It was late August and was surprised to find a pair still feeding young. The hunting habits of the parents held me captive for more than three hours, and it was a challenge trying to capture the scene as they flitted at a rate of knots amongst the vegetation. One interesting observation - the reed warbler would attack the hover-flies knocking them into the water, after a brief struggle they would surccumb, then the warbler would collect them in twos and threes before taking the lunch basket back to its young.

A Fruitful Day

2009-08-26T11:26:00.006+01:00

I was invited up to a farm by Steve Dolan, that belongs to his mate ( I never new he had two .......ha ha ha). Anyhow he reckoned that Little Owls were breading in the orchard by the farm house, so eventually I got myself round there.

My first visit produced only fleeting glimpses of the owls but a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker put in a brief appearance as did a Whitethroat. However, a second visit proved more fruitful ( excuse the pun ) as both parents and juveniles were quite active. From a photographic point of view the dappled light although good proved to be problematic, but after a four hour stint I got what are to date my best images of these delightful creatures.

The Farnes (Better Late than Never)

2009-08-15T17:23:00.003+01:00

A few belated shots from the Farne Islands, I'm working between two computers at the moment transferring files, so I have to unplug one and plug in the other to get connected, complicated but I'll get there in the end.

The images are of the peoples favorite the Puffin and the incredible Guillemot who lay their eggs on bare rock in extremely exposed positions it beggars belief how they survive.

Meanwhile, Back in the Valley

2009-07-13T19:28:00.002+01:00

Linnet
Wheatear

Whinchat

Willow Warbler

Looking down to Alwinton

Meanwhile back in Coquetdale it was time to have another tour to see what was where. I hadn’t spent much time with one of my favourites of the valley, the whinchat, so that and wheatear would be my targets for a morning, as well as checking out the willow warbler’s nest, conveniently sited by the side of a newly opened cafe at Barrow Burn, this was nothing if not civilized wildlife photography. Whinchat I know wouldn’t be a problem, for this is the best place in England for the species, a walk down any stretch of the valley road will reveal their presence, contentedly singing it seems from every frond of new fern. Wheatear had been a little more difficult this year, although there were plenty males with juveniles in tow about, unfortunately they were flitting about all over the place on their feeding rampage. Although this was great to watch it made it difficult to photograph these terrific birds, as for the lack of females, well I figured they were back on the nest with second broods.
All in all it tuned out to be not a bad mornings work with successful shots of all three birds, although I doubt I will ever emulate my image of a whinchat of a couple of years back when one regularly perched on a foxglove for me, and so close we could have been on speaking terms. But then I did get a bonus shot, that of a linnet feeding in the ferns, it was very skittish, but settled briefly giving me enough time to get my image.

Sula Bassana

2009-07-11T11:33:00.003+01:00

Another beautiful day with wall to wall sunshine saw Margaret and I heading for Scotland once again, our destination was North Berwick in Lothian, a place we have visited many times in the past. Every time I have been there previously it had been my intention to take a boat trip out to Bass Rock, but although I have had many a blue sky days in the resort the wind had been blowing briskly from the west making the short voyage in a small open boat a hazardous undertaking. So I journeyed there in hope rather than expectation, but this time my luck was in, the sea was like a mill-pond and not enough wind to blow a feather.
The reason for visiting the Rock is that it is populated by 80,000 pairs of Gannet during the breading season. Bass Rock is the closest sea bird sanctuary to the mainland and was the first to be studied by ornithologists during the 19th century, when they gave the Gannet the scientific name Sula Bassana, incorporating the name of this rocky stack. This colony is the largest on the east coast of Britain and holds approximately 10% of the world population of North Atlantic Gannets.
After a leisurely coffee at the Seabird Centre, an outdoor cafe built on a rock outcrop leading to the North Sea I set off for the “Rock” with the services of Sula 11 Seabird Boat Trips. The one and a half hour trip was magical and passed much to quickly, look up, look down, to either side, it was all action packed as the gannets performed an aerial ballet fit for a West End theatre production. I spent most of my time mesmerised by the spectacle that surrounded me instead of photographing it, but it will remain in the memory bank, until alzheimer's takes hold.

A Day at Seahouses

2009-06-30T05:02:00.009+01:00

We leave the valley for a day out at Seahouses, although the Farne Islands are beckoning, they will have to wait a while as the beach round and up to the golf course has much to offer.
The cacophony of noise by the cliffs next to the golf course comes from a kittiwake colony and is usually caused by one parent relieving another on guard duty at the nest site. Great shots are to be had both from the path above and when the tide is out below also. It always strikes me as odd that out of the thousands of bird-watchers/photographer who visit the Farnes only a handful visit this gem of a place only half a mile away.
Ringed plover, rock pipits forage the rocks while sand martins collect food and vanish in holes in the soft cliff face.
Hunger takes hold of me too, and as Seahouses has the best fish and chips in the world I must join Margaret and devour our treat on a bench overlooking the pretty harbour, but not before photographing fulmar from the golf course as they patrol the edge of the cliff without so much as a wing-beat.

Glorious Return

2009-06-28T07:18:00.003+01:00

Margaret and I were joined at the cottage by my mate Steve, who stayed for a few days as he wanted to visit the Farne Islands. Steve had made the long journey that morning, so that day we decided to stay in Coquetdale to see what delights it had to offer.

From the cottage at Barrow Mill the road winds through the valley for twelve miles to Coquet Head following the river along the way.

The outward journey was marred by frequent showers but on our return the weather was much improved and eventually it turned out to be a glorious golden late afternoon.

The featured shots are of a Wheatear and the prize of the day a Snipe sitting on a post. I held my breath as I gently rolled the car into position to get my shot, thankfully the Snipe stayed put and I grabbed half a dozen images before it took off and as it flew behind the car it made a wonderful display flight, climbing high before descending sharply, then vanishing in the bracken.