Leach's Storm Petrels

Back in September last year, the conditions were right for Leach's Storm Petrels to come close to the shores around the coast of The Wirral, where I live. Strong north westerly winds over a few days would blow them off course, bringing them within photographic distance. It had been seven years since the timing of the winds had been right. Even the sun was out and shining in the right direction, for what was probably one of the best sessions I have had with these small birds.

They are always a challenge to photograph in the strong gales. Keeping the lens on the bird itself is difficult as the lens hood catches the wind. The birds appear and disappear in the waves, as they roll in. I usually get a good soaking from too. So I always feel a sense of achievement if I manage to get some decent shots.

North Wirral Coast

A few shots from a couple of weeks ago. The winds weren't quite strong enough or in the right direction to bring the Leach's Storm Petrels as close as hoped, although I did get a couple of "at sea" images. Here's some of the species that were close enough for photography.

Leach's Storm Petrel

Little Egret

Little Egret

Oystercatcher

Common Redshank

Black-headed Gull

My Favourite Images (5)

Part 5 in the series of some of my favourites.

Leach's Storm Petrel.
I have many shots of these birds but I particularly like this one with the low sunlight illuminating the underparts.

Little Egrets.
Flocks of these Egrets come in over the estuary to roost each evening. This was a lucky shot with a whole line of over 20 which took the perfect route between the dark clouds with the setting sun behind them.

Little Egret.
This is another shot that benefits from the low angle of the sunlight.

Mistle Thrush.
This bird was guarding the berries of a Mountain Ash tree. I was photographing it from the car and it would occasionally drop to the ground to pick up the fallen berries.

Nuthatch.
A simple shot but I like the gnarled wood on this one.

Osprey.
I have spent quite a lot of time in Scotland photographing Ospreys. The next two shots are a couple that I particularly like.

Osprey

North Wirral Coast, Sept 14th 2011.

With the winds dying down now and never having been in the right direction to bring the hoped for birds close enough, it has been a little disappointing from a photographers point of view. There were a few Leach's Storm Petrels passing closer than they have been which provided some distant record shots. Interestingly a ringed Mediterranean Gull that I photographed here back in 2006 has returned to the same spot and was performing nicely for the camera yet again today.

Knot

Cormorant

 Leach's Storm Petrel

 Mediterranean Gull

Leach's Storm Petrels

Well this week has been one of those weeks when the conditions were just right for the Leach's Storm Petrels to be pushed into our shores.

In mid September here on the Wirral if we get strong North Westerly winds for a few consecutive days, these small birds are forced into Liverpool bay and the Mersey estuary, they then work their way West along the North Wirral coastline, often right along the edge of the shore.

Photographing them is a real challenge, firstly the wind is gale force and just standing up is hard enough, pointing the camera at them and trying to get them in focus is another story, along with being sand blasted and getting covered in salt spray, it is quite exhausting. This week I have put in 26 hours in these conditions and I felt like I had done 10 rounds with Mike Tyson.

It's frustrating that the light wasn't better, I managed to get very few shots with the sun on them, but there may be another chance this year