TWO EARLY VISITS TO THE LOCAL PATCH.

With the weather so good this week I went over to Marsh Lane both yesterday and this morning mainly to get more practice with the new camera and lens.

Haven't taken many smaller bird in trees etc shots but got this chap along the causeway and the shots turned out very well. 

Getting much better at flight shots but they are usually of aircraft or geese so far but getting there slowly. 

The Water Rail showed briefly in one of the N Causeway screen channels but it was so dull there the auto ISO shot up to 3200 and I ended up with crappographs.

With all the GWE shots I've posted recently I thought I'd better post one of the 3+ Little Egrets there this morning.

In the space of a few minutes from the Oak hide 3 decent birds were spotted but all were a long way off so no decent shots and in the case of the Greenshank no shots at all.The Stonechat was so far away I'm not sure I got the right bird.The Grey Wagtail was a little closer but not much.

Tried to resist taking anymore shots of the GWE (only one seen today) but it was close to a Grey Heron.

Never seen the 3 Hybrid Geese together before.They were on the CP pool.

The Garden Feeding Station Society made a surprise visit to my garden this morning.Someone must have tipped them off how badly my feeding station was doing.They downgraded my mine to Disaster.

BLIMEY 2 GREAT WHITE EGRETS AT MARSH LANE.

Went down to Marsh Lane again this morning getting there at 8.15 AM.It was very sunny and a bit frosty but no wind so it was quite pleasant.

Soon headed down to the Oak hide to see if Big Whitey was still about doing his stuff.However after a quick scan round I couldn't find him but I need not have worried because I found him a bit later he was right across the railway pool at the back of the main island.As he eventually came into the open I thought I caught sight of another one.Surely not two !!!! Eventually the second one showed as well.I think two might be a Marsh Lane record.

Loads of more GWE shots (Yawn) .This first shot is not too good but look in the background a fox !!

A few shots showing the pretty big wingspan.

These are shots of the new bird which I like to think is a female but I don't really know.

Finally some shots of them together.Took quite a while to get these.

THE LOCAL PATCH IN THE SUN.

Went down to Marsh Lane again this morning getting there at just after 8.00 AM.It was sunny and till a cool breeze got up later it was quite pleasant.

I'd come down mainly to keep getting better at using the new camera/lens which I can now say after nearly a month of ownership is pretty impressive and is proving to be a good move selling the Canon DSLR camera/lens.The new kit is compact and much lighter, takes great shots when you get everything right, has great reach (double that of my old 400mm lens) and a very good video.

Most of the shots I take now I could not get anywhere near as close with the old set up.

A reflection shot of some Lapwings on the CP pool

Haven't had much opportunity to try for some shots of smaller birds as my back garden feeding station is going through a bad patch (no visitors).A brief visit by a Nuthatch on the Oak feeders gave me a chance.

Had a go at some flight shots which turned out OK but the subjects were easy.

The star attraction was on site again this time perching at a new spot for me a bush that somehow has grown on one of the Tern floats.Pleased with these pics as it was easily 70 m distant from the Oak hide.

Some closer shots with the lens zoomed up to the equivalent of 600mm

LITTLE AND LARGE AT THE LOCAL PATCH.

Made a mistake this morning thinking that the wind had dropped I popped over to Marsh Lane getting there at 8.00 AM.It was bright but the wind was very strong still and my godfathers was it cold.

Didn't stay too long as it was far too cold for this wimp but again got the Great White Egret and a Little Egret close to the Oak hide and a Kingfisher on the Reedbed pool.

The new mirrorless camera kit is performing well now as I get used to it.Flightshots yet to be mastered though.

MARSH LANE IN THE WIND.

Had to go out this morning to deliver something round to my son's house so I thought I'd have a quick early visit to Marsh Lane hoping the wind had forced something decent to drop in.

Got there just after 8.00 AM and it was very windy.Hat blowing off strength.A quick walk round showed there was nothing new about and it was only the Great White Egret that saved the morning.

It was pretty close in in front of the Oak hide.I don't know whether it was because it was close in and it could see me a bit better because it wasted no time in letting me know what it thought about me now using mirrorless kit and not a DSLR camera anymore.

Here are a few more shots.The bird is saving the day lately.

THE GWE BACK AT THE LOCAL PATCH.

Keen to get out there with the new camera to do much needed practice with flight shots as soon as the rain stopped I popped over to Marsh Lane getting there at 10.30 AM.

It was very windy and hardly any birds were flying round so I could not get any flight shot practice.I could find nothing exciting on the pools till I went to the river hide where the Great White Egret was on show.

It was not too happy with the strong wind and spent nearly all the time I was there hunkered down in the reeds.What impressive birds they are.