Butterflies

And what happens to some butterflies. They become lunch.

Infant Deer

I can't think what the name for baby deer are (Fawns?). Here are the twins.



Sigma f5/6 400mm lens, Pentax K10D

June Rabbits

June Rabbits. Shots I did last June, but I see there are plenty of baby Rabbits about this year.
These were all taken with a 300mm lens. It takes only a little time before they come very close to you and it is easy to get decent shots.

Woodpecker

The great spotted woodpecker

I set these shots up by drilling holes in the tree branch and filling them with a nut and fat mix.

Egg to Chick

I visited the Swans nest over a period of a couple weeks watching them incubate the eggs untill five little chicks appeared.

After a tiring swim its time for bed.

Look mum we can swim

The location

Turning the Eggs

Herons at Coats water

The Herons are difficult to photograph due to the distance and the tree branches obscuring the view. These shots were done with a 500mm telephoto lens.Perhaps the best time of year is now when the young birds are leaving the nest and testing their wings. Even if photos are out of the question they are still fun to watch

Has Summer Arrived

The weather has brightened up and the wildlife is active. Caught this Squirrel raiding the bird table

One of the most difficult common birds to photograph is the Wren. They are just so small and timid

Deer

Another afternoon Deer stalking. this time of year the deer are between their winter and summer coats and the stags still have their antlers in 'Velvet.'

Wildlife Photography

These are my personal views and experience of wildlife photography.

Walking through the fields, woods, parks etc with a camera round your neck rarely produces any good wildlife photographs. The best way is to sit down watch and wait. Even without a hide you will soon see something and may have an opportunity to photograph it.

For best results a bit of planning is needed. A make shift hide is easily thrown up and a bit of food that the subject likes will usually produce results.

Equipment. Above is my friend Pete with his very, very expensive Canon lens. It is also very heavy and Pete rarely ventures into the thick woods with it or even further than a few hundred yards from the car. A lens like this requires a tripod and head that weigh a minimum the same as the lens and camera. Such lenses are best kept for touch line sports photos and easily accessed hides.

My friend Phil with his much better 170mm - 500mm zoom lens. These aren't that cheap and good ones are hard to come by but they will get more use and so more chance of better photos than a big monster lens. This one went back to the manufacturer to be recalibrated and now produces excellent results. Phil is seen here using it with the aid of a monopod. I find a 300mm (=450mm on crop DSLR) the best general purpose wildlife lens. It is light enough to be support on a monopod and won't break your back when out for the day.


Support is essential when using any telephoto lens. I regularly use two different tripods, a large Manfrotto and a smaller more portable Manfrotto one. I also favour the use of a monopod and again use two different ones. A heavy one with a good Manfrotto ball head and a light monopod that I usually use with my home made camera support. Don't be tempted by cheap tripods. they will cost you more in lost pictures and being replaced that a good one. But even a cheap one is better than none.

This is a focus rail (Home made) it is essential for macro photography and very useful on a telephoto lens. The rail is mounted on a manfrotto ball head and my heavy Manfrotto tripod.

My local park 'Hide' that seems to overlook nothing.