You can lead a horse to water...

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Wow.  What a scorcher.  Timing and circumstance were in my favour.  Not one to miss out on an opportunity to get out onto the levels I scooted down to Westhay.

Nobody around, absolute heaven.  The sun beat down and our feathered friends were hunkered down in the shade.  Except for a Kingfisher who zipped along a ditch and a distant Marsh harrier it was all quiet.  I wasn't that bothered really as I was enjoying the fresh air an warm sun more than anything else.

With the absence of birds I focused on the bees (well flies actually)

 Damselfly

Scorpion fly!?

The marsh harrier came back but my pictures are to embarrassing to put here (just think a black, blurred feathery mess against a harsh blue background and you are on the right track).

Along the track I met Jerry Hawker (the dragonfly man).  Although he does take pictures of other things as well.  But not today...

Brown bodied Chaser (I think).  Jerry spotted it and took the photo using my camera :-)

This was the first one of the season and Jerry was pleased.  Not knowing much about flies I was slightly more ambivalent.

I took a quick look out at the raised hide but saw nothing.  On the way back was confronted by an army of horses who had been lead to water.

It was all a bit awkward really.  The path was rather narrow and the horses were quite large and some of them a bit skittish.  They didn't really know whether to go towards me or just keep going.  Until eventually they all turned round and galloped passed.  It was actually quite exhilarating.  The soil is really soft and the ground literally shook as 10 horses thundered passed.  Luckily I had found a hedge to stand in!



Yeah alright, this one wasn't exactly galloping but the other ones were!

On the way home I stopped along the lanes a few times.  Firstly trying to get some Goldfinches (which I failed at) and then to get a House Sparrow (only exotics here)

It flew before I had chance to wind down the window :-)



I have to say that it is quite disconcerting seeing a large animal crashing around in the reeds (no not Jerry!).  But it does add to the overall interest of things.  Not sure I would want to drink the water at Westhay mind you, even if I had been lead to it.







Use the Force...

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The sun was shining, the weather was warm.  I bunked out of work at a nice early hour and headed straight for Westhay.  It was perfect.  A slight breeze to ruffle my feathers.  The sweet chuckles of Goldfinches serenading me along London Drove (the raucous call of a Heron spoilt the acoustics a bit but it was still nice).

Now, I did something a bit unusual today.  I packed an M42 lens.  One of Andrew’s little 50mm ones (I think it was 50 – Andrew might correct me if I’m wrong).  Now so far I haven’t had much luck with these.  Whenever I try to put the lens on and switch on the camera there is an awful grinding sound and the camera won’t take a picture.  Reducing it to a nice looking lump of plastic with a bit of glass on the front.

Andrew - For the record its a Carl Zeiss Pancolar 50mm f1.8 Being a Takumar Fanboy I never really used it but judging by James' pics I may have to have it back and give it a go myself. He's also borrowed its 135mm F3.5 big brother can't wait to see what he does with that!

However earlier in the day I had figured out what bits to press in the cameras menu system to get it to work.  The grinding halted and now here I am!

The place was littered with Dragonflies, but trying to sneaking up on one with a little lens was proving difficult…

I gave Andrew a quick text, venting my frustrations.  He simply replied “Use the force”.  So I focused and took my time, summoning my force energies I got these.

If these guys were bigger they would bite your head off I'm sure

 Everyone was very busy (ahem)

 This one wasn't busy but probably had it on the brain

These two were just about to.

Just looked nice.

   

I was rather pleased with my first attempts.  Now let me tell you the manual focus on these old lenses is rather nice.  Plus the build quality is great.  All metal and glass.  Not plastic and, erm plastic.

On my way back I saw a Blackcap.  I like these little warblers rather a lot but never get a  decent pic.  However I was ready for this one and managed a few quick snaps before it vanished into the hedge.

I did try and get some swift pictures but the force is strong in them.  They are simply too fast for me.  So I got a distant picture of a Raven.  Nice to see these birds about the place.

Certainly a bird from the dark-side.

  So I have got these new/old lenses to play with.  Now I need some more practice.

Can we fix it?

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So I moved house a few weeks ago.  The place is still something of a building site.  Mornings in particular are interesting affairs.  The earth shakes under the power of high powered drills.  Bulldozers crunch their way up the road and men of considerable girth carry various hefty tools of the building trade (I think they are called spades and shovels).  Being slightly effeminate I am not very familiar with anything practical.

Anyway you would think that with all this disturbance and destruction that any wildlife would be long gone.  But that is not the case.

I decided to take a walk along the small brook that runs through the estate.  I took my camera.  A 400mm lens is not really a subtle iphone affair.  At least 2 people gave me some funny looks with probably half a dozen more tucked away behind those blinds and net curtains.

Still I wasn’t bothered.  

Almost immediately this Grey Wag presented itself.

I stopped for a bit as House Martins are already eyeing up the eves! Incredible as these houses are about 3 weeks old!  One chap did come out of his house to see what I was up to.  Pointing your lens at bedroom windows is always a risky business J

Then there was a bit of a commotion as this fella flew in.  What a beaut!

I strolled along for a bit.  Goldfinches, Chaffinches and Wrens were all in attendance.  I have seen a Dipper here a few times.  Not today sadly.  But still incredible given the level of disturbance in the area.  Nature can indeed fix it.

On the way back this poppy caught my attention.

It was heartening to see nature giving it a good go at fixing things. 

Neither fish nor fowl

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Saturday, while being an Ok sort of day with not the thunder storms promised, was possibly the worst type for photography. Just bland grey overcast. That's why I wandered out in the car very late and with little hope. Really just to have a bit of fresh air. Grey Lake hadn't been on the radar for a while so I popped down there. A tranquil wander around the far side among the reeds and twittering of Warbles or should that be warbles of twitters? All was well even if it was a bit dull.

Then my blood ran cold. I was wandering along the narrow track back to the main path but there was a specter before me. Then my blood turned to ice. His pride and joy of signets and mate were swimming in the ditch by my side. He was in no mood for compromise. I moved towards him, his feathers raised and we squared up.

I'd like to think this is how it played out but such is real life............

You want some do you????

I walked passed him and he didn't actually do much. I placed my Sniper between him and me and as we were side by side he flapped his wings and gave my Sniper one all mighty smack. I must admit it was a bit of a fright!

Still in shock I steadied myself, had a look around to see if anyone had seen my humiliation and wandered on to the new raised platform / hide. After the red mist had finally cleared and the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder had faided I settled down to the task in hand. The window was opened, the Sniper raised to my eyes and focus ring slowly turned to bag me all those lovely . . . .  Oh! erm there wasn't actually any birds. Well I lie, there were a few Lapwings and one very very distant Marsh Harrier. Other than that absolutely nothing. Oh ok there were a few red Shank to but you get the idea. I had to make do with this little chap to entertain me with a bit of hide and seek.

Sedge Warbler

Looking right at me

Then there was one of those heart stopping moments you get every now and then. Right in front of me just the other side of the fence a full adult, I'm assuming male, Hare wandered casually past and strolled around and away into the field.

Minutes later a chap came in and asked if I had seen the Grass Snake just opposite the Old Hide entrance. I walked down and got him sitting on a pile of straw.

Grass Snake

I wandered back into the raised hide and who should come strolling back without a care in the world.

And it all went quiet again. Nothing in the way of birds but a mammal saved the day. On the return trip what should I see along the track.

I gave them little hope and didn't want to stay for the horror.

Paths seemed to preferred choice for a nursery at Grey lake!

As a bit of a gamble I went over to Tealham Moor. It was quiet but in a good way. I had little expectation and just enjoyed the peace. Just a couple of moist Kestrels on poles

A rather wet Kestrel

And on to Sunday. Cycling this time and just a quick pop out as the clouds gathered after a very bright start. I tried for the Swallows at Aqueduct Bridge

Roe Deer in the Meadows. There was a fawn but too small for the grass

Swallow

Again there were umpteen Bittern fights and Marsh Harrier passes but all either too quick or too far away to capture. Its well worth popping down now to see Bitterns. It's practically guaranteed.

This Marsh Harrier had prey

Pair of Great White Egrets

Juvenile Black Headed Gulls are really beautifully marked

It didn't stay long on that precarious perch

One of the real high lights was a sighting of either one Kite twice or two individuals. I'm going for the former. It was very high and on a mission passing over Shapwick and Ham Wall going East.

Cycling back I spotted this Fox probably with a kill being pestered by Magpies. The Magpies won!!

And my latest big, little thing macro? Well i started off with the new medical lens but unfortunately the batteries in the remote flash triggers gave up after about six shots. Last time a borrow anything off of Les Snow!!

So another weekends' birding or should it be Mammaling? Is that a word? The birds were thin on the ground and air but the mammals made up for it. I've seen an under water camera going cheap on Ebay but I wont carp on about it for now!