Thursday 8 May 2014

26th April - 5th May Exploring and learning

The weather continues to improve, most days! Still with a difficult family situation to deal with I rely on my wildlife escapes for some welcome relaxation, the frustration of a missed or messed up photograph is really not that important.
 
A couple of weeks ago an opportunity occurred to visit a new site, Rodley Nature Reserve is within the urban confines of Leeds. Local volunteers have created a masterpiece of natural environment in reedbeds and pasture land by the river Aire and Leeds Liverpool canal. Entirely staffed by unpaid volunteers and funded by donations and whatever grants they can find it is a delightful place to visit and the wildlife is good too.
 
Little grebes are numerous...
 
 
Common terns tested my camera work...
 
A tufted duck stretched his wings..
 
 
A dunnock tweeted his spring song...
 
A small tortoiseshell butterfly posed for me..
 
A female kestrel guarded her nestbox...
 
And my available few hours passed all to quickly! Worry not, definitely a place to return to.
 
Any compliments and praise for my photographs are always gratefully received, since I bought my DSLR and lens I feel I have improved further but when you feel you have reached a plateau in the quality you are achieving a decision must be made.
 
After careful thought and selection I decided to have a lesson, in my own area so that I could learn how to take better photographs of the creatures I see regularly and with a photographer whose work I have admired for quite a while.
 
Ken Clark of Wolfshead Photographic and I met up early morning at Barden Bridge by the river Wharfe, we had a coffee and good natter and then off we went. To my relief much of my basic technique for handheld photography was sound, we took a few test shots and chatted as we strolled in the fine weather.
 
Ken patiently explained how a few different settings and manual adjustments to the camera could make a difference...this robin was my first attempt with the new setup...
 
 
A dipper appeared obligingly close...
 
In the woodland the bluebells were out...
 
A nuthatch prepared to dive from a shelf in the shelter...
 
 

And a male mandarin duck strolled close by :-)
 
 
 
By the river and time for one more dipper shot...
 
 
After a welcome lunch break we headed out on the moor to see what we could find...a meadow pipit popped up...
 
 
And a red grouse entertained us and tested my skills at getting the focal length right...
 
Before glowering into the camera :-)
 
 
A landscape shot rounded off the lesson nicely....
 
A tiring but thoroughly enjoyable day...now could I absorb what I had been taught!
 
The following Saturday morning I was down by the canal by 7.00am, it was cold and the mist was still lifting as this little duckling flitted about...
 
 
 
A goosander appeared in the misty light...
 
I found a Carolina wood duck as the sunlight brightened...
 
A blue tit chirped merrily...
 
The little ducklings are adorable...
 
I found some bluebells in a field edge...
 
One of my favourites...a chirpy wren...
 
 
 
And to round off the walk a lovely chaffinch ...
 
 
After some lunch and a rest I was back out in the afternoon, by the same canal but in a different area.
 
The first photograph I got was a male sparrow with noticeable large upper mandible, it didn't seem to have affected his food gathering ability though.
 
 
A speckled wood butterfly settled for me...
 
 
A lovely chiffchaff came out in the clear...
 
A robin chirped joyously...
 
and a dunnock turned its head at the right time!
 
On Monday I returned to the scene of my lesson, had I learned wisely?
 
A peacock butterfly fed...
 
The dipper entertained me royally...
 
 
 
The nuthatch allowed me really near...
 
After a patient search I found a pied flycatcher in the open...
 
A grey wagtail fluttered by the river...
 
I sat and watched the dipper again...
 
And finally a small white butterfly.
 
I now understand some of the more technical aspects of photography much more and look forward to testing myself.
 
The next blog will be from Ardnamurchan in NW Scotland as we head there for a week then the Isle of Mull for a further week.
 
Comments on the blog are much appreciated as are all readers, don't forget if you comment that they come to me first for moderation.
 
Many thanks everyone!

3 comments:

  1. Great set of photos, have spent many hours at Rodley nature reserve, did you go up to the Manager's garden and see the Bulfinch, you can get good shots of them there.

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  2. Superb :-) Looking forward to the Scottish selection. Have a good holiday

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  3. Amazing clarity on these photos, you can see every individual feather on some of your birds photos.. Favourites included the first robin, mandarin duck and the fabulous reflection of the wood duck . . . and of course the adorable ducking, and the nuthatch, in fact I could go on and on ! You are going from strength to strength Dave ! Looking forward to your 'north of the border ' wildlife photos, have a great time.

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