Midsummer Magnetism
Neglecting to blog in the month of July means that I am still posting photographs from June…throughout the duration of this hiatus I was still getting out there with my camera, therefore I have collected quite a lot of images to sort through and arrange for the blogosphere…
However for the last couple of weeks my bicycle has been in a workshop for some serious repairs 😐 ….which in turn has given me the chance to catch up with the blog…I was able to borrow a bicycle but I don’t really feel right about cycling long distances and leaving the bike unattended in the midst of the wild…
The above image of a Meadow Pipit is from late June…this bird was still singing enthusiastically in this time amongst the long grass of the meadows which encompass the marsh. 🙂
Frequent Delays
It would have been more respectful to this Ruff to be introduced in his attractive breeding plumage…but as usual I delayed…and forgot…and became more concerned with other aspects of the natural world…almost like I’m in a permanent state of distraction.
It can be difficult to fit everything in when the seasons race by so fast…
Striking Gold
There are always Goldfinches here in the meadows and marshes of Friesland, always in restless groups, twittering as they go and always avoiding me and my camera…until this day when I managed to sneak up on them behind the cover of brambles and hawthorns… 😉
New Life
Every summer there are plenty of new arrivals on the marsh, such as this juvenile Reed Bunting viewing me from close range with youthful curiosity… 😉
Premier League Status
Acccording to the BBC nature presenter Chris Packham, the Reedling aka Bearded Tit is a Premier League bird and I can definitely see his point…
By now I have become quite used to having this amazing and colourful species around, they usually forage in groups at this time of year and announce their presence by the instantly recognizable “ping” call that they make as they skillfully flutter about through the extensive reedbeds.
Photographing this particular species remains a challenge as they are constantly on the move, I can even manage to get quite close but they present theirselves for a split second before disappearing into the seemingly impenetrable reed cover…
On the Surface
A juvenile Eurasian Coot awaiting plumage renewal which will enable it to dive beneath the surface…
One Last Chance
On this day back in the middle of June, many attempts at capturing a shot of a Meadow Pipit didn’t quite make the grade…
Until of course the moment I got on my bicycle to leave…
This young bird met me at the top of the lane and surprisingly waited while I got the camera out of the bag and made the neccesary preparations, still sitting on the bicycle I was fortunate enough to get in one last spontaneous photo session before daylight faded into night.
An Unexplained Pursuit…
These Black-headed Gulls were hunting something in the reeds…
They were using a strategy of hunting in groups, flying low over the reedbeds then diving simultaneously into the reeds…it was like they were rounding something up…unfortunately I never managed to find out exactly what they were up to… 😕
A Brief Moment of Stability
Reed Buntings are plentiful in the reed beds on the marsh, swinging to and fro in the windblown reeds, squeaking out their trademark, staccato song…the above image was taken in a rare, tranquil moment on a blustery Sunday morning in June…
Just On Time
For the last three years I have noticed that Reed Warblers are always the last summer visitor to arrive on the marsh…It’s Always good to hear their song again and the Cuckoos are most delighted with their timely return! 😉
A Cunning Plan…
Cuckoos have been getting very excited and full of themselves lately…my personal theory for this behaviour is the arrival of Reed Warblers on the marsh… 😉
In the Neighbourhood
It was the first day of June and I had decided to leave the bicycle and take a more local walk just to discover what was there…
My spontaneous wanderings led me first through meadows where the mist was highlighted by the dawn sun and oystercatchers foraged in floral meadows…
Along the side of the road I came across a Jay or two…
Then I decided to check out a footpath alongside the motorway where years ago I used to walk with my beloved fox terrier called Billy…the verge was built up to create a sound barrier…the last time I had walked there there were many young trees…all of which had now been removed and was currently filled with flowers…
Between the flowers and scrub were many birds, mainly Whitethroats…yet there was a bird singing an amazingly beautiful song that was confusing me as it looked like a Reed Warbler, but I was familiar with the Reed Warblers’ song and I knew the song I was hearing was nothing like it…
It wasn’t until a week or so later when I met a fellow photographer, who spoke over Marsh Warblers that it slowly began to dawn on me that all the years I had been overlooking this species…and as usual with bird identification, once you confirm the identity, you see and hear the Marsh Warbler everywhere…
There were whitethroats everywhere too…to be honest it was all a bit of a pleasant surprise…
Finally, the sun was rising on the opposite side of the motorway to which I was standing and made a halo in the sky to round off a perfect morning stroll. 🙂
Distraction with a Smile
This Willow Warbler was busy feeding her young with caterpillars through the crack in the willow tree until she noticed me watching then proceeded to fly closer to me and made a repetative “hooweet” sound…I only stayed there a few minutes as I was in fact interupting the last feed of the day…
a heartical view 