Image of the Month
January 2012
January has been a bit quiet for me photographically but I did manage to acheive a shot I've wanted for a long time. This months image is a flight shot of a Short Eared Owl hunting over some rough grassland. I love these birds and it was a real treat to see and photograph them not far from my home. You have to admit that they are a stunning bird and definately one of my favourites.
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December 2011
I had a trip to Cley in Norfolk in December to see if I could get some images of the Western Sandpiper that was, and still is at the time of writing, strutting his stuff there. Unfortunatly he decided to stay as far away from the hide as he could while I was there, so I didn't manage to get anything worth putting on the website. This image of a Black Tailed Godwit was obtained while I was waiting for the Sandpiper to come a bit closer. This has happened to me many times before, I go out to get one thing and come home with something completely different. The Godwits were doing their best to stay upright on the thin ice that was covering a majority of the water and were flying from one piece of open water to another to feed. It was great to watch them and at least I didn't come home empty handed.
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November 2011
This months subject isn't a rare species. It's a male Tufted Duck, which are really quite common. I've chosen this image because of the late afternoon light on the water, the bird is just a silhouette. Tufted Ducks have a distinctive profile with that head tuft, so even with no detail in the plumage you still know it's a Tufty. This shot shows that you can produce quite effective images with common subjects and good light.
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October 2011
Over the past few years I've been meaning to go to a Red Kite feeding station, such as Gigrin Farm in Wales, to get some shots of these great birds. However, due to one thing or another, I still haven't made it. I know photographers who have been and they say that it's a fantastic spectacle to see so many birds in the same place at the same time. Some have even said that at the start of feeding there are so many birds it's difficult to pick one out and get a clear shot. It's only once the frenzy has subsided a little that you get chance to choose a suitable subject. I truly believed that going to one of these feeding stations was the only way to get good shots of Red Kites. I hope that this months Image of the Month proves that notion wrong, and also reinforces that you should always have your camera with you. This year I've been lucky enough to see and photograph Red Kites from the side of the road when I've been in a suitable area. This months Image of the Month is of a young bird that was quite relaxed flying around over a field, and luckily for me, right near a layby.
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September 2011
I've chosen this portrait shot of a juvenile Red Backed Shrike for this months Image of the Month, simply because it was nice enough to be very local to me, so I didn't have to drive miles to try and get some shots. It was very accommodating and sat up fairly close to where I was standing. It was great to watch it catching Bees and other insects, and it seemed to favour a certain bush, so all I had to do was wait for it to sit in a prominent position with a nice clean background.
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August 2011
It has been quite difficult for me to decide on an Image of the Month for August, as I had such a great month shooting a wide variety of species. In the end I've gone with a portrait shot of one of my favourite birds, the Dipper. This is the first year I've managed to obtain images that I'm pleased with of this great character, and I hope you like my chosen shot. There are many more Dipper images in their portfolio if you would like to see more. September is now upon us and with it comes the migration season so I hope to have another interesting shot for this months Image of the Month.
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July 2011
I know that I chose a Marsh Harrier for my Image of the Month in May, but I've picked another shot of this fantastic bird for July's image, as I was so pleased to get a pair of birds interacting with each other. On this particular day I'd been watching and trying to photograph them performing the food pass, which is spectacular to see. Unfortunately the wind was in the wrong direction and every time they did the food pass they were facing the wrong way. I did manage to get a few shots but this image of them was one of my favourites from that session.
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June 2011
June is the month that I take a trip to a seabird colony to try and add to the shots I already have. One shot that I've been trying to get for a while is a Puffin in flight, and as you can see from this months image, I managed it this year. If I went to the Farne Islands this type of shot would be more easily obtainable, but unfortunately I'm not a big fan of boats, so I have to visit mainland colonies and this shot is one of the best I've managed so far. I'll be going back again next year.
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May 2011
This month I've gone for a shot of a male Marsh Harrier hunting low through the reedbed. It shows the bird slightly obscured by the reeds in the foreground, but I think it conveys a sense of the habitat these fantastic birds live and breed in. This has been my best year yet for Marsh Harrier images and I will hopefully be adding more images to their portfolio.
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April 2011
I've chosen this image of a Grasshopper Warbler for Aprils Image of the Month, because it was a totally unexpected encounter. I've only ever seen this species three times, this one being the third, and have never seen one sit out in the open with a nice clean background. It just goes to show that you never know what's going to turn up next. You go out to try and photograph one thing, and end up with something completely different.
