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UK Bird Pics Spring/Summer 2022

  Tawny Owl, Otterbourne, Hampshire

25 July 2022

Pete Whieldon was offering a Tawny Owl evening workshop that sounded really good back in May/June. However my session was unfortunately abruptly cancelled as the bird had suddenly gone AWOL

Fortunately it started showing again a month or so later, so I got this rearranged session. This is the first time I've photographed Tawny Owl at his hides and the setup was excellent.

Even though the bird didn't quite live up to expectations, there was a busy 45mins or so after dusk when the bird showed repeatedly, with very brief visits each time.

Here the bird is coming into one of the perches

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To see more Owl photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.
Tawny Owl, Otterbourne, Hampshire

25 July 2022

An out going shot - generally more difficult to get as they tend to depart away from the cameras.

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To see more Owl photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery
Tawny Owl, Otterbourne, Hampshire

25 July 2022

Even though the visits were very brief, I managed to get a couple or well posed perched shots, including this one. 

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To see more Owl photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.  
Tawny Owl, Otterbourne, Hampshire

25 July 2022

Sideways on view on the same nice mossy stump. 

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To see more Owl photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.   
  Kestrel, Droitwich, Worcestershire

21 June 2022

There has been a "Kestrel" hide at Brine Pit for several years, but sightings were generally so infrequent that a session wasn't worthwhile. That all changed suddenly in mid June, which prompted me to make an immediate booking.

Unlike the Little Owl hide, this one faces north east, so by mid afternoon the sun is directly behind the hide. In fact the light for the whole afternoon and early evening was from a reasonable direction but with full sun all day it was very harsh at midday. Not so good all morning of course, though.

For this session, the bird visited numerous times; presumably it had some hungry mouths to feed nearby.

This is a male that hasn't attained full plumage, so presumably a first summer bird.

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To see more Kestrel photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.
Kestrel, Droitwich, Worcestershire

21 June 2022

A perched shot.

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To see more Kestrel photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery
Kestrel, Droitwich, Worcestershire

21 June 2022

About to depart!

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To see more Kestrel photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.  
Kestrel, Droitwich, Worcestershire

21 June 2022

In flight with mouse.

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To see more Kestrel photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.   
Kestrel, Droitwich, Worcestershire

21 June 2022

Wings raised with a mouse in one talon.

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To see more Kestrel photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.  
Kestrel, Droitwich, Worcestershire

21 June 2022

The stare

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To see more Kestrel photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.   
Kestrel, Droitwich, Worcestershire

21 June 2022

Side on pose.

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To see more Kestrel photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.    
Kestrel, Droitwich, Worcestershire

21 June 2022

Incoming!

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To see more Kestrel photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.     
  Buzzard, Droitwich, Worcestershire

21 June 2022

A very surprising visitor! With no warning, it suddenly landed on the post. However the Kestrel then appeared almost immediately and chased it off, despite being so much smaller.

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To see more Buzzard photos from previous sessions, go to this gallery.      
  Red Kite, Gigrin Farm, nr Rhayader, Powys, Wales

30 May 2022

An afternoon trying to photograph the Red Kites from the Large Tower Hide at the Gigrin Farm feeding station. There were many birds, even at this time of year, but getting photos of them is not as easy at it might seem.

Much depends on the light and the wind direction, as the birds always fly into the wind.

This hide was better than the lower hides we used last year for getting shots either level with the birds or looking down on them.

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To see more Red Kite photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.
Red Kite, Gigrin Farm, nr Rhayader, Powys, Wales

30 May 2022

Always good to get a bird apparently looking at you!

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To see more Red Kite photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.
Red Kite, Gigrin Farm, nr Rhayader, Powys, Wales

30 May 2022

Coming up at me, with the ground as background.

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To see more Red Kite photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.
Red Kite, Gigrin Farm, nr Rhayader, Powys, Wales

30 May 2022

Crop of a frame filling shot.

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To see more Red Kite photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.
Red Kite, Gigrin Farm, nr Rhayader, Powys, Wales

30 May 2022

A diving bird - moving at some speed!

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To see more Red Kite photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.
Red Kite, Gigrin Farm, nr Rhayader, Powys, Wales

30 May 2022

Intent on the tempting piece of meat.

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To see more Red Kite photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.
Red Kite, Gigrin Farm, nr Rhayader, Powys, Wales

30 May 2022

Another head-on shot

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To see more Red Kite photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.
Red Kite, Gigrin Farm, nr Rhayader, Powys, Wales

30 May 2022

Looking down on a food dive.

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To see more Red Kite photos from this and previous sessions, go to this gallery.
  Buzzard, Gigrin Farm, nr Rhayader, Powys, Wales

30 May 2022

There were also a few Buzzards around - ununusual to have them below.

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To see more Buzzard photos from previous sessions, go to this gallery.
  Swallow, Cwm Bedw, nr Rhayader, Powys, Wales

28 May 2022

We spent a week in this amazingly situated self-catering cottage in a very remote location near Rhayader. The extensive grounds included a large pond and various buildings that held nesting Swallows.

On the only sunny afternoon, I tried a spot of photography on these challenging subjects as they zapped around us. Not easy, even with the R5!

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  Little Owl, Droitwich, Worcestershire

18 May 2022

With the Little Owl again showing well, it was time for another visit to the Brine Pit hides near Droitwich.

As the hides face south/south east, the light can be difficult on sunny days. With more sun than I wanted (for a change), the better results were either first thing in the morning or well into the afternoon/early evening.

Flight shots are always tricky and this was only one of only two that I processed. This was taken late afternoon by which time the light was better.

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To see more Little Owl photos from this and previous sessions, go to my Owls gallery
  Little Owl, Droitwich, Worcestershire

18 May 2022

In this photo, the Little Owl was moving from one perch to another. Taken in the middle of day, with the light difficult.

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To see more Little Owl photos from this and previous sessions, go to my Owls gallery
Little Owl, Droitwich, Worcestershire

18 May 2022

This photo was taken early in the day and although strongly backlit there is a nice amount of contrast in the image.

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To see more Little Owl photos from this and previous sessions, go to my Owls gallery.  
Little Owl, Droitwich, Worcestershire

18 May 2022

This photo was taken in the middle of the day when the light was again difficult

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To see more Little Owl photos from this and previous sessions, go to my Owls gallery.   
Little Owl, Droitwich, Worcestershire

18 May 2022

This photo was taken towards the end of the day when the light was better.

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To see more Little Owl photos from this and previous sessions, go to my Owls gallery.    
  Sparrowhawk, South Wales

12 April 2022

Time for another trip to Ian Howells' hide in South Wales. This time there were prospects for both male and female Sparrowhawk as well as the juvenile Goshawk. However once again I missed out on this ace raptor, with a no show for the first time in a week!

Still both the male and female Sparrowhawk put in appearances, especially the male.

The weather for this 12+hr session was again mixed with some heavy rain mixed with dry spells. Very little sun though.

This was my only "action" shot of the day. The R5's autofocus managed to track the bird up off its perch for one frame before it left the frame.

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To see more Sparrowhawk photos from this and previous sessions, go to my Sparrowhawk gallery.
Sparrowhawk, South Wales

12 April 2022

Nicely sideways on!

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Sparrowhawk, South Wales

12 April 2022

Just before it flew!

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Sparrowhawk, South Wales

12 April 2022

In the heavy rain!

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Sparrowhawk, South Wales

12 April 2022

Another heavy rain shot!

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Sparrowhawk, South Wales

12 April 2022

The stare!

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Sparrowhawk, South Wales

12 April 2022

Crop of the shot above.

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  Sparrowhawk, South Wales

12 April 2022

The female came in once. It was surprising to me how much more powerful and larger the female was compared with the male.

Here it is on a perch before descending to feed.


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Sparrowhawk, South Wales

12 April 2022

The female's stare!


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  Sparrowhawk, South Wales

12 April 2022

Crop of the photo above.

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Sparrowhawk, South Wales

12 April 2022

The
female came in just the once. Here it is in mid feed.

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  Jay, South Wales

12 April 2022

There was a good supporting cast for this session which filled the extensive gaps between Sparrowhawk appearances.

Jays were very active but there was no actual fighting.


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Jay, South Wales

12 April 2022

Trying an incoming shot.

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Jay, South Wales

12 April 2022

Another shot.

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Jay, South Wales

12 April 2022

And another shot.

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  Siskin, South Wales

12 April 2022

A nice male coming into the feeders. My first half respectable Siskin photo.

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  Great Spotted Woodpecker, South Wales

12 April 2022

Another nice visitor.

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  Greenfinch, South Wales

12 April 2022

And finally a humble Greenfinch.

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  Mallard Lodmoor, Dorset

3 April 2022

The only worthwhile shot from a week with the family in Weymouth!

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© All pictures copyright Stephen Burch

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