Last Photography Outing this Year

Another visit to Stithians, again dogged by poor light/rain despite a forecast of sunshine!!!! Still stuck it out and got rewarded with some shots of the local birdlife.

Long Tailed Tit

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Kingfisher

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Goldfinch

Stithians Southern Cut Off

A spare couple of hours and sunshine forecast decided to pop down Stithians for a short time. Well the sun did a "no show" so light was challenging and high ISO settings were used throughout. Our efforts were rewarded somewhat though, with Kingfisher sightings, Great Spotted Woodpeckers not on the feeder, chiff chaff, some vibrant plumage on the Greenfinch, a Goldcrest which typically would not sit still and finally a multitude of Long-Tailed tits feeding a the same feeder sometimes up to ten in number.

Greenfinch

Long Tailed Tit

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Chiff Chaff

Goldcrest

Long Tailed Tits at lunch

St Just for a Snowy Owl

A visit to St Justto hopefully catch a Snowy Owl sighted the day before. No joy with the Snowy Owl but we were treated to a spectacular sunrise a pheasant and some metal birds.

Sunrise

RNAS Culdrose Merlin Helicopter

Skybus

Pheasant

Still Here!!!!

Apologies for the lack of blog updates lately. Due to illness/van repairs just not been possible to get any photography done. Hopefully back on track sometime next week. Recently though I have completed a stunning Porthleven Storm image on a huge scale. Size is approx 1.5m x 1m, this image with others is featured in the present window display at Pictures and Things Gallery in Helston. Also featured is a superb 1/24th scale supermarine spitfire built by local model builder Ian McInnes.

Pictures & Things Gallery window display, featuring Porthleven Storm

Pictures & Things Window display 1/24th scale Supermarine Spitfire

This week at Stithians and Helston

A mixed bag of weather and photo opportunities over the last few days. Three visits to Stithians to try and capture the Sparrowhawk in the open (failed) but plenty more birds to keep the camera shutter going including a Great White Egret. I also paid a very quick visit to the boating lake in Helston which may be worth another visit in better weather. I will get on to the images as there are a few, some record shots included.

Robin

Great White Egret

Bullfinch

Sparrowhawk

Blackbird

Goldcrest record shot

Water rail, record shot

House Sparrow

Greenfinch

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Magpie

Gadwall

Muscovy Duck

Visit to Stithians

Well with the weather being a little pants the only option really was the Southern Cut off hide at Stithians. It was a tad wet and a little windy but you tried and make use of the conditions as best you can.  Some of these images were shot at ISO 12,500 so light levels were not fantastic. 

Goldcrest

Goldfinch in the rain

Squabbling at the feeders

Greenfinch

Not sure on the left hand duck?

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Goldfinch

Hayle and Tehidy

An early start calling in at Ryans field in Hayle at first. Spoonbill was visible but from a distance. Unfortunately the spoonbill decided not to stick around and flew over to the far side of Hayle estuary. After a quick chat decided conditions were pretty good for some Kingfisher photography at Tehidy. On arrival at Tehidy one of the Kingfisher feeding pools was covered partially in algae so we thought this may prevent the kingfisher from feeding sadly this was the case. After three hours I had just spun my camera around to pack up when the Kingfisher flew in, I quickly rattled off some shots. But as we thought the algae coverage prevented the bird from feeding. Still happy I got one of my better Kingfisher shots even though is was at the last minute!!!

Distant shot of a Spoonbill

Robin

Wren feeding

Black-headed gull

Grey Wagtail

Moorhen

Kingfisher

Grey day in Cornwall

No sun as forecast but decided to venture out with the camera anyhow. A fairly quiet morning at Hayle and then Marazion so just record images today I am afraid

Lapwing

Reed Bunting

Redshank

Kingfisher

Grey Heron

Pictures from Tropical Storm Ophelia (ex-Hurricane) in Cornwall

Well storm Ophelia provided quite a spectacle in Cornwall. I manged a visit to Lands End and Porthleven. Lands End was really being hit by the gales and the sea was beginning to get whipped up around the Longships lighthouse around 1130 am. However needed to be at Porthleven around 1:30pm to beat the crowds (failed on that one) and get there for high tide. I decided to stay in one spot this time to avoid the waves and keep me and the camera's dry. Well despite being at the top of the hill above the Ship Inn I was still hit by one rouge wave!!!!!! Still no damage done.  Here are some images from the day.

Starling takes shelter from the gale force winds at Lands End

The sea beginning to build around Longships Lighthouse

Some storm watches get soaked and others risk it near the sea wall

Raging sea at Porthleven

This is the beginning of the wave that soaked me somewhat!!!

Full sea power at high tide