A quick post

It’s been a few weeks since last posting, largely due to the weather or, if I was to be honest, I let that be my excuse.  Work is very hectic at the moment so when the weekend comes all I want to do is as little as possible – certainly not get up at the crack of dawn.  I’ve also convinced myself that I’m going through a barren, ‘unlucky’ period at the moment with my photography which isn’t helping my motivation.  However, at the weekend I was determined to get out whatever the weather or my state of mind. The weather was forecast windy and a measly 12 degrees, not exactly an ‘Indian summer’, with the wind-chill it was cold enough to wear gloves.  We’ve had a lot of rain recently and I had hoped this would make it a good time to see Kingfishers on some still waters.  This is the first year in the last five that I have been photographing them, that I have not managed to get any images.  After waiting two hours, one turned up but I probably spooked it with my sudden, enthusiastic movement and off it shot.  Cursing my stupidity, I waited another hour and a half, but cold and fed up I decided to have a wonder around and see what else might hopefully be about.  Just before I got up I heard a rustling sound to the side and saw the plants moving then out poked the head of a male pheasant.  He gave me a good stare as I took some photos and then continued on his way as I did.

I stopped again along the river at a point that I new Dippers were and where there was good light on a gloomy day.  Sure enough, after about an hour along came a Dipper, slowly getting closer to where I was sitting.  Amazingly resilient little birds they are and I love just to sit and watch them as they duck under the water only to reappear a metre or so away.  This one was battling the strong current, frequently being washed away, but it didn’t curb it’s determination.  Although still some distance off I took some pictures when along came the inevitable – a dog walker with five large dogs, all running around jumping into the river so of course the Dipper took off.  It’s strange enough that someone would want to have that many dogs but he was also wearing an MP3 player and oblivious to the nature around him.  A couple of sightings of Kestrels which, this year, seem particularly skittish for some reason.  Normally they have their comfort zone which will let you get so close to them, but this year this seems a wider area than in previous years, in fact on both occasions as soon as it saw me it was off despite my being some distant away. Very little else was out and about on this day, a few Blue and Great Tits and a Robin that took interest in my eating a sandwich but stayed in the bushes.  Two Kites overhead, but were quickly gone.

Motivation and weather permitting I will hopefully be getting out more often as the last three months of the year tend to be more productive.  With Autumn suddenly thrust upon us there should be some good landscape opportunities and the animals are busy readying for the coming Winter with this years youngsters having not learnt to be too fearful of people and so more approachable.