Dungeness January 2017

First Sightings

The first visit of 2017 to Dungenss RSPB brought some good sightings for me. First up I finally got to see the Long Eared Owl that has returned for a second Winter and that makes the final of the 5 Owls that breed her in the UK actually seen in the wild. I had only a few weeks before seen a Tawny at last light in a tree across the field that backs onto my garden. Since my visit I have seen that the female has now appeared too. 

Long Eared Owl

Moving on further a Chiffchaff appeared by the second hide. A stunning coloured bird and early appearing it was felt by all in the hide. 

Chiffchaff

Then at the 3rd hide in another rare sight appeared frequently it turned out. A Water Rail, scurrying back and fourth in front of the hide feeding. I had seen one (probably the same bird) pretty much a year to the day at the same spot. This time I managed to get better photos of the bird. 

 

Further seen in the distance and too far to photograph were a pair of Gooseander, another first for me. We then went to the ARC hide on the otherside of the road to the main reserve and had a pleasant showing in great light of Bewick Swans of some 30-40 in number and rounded of a great few hours of this trip.

Once Bittern, twice shy, 3 Bitterns, my Joy!

In all of my 37 years of living I had never seen the elusive Bittern. This in part is down to the main fact I had never been to locations where they inhabit! But back in January this was to change. And as the saying goes "just like buses, two come along" well in this case 3 for me. Although technically it was the same bird I believe seen on 3 separate occasions within the 3 or so hours at Dungeness RSPB reserve. I stretch the truth a bit as also the first glimpse of a Bittern was at the Stodmarsh reserve. I say glimpse, as it literally was as it flew in the distance.

Back to Dungeness. My father and I were sat chatting to others in the hide about a Kingfisher that we has missed by 30 minutes or so. Then luckily with my camera out and ready, a Bittern flew over and landed in the Reeds some 100ft away in front of us. 

First capture

Swinging round to land

Sometime later, in the area it landed it appeared at the top of the reeds. A behaviour that is rare according to the other wildlife lovers in the hide. The bird stayed there for only about 3 minutes then took off and landed in a small island right out in the lake out of sight. The next sequence shows this.

 

After it disappeared I had resigned to the fact one would not be seen again this day. My anguish was dispersed off by the re-arrival of the the blue and orange flash of a male Kingfisher. Just in the edge of the wooded bit to the right and only some 20ft away, he appeared and dived several times and then perched further in. Then as luck would have it, he flew out onto an exposed branch overhanging the water, thus providing the perfect hunting spot. In total he spent over an hour on this perch and caught at least 7 unlucky small fish. He even had a little friend at one point in the form of a Great Tit. This helps to give a sense of scale of the Kingfisher.

Posing for the cameras

With fish

You got a friend in me!

 This friend came a lot closer to us, feeding on Bullrush seeds.

After this second highlight of the day, they say things happen in 3's! well it turned out to be the case. The Bittern returned to the same area as seen above. This time staying hidden, until, a patrolling Marsh Harrier flew nearby and spooked the Bittern to fly out and crash land in the water. These are a bird that does not swim on water as the wade at the edges, so for this to happen could prove serious for the bird. As luck has it I have the sequence of it from just landing in the water through to it struggling to escape the clutches of the water and return to dry land. I have only included a snapshot  few as some were of similar look.

As the sequence depicts, the Bittern really struggles to make it back. The energy and power it uses to make it back is really evident in these. It uses the wings as paddles, lifting it up and providing forward motion. I have revisited on two more occasion this year and not seen any Bitterns, although one trip provided action for my "Battle of the Coots" blog previously published.

Elmley second visit successes

March 2014 gave me the chance to upgrade my kit to a much better longer lens. Now with my new acquisition, I could get the extra reach I had been wanting for around a year. My first tryout with the new lens was planned to head back to Elmley. With some research on the reserves main website, there was some great showings of the Short Eared Owls the proceeding weeks. It was a Sunday that the weather proved fine, and so armed with my gear of I headed to Elmley.

Along the main track that leads to the main car park, there was a lot of bird activity with Lapwings, Little Egret and Redshank all feeding within a stones throw of the car. The light was fantastic, really enhancing the colours in the Lapwing and Redshank. With all these birds so close by I was able to begin to learn how the new lens worked and what it could achieve with image quality. The following image is one of the first capturing the natural feeding behaviour of the Redshank.

Redshank feeding

I have recently revisited these first images and spotted one that could demonstrate how well Redshank can be camouflaged. I decided to turn it into monochrome and adjust the settings to really enhance how well hidden this particular bird was. The only real giveaway to the bird being there is the darkness of its bill and that it is horizontal.

Perfectly Hidden

After parking, I made my way to the first hide, (a good 20 minutes walk) chatting with a film maker on the way. This hide provided me with another first sighting in my life, the Avocet! Such an iconic bird that I had only ever seen on TV and publications. 

First sighting

2 hrs drifted by, with quite a few shots taken of Avocet activity. From them resting and stretching through too courtship dances, these were aspects I had never observed before.

And Stretch...

Let the displaying begin...

Dancing on the Water...

After exhausting my Avocet observations, I made my way back to the open ground in anticipation of the Shorties appearance. On the way I managed to get a Meadow Pipit sitting on a post by using a parked car in the disabled parking as shelter. This was also another first sighting, so all bodes well for the main attraction.

Meadow Pipit

After 5 minutes of walking, some fellow photographers were also waiting around too. Then suddenly, the wife of one of them, spotted a Shorty on the ground some 300ft or so away. Result!  it does come in three's then after all. It was too far away for a photographic opportunity but with some waiting, it was sure to take flight. Not long after, with great expectations, not only this Owl, but another took to the air.

Just taken flight

Heading out

Some 16 months to the date it transpires, from first hearing and seeing photos of these stunning Owls only a 45 minute drive away. I was to have my first ever sighting of this visitor to the UK. And this, on my second ever visit to Elmley to try and photograph them! The pair circuited for 10 minutes or so before one disappeared over the sea defence mound. The other stayed a while longer, hunting just as the Barn Owl had in the field that backs onto my garden. Gliding effortlessly through the air, pausing, looking down, then carrying on in flight. Pure magic to watch. This was as close as they came to us, just keeping that safe distance. But close enough for me to really appreciate how the Shorty goes about it business.

Little Egrets

The day wasn't quite done with action though, as not long after the Owl moved on, I managed to get the above shot of 3 Little Egrets in flight. An evening Suns glow, lighting the birds otherwise plain white plumage as they fly. After the first and this visit successes, I am so appreciative of the reserve and its diversity of bird life.

Second time at Stodmarsh

May 2014 was to be the next time I was able to visit Stodmarsh. This time with my father, as he had never been here before. The weather was good with only a slight breeze and light pockets of cloud. After my initial success in the Reedbed Hide, it was here I headed to first of all. Given how perfect conditions were and this bay being that bit more sheltered than elsewhere in the reserve. All looked good for providing some great activity. Upon settling down inside there were Mallards resting on a very prehistoric looking submerged tree stump. 

  

Rest time

Another solitary Drake was also swimming about not to far away. It was pretty nervous and I anticipated it taking off very soon. I managed to freeze the action of it doing so. It was great to see how much disturbence of the water there is created at take off. You get a real sense of the power needed from his wing beats to get airbourne. 

Take Off!

After his departure there was a quiet period of some 30 minutes. Then a Marsh Harrier appeared pretty close. Again as seen on my first trip it was hunting low over the reed beds, dropping down into them but again appearing unsuccessful. It gradually got closer and in range for me to capture this action finally. 

Dropping in

 

Keen eyed for prey

 A slight breeze had developed at this time as evident with the reeds above leaning to the left. Being such an open reserve down in a valley, this seems to be a common feature to the location, naturally channeling air movement over the water. Not long after the Harrier had moved on, a Grey Heron dropped in to the left of us into a patch of shallow water and grasses. Freezing for a while, it then moved to the left and proceeded to take off. I missed this with the camera, or rather the shots I got were blurred as too slow with the shutter speed. Next time then!

Typical Heron pose

 To the right of us little balls of black fluff with bright red heads and yellow bill tips appeared out of the reeds. Then mother popped out too. A family of Coots. They cheekily swam about patrolling the outer edges keeping a safe distance so as to vanish if the Harrier made its way over hunting. They are a prime source of prey food for them at Stodmarsh, along with Moorhen chicks too. What I find bizarre is that the Coot has chicks with the Moorhens colouring, but the Moorhens chicks also have these colours, but less prominent, as if they got mixed up at the nursery!

4 baby Coots

After an hour in the Reedbed Hide, we moved on further into the reserve where 2 paths create a crossroads. It is at this intersection where I had been told the Bearded Tits are regularly seen very close. After patrolling up and down for a while there were none to be seen. The breeze now had become a lot gustier too, which I would say is why there was no sign of them. We proceeded to go in both the Turf Field and Harrisons Grove hides further towards the Grove Ferry end. There was no activity at all. So after some hours at the reserve we headed back to the car.


 

A productive first time at Stodmarsh

Good Friday 2014 provided me with the opportunity to visit Stodmarsh Reserve for the first time. My good friend at my camera club, asked if I wanted to go with him for the afternoon. He has been many times before and could highlight to me the key hides or spots that prove successful for photography. The day was fairly calm, with some slight breeze disturbing the surrounding Reeds. Fluffy clouds like that of a Chocolate Box scene, filled the sky, giving that on/off lighting that proves a pain for photography. We headed for the Reedbed hide first, given that the Sun was behind us and could light up any wildlife about at this time.

At first there was not much activity, the odd Mallard here and there and Coot darting about in the edges of the Reed Bed to the right of us. In the distance Cetti's Warbler could be heard with there distinct chaotic, metallic like calls. After about 1 1/2 hours of pretty much nothing appearing in the bay, a Great Crested Grebe popped up out of nowhere in the channel leading into the bay. Camera's primed and ready for action, we pleaded for it to come this way. Our plea's worked! it dived and only popped up right in front of us, some 30ft or so away. 

Just arrived

At the time the Grebe appeared there was a stunning golden and blue reflection on the water. This has really enhanced the overall atmosphere of the photo. The vibrant orange/ gold in the head plumage and the bright red eye really jump out thanks to the background.

Light Change

This fantastic colour soon disappeared, as evident in the above photo. I had seen the Great Crested Grebe before at my local lake but never this close. It soon dived and appeared again further away near the outer reaches of the bay and then after some minutes later vanished altogether. We stayed for a while longer at the hide. During which, in the distance Marsh Harriers were patrolling the reeds, dropping down occasionally and reappearing empty handed.

We decided to move on further into the reserve, heading for the Turf Field Hide. This hide provides a good chance of getting the Kingfisher on specially placed stumps. Upon arrival, some other visitors had informed us we had missed the Kingfisher by about 30 minutes! Oh well, more waiting then. In the end it never showed again.

What had made an appearance was a female Mute Swan tending to her nest to the left of the hide.  Several shots were taken until I got the above photo that I was looking to get. I wanted to catch the Swan with its arcing of the neck they do. The wind had really picked up at this time too, pushing cloud overhead fast, again given rise to tricky lighting. We decided to call it a day then, so in all, that trip did provide some action and I would definitely return soon to Stodmarsh.

First visit to Elmley Reserve

In 2012 a guest speaker at my camera club, enlightened me to Elmley Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey. In his talk he showed stunning photos of the Short Eared Owl that unbeknown to me, was a yearly visitor to the reserve. So armed with this new knowledge I made plans to visit the reserve in hope of photographing these Owls. In March 2013 a visit finally happened. During this first afternoon visit I saw my first Red Crested Pochards.

Red Crested Pochard in flight 

Watching how these birds flew in formation was mesmerizing. The subtle movements and lead bird changes was as if they were dancing in the air. There were several occasions that they took to the air for reasons which I was soon discover. About an hour later on the return walk of this section of reserve, I observed a flock of smaller white birds taking flight and changing direction very rapidly and erratically. At first I could not see any reason why they were doing this such movements but then was lucky enough to get the following sequence of photos that capture what in fact was happening. 

First shot showing the culprit, a female Sparrowhawk coming in from above

Swooping in low

Singling out its victim

Unfortunate victim just before being caught.

To see this, gave me chance to see natures brutality at its best. I felt sorry for the little bird but in the grand scheme of things there are hundreds of these and Sparrowhawks are rare and beautiful Birds of Prey in their own right. After researching what the prey bird was, I believe it to be a Dunlin. This visit did unfortunately not prove successful in seeing the Short Eared Owls, but 2 Barn Owls did make a flypast and a Marsh Harrier came fairly close by, but too far to photograph with my still primitive manual 300mm lens. I came away from this trip with the above sequence, which has more than made up for the blank session of the Owls.

The Barn Owl

Two years ago looking out of the dining room window, suddenly a white flash went past along the outlying perimeter of the field at the bottom of the garden. In the 35 years of living here, the sublime Barn Owl had never made an appearance. As I was just starting out in my wildlife photography, I couldn't believe my luck. Here was the perfect opportunity to not only observe the Owl hunting but also capture it too. The Owl first made an appearance in early March 2013, but it wasn't until the 12th March that I was able to catch it with my camera. 

 One of the first captures with the Camera

During this visit the Owl also had another onlooker in the form of a Little Owl.

Little Owl onlooking on stump

To have two Owls appear at the same time, I really struck lucky. The Little Owl didn't stay long and promptly disappeared. The Barn Owl made several circuits hunting around for about 20 minutes for this visit.  It was the first time for me trying to capture a bird in flight and increasingly more difficult by the fact at that time I only had available with an adapter an old manual focus, fixed 300mm Lens.

The last pass of the evening at around 6:51pm

There were several more appearances over the next few weeks and then unfortunately there was no more sign of the Owl or Owls. I had found out through a neighbour, that the pair were nesting in woods just a few hundred metres away in a derelict Nissan Hut. I ventured to that area but alas never got to see them there myself. Not long after, in these woods some trees were felled and so I believe the pair were scared off by the activity. Another factor as well is that this particular field had just been taken over by a new renter (In fact a good farmer friend) and he soon mowed the field for Hay. So the perfect hunting environment for the pair had disappeared for them.

 

During these hunting sessions the Owl did make a few catches of mice. The above shot is one of a few times the Owl landed and made a catch in this same area over the next few visits that I was able to photograph. Having two trees in the field either side of the garden allowed me to use them for camouflage and capture these great moments where the Owl was on the ground. It did spot me on one occasion but didn't seemed disturbed by the fact I was there and even once seemed to display just for me!

Another in flight shot about 100ft away

 
Another rare occasion he rested on the fence at the back of the field. This gave me the chance to capture the moment of him resting in the general area, helping to portray where the Barn Owl is very likely to hunt.

Resting on the fence

On the move again from rest. In the Background Eastwell Manor.

March and April 2013 was a time that gave me a real insight into one of the most beautiful, peaceful, graceful Birds of Prey to reside in the UK. I long for the day for them to return but feel that will not happen anytime soon as the field now has sheep in, keeping the grass short and devoid of that long, untouched grassland perfect for the stunning Barn Owl to hunt.