Photographic highlights of 2021

Having not posted anything on here for some time, I thought it would be nice to get back into the swing of things by posting a few of my favourite photos from the rest 2021 (since my last post in May). I actually didn't get out with my camera as much as I would have liked during the second half of 2021, but at least it results in this blog post being a bit more manageable.

I find it satisfying to capture some habitat context in my bird photos where I can. It's always tricky to find the right balance of including enough habitat, without making the image cluttered. To be honest, quite a lot of the time, getting the balance right often seems to involve a decent bit of luck. Hopefully I've managed to get the balance right with this one. I was pleased that the nettle at the bottom of the photo was in focus on this one, as it adds an interesting feature to the image.

Reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus at RSPB Lodmoor Nature Reserve, Dorset.

 

I find photography on sunny summer days quite tricky, as I have a tendency to overexpose my images and blow the highlights, especially when photographing white birds like the black-headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus below. Although this image isn't particularly sharp, I liked the juxtaposition of the yellow buttercups in the backgroud and the white gull in the foreground; watching gulls in flight over a wildflower meadow isn't a particularly common sight! This particular bird was photographed on a meadow next to the River Thames, between Eynsham and Farmoor in Oxfordshire. 

Black-headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus over a meadow in Oxfordshire.

I always enjoy taking my camera with me to habitats or landscapes that I don't get close to home. I spent a couple of weeks with my partner's family in north Wales in September last year, and enjoyed trying to photograph some upland species in the mountains there, such as this meadow pipit. I waited around until I had an opportunity to photograph a bird perched right on the edge of a hill (to achieve a softly blurred background). I eventually ended up with this image: 

Meadow pipit Anthus pratensis in North Wales

The next image is not going to win any wildlife photography awards, but I'm including it as it brings back a memory of a stunning place that I visited on holiday; Lake Vrynwy in north Wales, an RSPB reserve in the Welsh mountains. The reserve features an enormous reservoir, surrounded by some beautiful ancient woodland. The woodland is home to redstart Phoenicurus ochruros, pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca and willow tit Poecile montanus, the latter of which I had never seen in Britain before (and will sadly increasingly find tricky to see again, as they have all but disappeared from south-east England now). Willow tits (much like the almost identical marsh tits which can still be found in southern England) are fantastic little characters to watch. I remember spending a good hour or two in their company as the sun was going down one afternoon. The light was quite poor, so I was shooting at high ISO, and considering the small size and fast movement of this species, getting any useable shots was a challenge. I'd love the opportunity to see them again sometime. 

Willow tit Poecile montanus at Lake Vrynwy in North Wales

I don't normally do too much in the way of landscape photography, but occasionally if a particular scene catches my eye (and I can be bothered to swap my lenses over!), I will have a dabble. The photo below was taken on the same holiday as the last two shots. I just quite liked the way there were relics of past human life in a few places in the photograph, but the rocky backdrop still stands prominent and ever-lasting. 

Relics of human past in North Wales

 Although they might not be the rarest or most exotic species, black-headed gull can make interesting subjects from a behavioural perspective. The below image was taken at the Brent Reservoir in North-west London and shows the species rather serenely preening its feathers (rather than squabbling with one of its friends!). 

Black-headed gull on the Brent Reservoir, NW London

And finally, a starling from the back garden in December, showing off its iridescent colours. 

Starling Sturnus vulgaris in the back garden

Here's to some more consistent blogging in 2022.

Til next time...