Red Kites

Back in November my friend Rich and myself took a trip to mid Wales, to the Red Kite feeding station at Gigrin Farm, Rhayader. For this visit we decided to use the big tower hide for the first time. The beauty of being higher up gives you the ability to take shots with trees or grass as a background, rather than the sky. It does make it a bit trickier to lock the focus on the bird though, but I think the results are far better.

Winter Thrushes

I always enjoy photographing the overwintering Redwing and Fieldfare each year.  Already having a large selection of Fieldfare images, it was nice to get some in a different setting. Drinking from a puddle with a grassy bank behind gave the water a lovely green colour, all the more enhanced by the low winter sun.

Redwing

Redwing

Redwing

Redwing

Fieldfare

Fieldfare

Fieldfare

Fieldfare

Fieldfare

Fieldfare

Fieldfare

Burton Marsh Rarities

I don't really like photographing or I should say trying to photograph birds when there are large crowds of people present.  If there is a rare bird that I want to photograph I will usually wait a few days until the birders and twitchers have moved on to the next subject.  With two rare species on my doorstep at the moment, both at Burton Marsh, I thought I had given plenty of time for things to quieten down a little. I popped down for a couple of hours this morning to try for some shots of the Buff-bellied Pipit and Siberian Chiffchaff which have been there for several weeks now.  They are still very popular though with around 50 or 60 people there.  I was reasonably happy with the results but may make a return visit.

Buff-bellied Pipit

Buff-bellied Pipit

Siberian Chiffchaff

Siberian Chiffchaff

Siberian Chiffchaff