Birds of a Feather
and all that stuff… A few weekends ago I took my daughter to a very local RSPB nature reserve, home to thousands of wading birds both native and migrant, and some quite rare breeding birds of prey too, such as Marsh Harriers and Hen Harriers and Hobbies… Far too many species to mention here…
My daughter loved it, armed with her binoculars and bird book, and note book too to make note of all the different species she identified… She managed to list somewhere in the region of +25 different species, which included a pair of Marsh Harriers and a Hobby, and a bus load of Avocets…
I naturally went armed with a long lens and trusty DSLR… and here’s a few of the days fluffier highlights…
Sedge Warbler
Swallow - Ready For Take Off
Yellow Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Btw… I have been messing about with an idea for a shot, that didn’t exactly turn out as planned, and during editing took on a rather macabre twist, unlike anything I’ve posted in the past… so I’m taking votes on if I should post it ??… Do you wish to see something decidedly less fluffy ??… ;)
FS Photography 
they’re pretty! Did you actually saw them this close? I like the yellow wagtail. Looks like a little timid chicken… after many nights of rain… :D
July 4, 2011 at 5:44 pm
Thanks Irina… They were all pretty close, at anything from about 10-40 ft, but having a 400mm lens sure helped out.. :)
July 4, 2011 at 6:13 pm
keep coming back, Brian. Yellow wagtails impressed me that much! :-)
July 6, 2011 at 5:02 am
LOL… :D
July 6, 2011 at 8:59 am
You’ve managed some great shots with that lens B. None of my lenses make for good birding shots. The first one is my fave. As for the other macabre shot…I say post away!! :)
July 4, 2011 at 6:43 pm
Thanks G… I think it’s fair to say it’s a lens I have no regrets selling the kids for… lol… It sure was a real nice day out there, and the first was my fave too… So that’s one vote for, eh.. Cool.. ;)
July 4, 2011 at 6:52 pm
Nice shots, I love the pied wagtail. We have lots about here but trying to get close enough to see them properly isn’t easy! Take my vote for the macabre picture, you’ve got me interested!
July 4, 2011 at 10:15 pm
Thanks so much Kieran… Plenty wagtails here too, so much so that I tend to ignore them as a photographic opportunity… Not this time though… Macabre is looking promising then… ;)
July 5, 2011 at 8:51 pm
Awesome, Brian. The shot of the warbler actually warbling is great! Oh to have seen the swallow spread his wings!
I don’t know about not fluffy. Sounds like a baited question…..
July 4, 2011 at 11:43 pm
Many thanks Leslie… Have to confess I was extremely pleased to get that Warbler shot… but I’ll give my daughter the credit for spotting it in the grass… As for the macabre… lol… Well I’m still undecided… ;)
July 5, 2011 at 9:06 pm
Very nice :)
July 5, 2011 at 12:33 am
Thanks Eden..
July 5, 2011 at 9:06 pm
Lovely! But as you know, this absurd old bird loves birdie pics!
As for the macabre… if it’s anything dead, rotting or skeletal, I vote ‘no’, otherwise I vote ‘yes’!
:)
July 5, 2011 at 12:24 pm
LOL… Thanks Val… Thought you might like them.. As for the less fluffy… Ummmm, well it’s nothing dead, rotting or skeletal… It’s just edited macabre.. lol..
July 5, 2011 at 9:07 pm
Amazing detail! Bring on the macabre! ;)
July 5, 2011 at 1:17 pm
Thanks Holly… lol… Well watch this space… maybe… ;)
July 5, 2011 at 9:08 pm
Nice shots! The yellow wagtail is so cute!
Yes, post away! If you’re going to make your readers curious, you can’t keep that picture from us! ;-)
July 5, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Haha.. Thanks Michaela… Well it’s looking as though I may have to post it soon then eh… ;)
July 5, 2011 at 9:09 pm
Beautiful!! I reall like the detail that you captures in the sedge warbler. Well done!
July 5, 2011 at 4:20 pm
Many thanks Ted… Glad you liked the Sedge Warbler…
July 5, 2011 at 9:10 pm
Very nice shots B! Wow, she identified 25+ birds? That is quite impressive. Good for her being so diligent too with her binoculars and notebook. I love that top shot, and that little yellow wagtail is especially cute and fluffy! hehe…All are beautiful. And yeah, OF COURSE I wanna see the macabre shot! Post it I say!
July 6, 2011 at 1:36 am
Well I guess that’s settled then eh… Cute and fluffy, then straight in to macabre… lol… Nothing like mixing things up a bit…. and then I might post a blind carrot…. ;)
July 6, 2011 at 8:58 am
I love the shots! They’re somewhat simplistic with the basic backgrounds, but it really adds! The birds in their variety and different shades in feathers really take centre stage.
About the voting thing: I’m curious :) post it :)
July 6, 2011 at 2:59 pm
Thanks so much RR.. Well it’s now posted, so you need be curious no longer.. lol..
July 6, 2011 at 5:27 pm
They’re all beautiful. I like the cleverly colour co-ordinated backgrounds of the last 4 ;) but the Sedge Warbler is my favourite too. You have us intrigued with your suggestion of moving onto the macabre. I say go for it – a change of pace is good.
July 6, 2011 at 5:17 pm
Thanks muchly Jayne.. Glad I’m not the only one who favoured the Sedge Warbler.. and it’s now gone for.. although maybe it’s not ALL good.. lol… We’ll see… ;)
July 6, 2011 at 5:28 pm
Well, somehow I completely missed this post and the voting, which I really don’t understand since I am subscribed to your blog…hmmmmm. I like the fluffy stuff…but I’m always interested to see what’s going on in your brain, LOL!
July 6, 2011 at 6:32 pm
Haha.. You may live to regret that interest Karen… It’s a dangerous place… ;)
July 6, 2011 at 6:49 pm
So cool to see bird species that aren’t in my area! The composition of the Pied Wagtail is fantastic! :-)
July 6, 2011 at 7:29 pm
Thanks so much Tracy… Glad I could show you some feathery stuff you don’t have… lol… :)
July 6, 2011 at 8:07 pm
Very, very cool! I’m not sure that you’re allowed so many good shots from ONE day, though! That doesn’t seem quite fair!
I’m glad you posted your macabre shot, too (I’d have voted for post if I had been around the internet). I think a mix of images / subject matter is a good thing. AND anything you create is going to be awesome and very worth sharing, FS! :)
July 6, 2011 at 10:59 pm
Haha… Very kind of you to say SIG.. I do like to mix things up just a smidge… You’re too kind…
August 15, 2011 at 8:33 pm
My oh my….what a beautiful collection of stunning birds. I could look at those all day.
July 19, 2011 at 7:56 am
Thanks so much Samantha… I’ve plenty more bird shots stored away for future posts too… lol…
August 15, 2011 at 8:34 pm
very very cool shoot images
August 2, 2011 at 4:16 pm
Very kind Didex… :)
August 15, 2011 at 8:34 pm