Hi all, Monday the 23rd January was a good day, the sun was out, nice day if a little cold, I headed off to Bempton RSPB in the motorhome for the day. The best part of the day for me was when I dropped on the wheatear, I was alone at first and it presented me with quiet a few good shots, coming very close to me. The other people soon started to gather around, what I cannot understand they have big scopes to look at the bird from a distance, then proceed to creep towards it and try to photograph it it with a small compact camera, with short lens. To me this is stalking the bird, and it is not on when the poor thing is trying to feed, surely this is not good for the bird, (gripe over). The Gannets are back in small numbers at the moment, I managed a few photos of them & a Robin fighting with a big worm he won and swallowed it. The odd looking birds i found in Bempton village near the village pond, (you don`t need me to tell you what they are).
www.davemullinerwildlifephotography.webnode.com
www.thephotographyclub.webnode.com
Poor wheatear...I won't start the ranting either. Question...is it early for the Gannets to be coming back?
Caroline in Jersey
Cin J
Wow I think this must be very early for the gannets to return, I have seen them end feb but I stand corrected but I dont think they have ever come back this early,(climate change ?) Alan
always many sides to an argument
i like the gannet shots, i will have to get down there now they're coming back.
Thanks for the info :)
Darren.
Bempton and gannets! Two lovely things to cheer up a miserable day!
I do agree with you re the wheatear & photographers.
A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
I agree re photographers, it is just the same with fishermen they hire a boat then fish near the shore, ???? Alan
I love wildlife and natural history, my main hobby is photography, but I use a Canon 40D and tele photo lens, 70-300 and 150-500, and somtimes work from a portable hide carefully concealed. When I saw the Gannets on Monday I thought it was a bit early for them, I asked some chaps there about the Gannets, they said January - February but the mild weather may have something to do with it. In the RSPB handbook on page 79; Gannets, it says they return to their colonies in January.
Great shots Dave and brilliant to see some Gannet shots from Bempton. Looking good for April if they're turning up already!
Andrew
I was told by a friend the Puffins return sometime in February, so if you are coming over in April then things should be in full swing on the Gannet & Puffin front. Give me a bell when your going up to bempton Andrew and we can meet up.
I will do Dave. Likely to me mid April +/- 20th and I'll have my 11 year old in tow as I'd promised I'd take him back there with me and now got the headmasters OK to take him out of school for a couple of days. He's good for carrying stuff :-)
Lol I took my grandson there a couple of years ago and he did nothing but moan he was 13 then, and into computers and bloging. my grandaughter loved it when I took her.