Odds & Sods 2023

Lovely Sequence from start to finnish, well done Angus

Thanks Bob for these lovely pictures of the hares... they are just adorable! Nicely caught

Thanks all, glad my photos bring so much pleasure.

Now for some Lapwings. Feisty critters who take on anything to protect their territory. Now, of course, is the courtship and breeding season. In addition to showing off with aerial displays, there is also the small matter of taking on rival males. They're actually great for practicing BIF photography, as you desperately try to track them. Quite frustrating, more often, as not only can they fly fast, they can turn on a sixpence in unexpected directions.

There are a couple or three breeding pairs around the new Finch pond complex of the Manor Farm part of the nascent Longwater Road nature reserve near the lovely and often smelly sewage works. I didn't think I'd get many good shots as it was overcast with lumpy clouds, which my camera, with an annoying mind of its own, opts to focus on.

We pick up the action, with a Lapwing hurtling westward across Finch pond south, closely watched by two Lapwing on a piece of banking (constructed last year), with Finch pond north beyond.

Ha ha! I shall pounce on this unsuspecting Canada Goose.

Errr, may be not.

Reminds me of WWII fighter aircraft flipping over into a dive. Tally ho!

And this is the reason why the Lapwing flipped over into its dive. To pounce on another Lapwing. They were going so fast, I lost them, and only managed to find them when they had pulled up. However, they then both turned violently, and I lost them again.

Arrgh! Why is it that one of the most exciting photos is also the one that isn't front and centre? I did manage to pick the birds up again, after they had turned violently in the previous photograph. They had hit the deck, and were hurtling across Finch pond south.

Oh, a couple of Gadwalls in the bottom of the photo. Though so out of focus they could be anything.

That's better. Caught them properly as they banked towards me.

Seeing off the rival

The spoils to the victor go.  I notice they seem to do this chest out posture when they have won.

This chap (I presume) proceeded on his victory flight. Not too fast, not too slow, show them who's boss.

My lens is full out at 600mm. Even so, the Lapwing is quite small in the photo as it is quite a distance away. Amazing these new cameras.

Might as well have a shout about its victory.

Another dive

The Lapwing is in this photograph, after it pulled out of its dive and banked to the right.

I never manage to hold my camera level with tracking birds, so ponds tend to be at an angle. Amazingly, they don't flow away. The Birch trees are contained in a small copse, which is the only remnant of the original course of the Colebrook stream through the lower Manor farm, before it was given over (sold) for quarrying gravel.

The Lapwing landed shortly after this dive, and I headed off home.

Looked fun Angus watching and photographing those, thanks for sharing. I like a bit of humour in there too ... . It sounds an enchanting place to visit ... 'near the lovely and often smelly sewage works' ...

Hare this morning, not quite in focus sadly. In my defence it's not often you get a hare running straight at you down a footpath 30 feet away. OK, I panicked with the focus.

Panicked or out of focus (which I don't think is too bad), it's still a lovely picture.... And no...it isn't every day that you find yourself having a hare running straight at you! Well caught Bob

Great shot Bob. I would say the focus is pretty good under the circumstances ...

Dont beat yourself up Bob over the focus, its a great photo,

You should be ashamed of yourself Bob, posting complete garbage like that.... if only my photo's were so garbagey!!! Lovely shot, and I know what you mean about focus panic with hares, as I had one when I was up Hod Hill a couple of years back doing the same lol

I think I was just annoyed lol. Still.... some you win, some you lose. Still nice to watch camera aside :)