Photograph Gallery to 30 November 2015

'A Frinch Kiss'

'Budge Up'

The British National Bird.

 Long-tailed Tit – 1 of the 4 varieties that visit our feeders everyday.

© Elliot Sampford

My Photograph Gallery for week ending 6 September 2015.

Starling - 'Poised Poser'

Lapwings in 'Fright Flight'. Couldn't decide which I prefer, so here are three images.

Long-tailed Tit.

Robin.

© Elliot Sampford

Photograph Gallery for week ending 9 August 2015.

Song Thrush (& onlooker).

Egyptian Goose.

Fatherly care today from a House Sparrow.

'Food Aid' flight landing!

We've missed seeing them in our garden of late but three Long-tailed Tits visited us yesterday: let's hope they're back for the long term.

 Click on any image to see a larger version.

© Elliot Sampford

My Photographs for fortnight ending 15 February 2015

I only published photographs on social media on two days during week ending 8 February I decided to make this posting cover two weeks. However, there are 19 images for you to view.

Our squirrel vandal with his ill-gotten gains on the morning of the 5 February.

An unexpected visitor to our garden on the morning of the 8 February: its visit was brief. It is a Black-headed Gull in its 1st-winter plumage.

You will possibly think I have gone mad – perhaps I have.

 

I've recycled, an old, unused, little shed that sat in a corner of the garden by converting it into a photographer's hide. I've moved it into the shrubbery bed; positioning it close to the crab-apple tree in which the bird feeders are hung. A little bit of camouflage on the roof to help it to blend in, and I will let the japonica and neighbouring shrubs grow a little higher. I've also put a couple of off-cut branches into the ground in front of the viewing window. In the summer these will remain leaf free giving the opportunity for clear views of resting birds – that's the theory.

I hope to be able to show you some better, clearer photographs of my garden visitors in the future.

My first published photograph from my new hide was on the 9 February and was the first that I've shown of a Dunnock. He was on one of the new perches I mentioned I put up. Satisfaction when an idea works out.

A Blue Tit also photographed on the 9 February.

I know a Robin is a clichéd subject for a wildlife photograph but I took it and I like the result.

Peeping from the Forsythia.

I think they (two Blue Tits, a Long-tailed Tit and a House Sparrow) thought I could not see them.

Goldfinches photographed between the 10 and 13 February.

A handsome Blackbird.

Sometimes possibly an arrogant one.

I hope you enjoyed the images.

© Elliot Sampford.

My Photographs for week ending 25 January 2015

I only posted photographs onto Facebook and Twitter on six days this week. However, here are the nine images I published.

A juvenile Mute Swan feeding amongst the roots of the reeds on the River Witham at Fiskerton Fen, Fiskerton, Lincolnshire. 

Another picture from my trip to Fiskerton Fen. A juvenile Mute Swan showing me how its new white plumage is coming along.

On the 26th December 2014 I showed you a picture of a Buzzard that I had taken, on the outskirts of Heighington, Lincolnshire, and said I would visit the location again to try to get another photograph. This time I was successful, after many return visits, to get this shot and a couple of others, before it flew off. You would think that was the end of the photo shoot – but no.

When I looked in the field behind me I was amazed to see the buzzard's mate sitting on a fence pole about 75 metres from me. I wasn't expecting this so didn't have my camera ready and only managed to get this poor quality image before the bird flew away, presumably to join its mate.

I realize I showed you a male Great Spotted Woodpecker in my gallery for week ending 4 January but this morning he was on the nut feeder – fat feeder previously.

It was 15:00 hrs. on the 23 January: I was very cold and dejected and I started to drive home, after an unsuccessful photography expedition. Why did I leave the warm comfort of my home for a walk in the bone chilling wind on the Heighington Fens?
This is why – my luck changed when I spotted this female perched on a gate post close to the road. Rather than fly away as usual, she decided to pose and let me take my first usable shots of a Kestrel. It's only fair I show you more than one aspect of her beauty.
What a great afternoon.

I knew I wouldn't have time to get out-and-about on the day so my daily photograph is from my garden. I asked these two Long-tailed Tits to pose on the fat feeder, facing in different directions, so that you can see their front and back plumage in one image. Such fidgety birds but we got there in the end.

I hope you enjoyed seeing these photographs: click on any image to see a larger version.

© Elliot sampford