stealth nature gear trousers - product review

Whilst photographing on Unst, and experiencing all of the weather conditions that you can experience up there, I thought I'd write a post about my Stealth Nature Gear trousers.

At this point, I would point out that I have the original version and that Stealth have now produced a revised version of the trouser - the mkII.

The trousers themselves are identical to those shown in the link above although mine do not have the removable knee pads and as I will explain below, they do not have the reinforced stitching.

Why did I decide to purchase these trousers ?

Well, I'd been after a pair of trousers that suited me more for photography than my usual Paramo 'waterproof' hiking trousers.

As anyone who as photographed wildlife will tell you, there are certain things that are essential in any clothing item - the main one is waterproofing.

Most 'waterproof' trousers will repel water in various clever coatings or linings however, if you put pressure on an area of the clothing, water will find its way through. My Paramo's certainly allow water to soak through when say, kneeling.

The Stealth Trousers deal with this by firstly having goretex reinforcing on the knees, but also knee pads and a water resistant lining. I'm now quite happy to kneel anywhere to take a shot, get out of sight etc., knowing that I'm not going to get a soggy knee for the rest of the day. As the knee is lightly padded, it also makes kneeling on rough, hard ground a doddle.

The trouser seat also has a Goretex panel but no padding (I've enough padding as it is), which means a dry bum when sitting, which is also a great feature.

Pockets are plentiful with 2 rear bellows pockets, 2 cargo pant style pockets, hand warmer pockets, secure zip pockets and even fold over secure CF card 'storage' (useful, but I'm not sure I'd put my valuable UDMA cards in there !).

The trousers also feature zip out internal gators, a high back with braces buttons and zipped side gussets for ventilation and 'extra' room.

Day to day use -

Firstly, and as mentioned above, waterproofing - tested on Unst in extreme conditions, I can vouch for their waterproofing - walking in sustained rain to Hermaness (and a very heavy storm in the Cotswolds), these trousers remained dry on the inside. Crawling around Puffin burrows on soaking grass also didn't phase them.

Comfort - very comfortable and warm - great for winter, spring and autumn. Due to the layers though, unless you're out on a cold evening/morning, I wouldn't wear them on a warm day, but then that's not what they are designed for anyway. I'd also add that when walking into a location, carrying kit, they do get hot inside - a way of allowing them to breath more would be great for those situations.

Storage - lots - more than enough for keys, gloves, wallets, cable release, cards etc,.

Stealth - very quiet in use - the moleskin helps and is pretty tactile and thornproof.

Downsides - the biggest issue so far for me is that the vertical stitching has split next to the vent zips on either side of the waist band.

Heat - they are warm trousers. When walking a long way to locations with a lot of kit I have got pretty hot, even on cold days. Having said that, I'd rather be warm (and dry) - especially if I am going to be sitting for any period of time when in position.

Overall - I love these trousers and would thoroughly recommend them, provided the drawbacks have been addressed in the MKII version.

Unst - Final thoughts (plus photo's added to previous posts)

I promised in my last Unst post that I would add some final thoughts, so here they are. I've also added some pictures to the other posts, which I hope you will enjoy.

I've interviewed myself for this one............

Did I enjoy my second visit ?  - Most certainly I did. Robbie and Katrina are super hosts and Robbies knowledge of the island and it's wildlife is second to none.

Did I get what I wanted ?  - for the most part I did - it's easy to get photographs of wildlife wherever you go. Getting special images however requires observation, patience and time. After 2 visits to the island, I think I started to be happy with the results of the hours spent. I was lucky enough to photograph species I didn't last year, and improved upon some of the images of subjects I took last year as well.

Would I recommend Unst - Yes, wholeheartdly. It is beautiful place and it has a pace of life all of its own - if you want a photographic challenge, or just a place to unwind.

Where would I head for again on Unst ? - Hermaness, without doubt. Photograph's cannot do it justice, and if it was on mainland UK, it would get thousands of visitors a year which would spoil its rugged isolation.

So that's it......I need to plan next years trip now to wherever that will be..........

Unst - the final day

All too quickly, my week in Unst reached it's final day.

The weather wasn't great, so having booked a boat trip to the seabird colonies around Muckle Flugga, we had to wait for confirmation that the boat would be going.

When the call came through, we drove to where the boat is moored and set off for a super trip where the puffins, razorbills, guillemots and gannets where flying and swimming everywhere.

The boat gets you very close. The rocks from sea level are huge and I can only imagine what life would have been like when the light house was manned. It's also pretty scary to imagine what the place would be like during a winter storm - I'd love to see that one day.

After the boat trip it started to rain and having previously decided to walk up to Hermaness, I got dressed up and set off in pouring rain.

I love to photograph wildlife in rain as it adds that extra dimension and providing I am warm and dry, I'm happy.

My Paramo jacket and 'Stealth Gear' trousers kept me dry, but when it eventually stopped raining, the jacket dried a whole lot quicker than the trousers (I'll post a review of these trousers at some point I think as they are great, but have draw backs).

Skua in the rain:

At the top, the cliffs were blanketed in cloud and it was still raining, so I decided to walk to where Robbie had shown us the best area for the Gannets. On the way the rain stopped and what I'd hoped would happen occurred - the Puffins started to emerge from their burrows.

I managed around 20 minutes with these super little birds that will happily allow to crawl right up to them without being bothered - provided you don't make any sudden moves and get down to their level.

That was probably the best part of the afternoon (aside from trying out slow shutter speeds on a Skua in the pouring rain).

After getting back to Ordaal quite late, Robbie and I shared a few too many whiskies before we finally called it a night and that was it, my Unst trip was over for this year.

I'll post up some final thoughts when I get a moment later in the week along with adding some pictures to the other posts I've written this week.

Big thanks to Robbie, Katrina, Sula and Rona for being perfect hosts for the week and for sharing their home. Thanks too for Suze for being such good company this week.

Thanks also to everyone who has taken the time and trouble to read through my ramblings......

Unst day 6

It's been a very busy last couple of days on Unst and Fetlar.
It's been a super trip and I have enjoyed it even more than I did last year. I'm on my way back home now so with plenty of time to kill at Sumburgh and then Edinburgh airports, it's time to catch up on my blog.
Day 5 was a hit and miss day - a bit of a hit for me, but alas a bit of a miss of Suze. The weather was forecast to be fantastic, and I awoke at 6 to glorious sunshine.
Suze decided to try for flowers and Curlew on Baltasound Sound airstrip and I headed back to Saxa Vord to try to catch a final session photographing the Golden Plover on the morning light.
The Plover was most obliging and by staying in the car, I was able to sit quiet, let the bird relax and wait for it to come closer to the car which it did. Success one for the day.
After a quick breakfast at Ordaal it was off to the Otter site just up the road.

Ordaal House

The sun was shining and the light was getting a bit harsh, but I'm not going to complain as sitting in position with the water lapping, a slight breeze blowing and a few Arctic Terns for company.
There were two problems though - the first was that the tide was only just turning but worse than that, the couple we'd seen earlier in the week were just setting off from their car. Today the lady was not only sporting a bright red coat, but also white trousers.

Hubby then proceeded to wander across all of the high points along the walk which the ever wary otters would spot from a mile away.
Eventually however they moved off and Suze and I decided to swap places on either side of the bay from previous days. As I headed back to my spot I noticed a small movement out of the corner of my eye and there, by the waters edge was a lone otter making for the safety of an old sea wall. He'd spotted me of course before I had an opportunity to duck down.
With the whole bay in view however, I got into position all the while keeping an eye out for the otter to reappear. As Robbie says however, otters are like mercury and this one just vanished.
And hour of a half of watching and he didn't reappear.
What did show up though was a Red Throated Diver. A fantastic looking bird - especially in sunlight. The diver was quartering the bay so I decided to try get into position.
Divers spend a degree of their time face down in the sea looking for fish, so along with their frequent dives, a bit of uncomfortable crawling over sharp rocks got me into position, low down in the weeds at the waters edge.
Sure enough, the diver eventually swum close by and I got my shots. Beautiful birds with fantastic coloration and a striking red eye.

Unfortunately, Suze didn't get to see any otters, but we'd booked a ferry for Fetlar and had to leave.
Fetlar is a 20 minute ferry ride from Unst, or longer if you have to do the leg to Yell first before the ferry goes on to Fetlar.
One of the reasons to visit Fetlar is to visit an RSPB reserve called Loch Funzie (pronounced 'Finny') where the very rare Red Necked Phalarope breeds and feeds. The nest sites are actually in the near by mires, but the birds are supposed to feed on the Loch, which is fairly small and shallow.
This was my third visit in 2 years and Suze' third in as many years. Suze has seen one Phal, and I've not seen them at all.
Today was to prove no different. I fact, the loch was very quiet indeed with very little life evident aside from a few terns and gulls.
We sat for a couple of hours and nothing appeared, and so we are beginning to suspect that something has changed at the site which means that the Phals have moved elsewhere on the island.
Numbers have been very low with very few sightings in the past few years, which is a great shame as a lot of visitors come to see these diminutive waders, and this must create a lot of extra income for Fetlar.
Having given up on the Phals we moved to another spot where Great Skuas regularly bathe.
This was much more successful as in the evening light, the water spray and running take off's towards the camera where great.

Another late finish to the day, but 3 successful sessions with different species which will hopefully produce some great results which I post when I have some time for processing.

Graham Goddard ARPS

Unst - day 5

It was a long day yesterday.

The forecast was for good weather and with the days being so long up here, you could literally start at 4am and go through until 11pm. I didn't quite make 4am but we stayed up to watch the sun set at Muckle Flugga at 10.50!

After a few whiskies with Robbie the night before, I clambered out of bed at 6am and made my way to Saxa Vord with Suze to see if we could photograph the Golden Plover and Bonxies in the morning light.

After coming back for some breakfast we popped to an Otter site quite close to Robbies new place, split up, got as comfortable as one can when sitting on rocks with rotting seaweed nearby, and waited. And waited, and waited.......

3 hours passed and nothing showed - i found out later from one of Robbies friends, Brydon Thomason from Shetland Nature Tours, that a group of photographers had recently hammered the site and the otters are now very wary of shutter noise - a shame and very poor from a nature lovers point of view. The subject always has to come first, not the photo ! Disturbance of a feeding animal gives photographers very bad name.......

Suze and I decided to then visit Hermaness as I really wanted to spend a lot of time with the puffins that had been all over the cliffs on Monday. The walk to the cliffs is a killer, even without a stack of gear.

When I arrived, there were no puffins - and that's how it stayed all afternoon. Very strange, but plan b was to walk on to the gannet colony and there I stayed for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Watching the constant action and movement is fascinating - some of the pairs haven't a nest site yet and others had a chick already. Constant noise, movement and that particular smell that only comes from a seabird colony.

Robbie and Suze picked me up at 9.30 and we drove to the top of Saxa Vord for the sunset - none of us are landscapers, so we were probably better off leaving the cameras in the car to be honest, but the sight was amazing.

I'll try and add some pics and links to these posts when I get home so that if you ever decide to visit the island above all others, you'll see what I've been blogging about.

Off for more otters now and then Fetlar for the afternoon.....

Unst - day 4

2 otters this morning, one of which was eating the head of a Salmon which I guess may have been a dead one from the Salmon farm in Baltasound Sound.

The Salmon farmer has been farming his stock this week and it looked like a seal had eaten the carcass and disgarded the head which the otter had found.

The otter took the head to the opposite side of the bay and so I had to plan how to get to it - without being seen, heard or smelt !

After some serious fieldcraft - running across a small beach, crawling through a lot of weed and slippery rocks.

I found that the otter must have seen me crossing the beach though as when I arrived however he had scarpered.

The fish head was still there though, so after getting into position, I waited.

Sure enough, after 30 minutes, the otter couldn't resist coming back to his tasty free meal before the gulls got to it.

The otter was incredibly wary, but with poor eyesight, and without being able to pick up my scent(perhaps because by now, my kit now mainly smells of sheep poo and seaweed) he eventually came back to find his prize and I got my shots.

As I can't process here, you'll have to wait to see them (now added though):

The weather is very changeable so I decided to spend the rest of the day on the beach - initially at Skaw, then down at Westing.

Aside from another otter sighting, the day was very quiet apart from a late afternoon trip to the old MOD early warning site at Saxa Vord. And incredible place !

With Suze driving, I managed a few pics of a Golden Plover (new species for me) in pouring rain - I hope the pics come out as they will be dramatic.

It's now 10.20 and not dark yet - if it clears, I'll be up at 4 to catch the dawn !

Unst - day 3

What a great 3 days we've just had.

After a brief scare at Edinburgh airport when Logan Air told us that the weight limit for hand luggage had decreased from 10kg to 6kg (we transferred the excess stuff into our pockets and were allowed on the plane !), we arrived on Shetland in glorious sunshine.

After a quick visit to Sumburgh Head we then set out to drive up to Unst.

Mondays weather was poor to start with, but improved all day and at 11pm (!) we watched a super sunset.

Monday morning we saw 3 otters, but the light was poor, so no pictures.

Later we went to Fetlar to see if we could find the Red Necked Phalaropes, but for the second year, they eluded me. After a return to Unst, we spent the rest of the day watching seals, Eiders, Dunlin and Sanderling before an evening visit to Lamberness and the old MOD site at the north of the island.
Today was spent on Hermaness - the walk in wasn't quite as tiring as last year and on arrival at the top, the puffins were everywhere. Being so trusting and curious, they were walking within a few feet of where I was sitting and a joy to watch.

Bonxies were on the hunt for the Puffins, the Fulmars were soaring and showing off on the updrafts and Gannet were constantly streaming past and looking.
Hermaness is a huge place and utterly beautiful. Rugged, windswept, and at this time of year full of the sights, sounds (and smells !) of seabirds.

Dependent upon the wind direction, you can position yourself to get pictures of fulmar and gannet hanging on the updrafts - I hope the pictures I took today are sharp.
Anyway, it's 10.50, still light, but time for bed......

Graham Goddard ARPS

My travels

This will be a short post today - 1 to test to see if I can post remotely and 2 to say that I am off to the wonderful Shetland islands tomorrow for a week of photography.

If you've followed my blog regularly you'll know I visited there last year. I loved it so much I'm going again.

I'm travelling with a friend, Suze, and staying with Robbie Brookes (whose own blog can be found in the blog links section on this page) - he's a great guide, photographer and naturalist and loves to share info about his beautiful island, Unst - the most northerly in the UK.

If I can, I'll post a few trip reports while on location, but pictures will have to wait as I can't load them from my iPad.

Cheers

Graham Goddard ARPS

Fox cubs

A month or so ago I was exploring a local area when suddenly something slightly grey in colour and with a long tail darted across my path and disappeared into the undergrowth.

All I got was a fleeting glimpse - if I'd been looking in a different direction I wouldn't have seen it.

I racked my brain - what could that have been ? Rabbit - no, tail too long. Hare - no, same reason. Stoat - possibly, but it was slightly too big. Fox - couldn't have been, could it ??

Well, just as I moved forward another one shot across in front of me and into what I could now see was a well used hole. Further inspection revealed obvious signs of use with feathers and the like littering the area.

I retreated, covered my face, pulled my hat down and stayed motionless as I tried to blend with the trunk of a large tree.

10 minutes later, a little head appeared and yes, it was a very young fox cub. In a few moments a second head appeared and after a careful sniff of the air, to charming little cubs emerged from their den to play.


I watched for a few minutes until they spotted me, or picked up my scent, and after a hard stare to work out what I was, they dissappeared and left the area.

The den site is very overgrown and using a 500mm @ f4, I am lucky to be getting shutter speeds above 1/100th, but careful technique and choice of moment is proving successful.

Since I discovered it, I've been back to the site several times a week and have watched the cubs progress. They certainly are growing fast, doubling in size since I discovered them and their coats are turning from a greyish pink to a lovely red.

Not sure how long they will stay around the den, but I intend to make the most of the opportunity to photograph something I've wanted to work on since I got my DSLR.

As I've mentioned, the light is particulary challenging in the area, so rather than attempt to introduce artificial light, I decided to work with the shadows instead.

Here is my best 'moody' effort so far - keep coming back to check for more:

Finally - success !

Hi, my first post for a while, but then I've had a pretty busy period since my last entry.

Spring seemeds to have arrived in a rush and nature has gone mad - some of the birds I watch regulary have bred, had their chicks and are preparing for their second brood. For instance, my local Kingfisher chicks have fledged and the parents are busy digging a second nest tunnel.

One project my friend Calum and I have been working on (for a year now), are badgers, and if you're a regular follower of this blog, you'll know we've not been hugely sucessful.

I discovered a set last year. All the signs indicated it being an active set, but getting shots has proved to be a massive challenge and learning curve, and not to mention an expensive exercise.

Aside from a few super close-up experiences in 2010, photographs were very had to get and we closed our efforts that year with one, not particulary great image.

This year, we set about trying to get some better stuff, and so far, after 2 nights at the set with the cameras, we've come away with some super images. One problem we have though is that in getting the badgers to where we need them. We've been putting out peanuts to tempt them, but of course, they then feed face down so the next challenge is to get them 'face up'.

Here's our first, acceptable effort - the badger is on it's first venture from the set of the evening and busy checking out my camera............more on this project to follow:

Dartford Warblers and an apology

May I start this entry with an apology - I bought an iPad a couple of weeks ago and in trying to use it for Blog entries on-the-fly, I've managed to publish a couple of unfinished Posts.....(it also won't allow me to upload pictures for some reason) so sorry if you've got an email with nothing to read !

Now to the main reason for this entry - possibly my favourite bird in the UK, the Dartford Warbler.

It is a bird that I have sought to photograph for a very long time with my inspiration to do so coming from seeing a wonderful image from the cover of an RSPB magazine a couple of years ago that had a classic, simple image of a Dartford sitting atop a gorse bush, singing his heart out to any ladies present.

Primarily breeding on heathland, often near coasts and using gorse bushes for nesting, the Dartford is insectivorous and populations can and do suffer during harsh winters when insects are hard to come by.

Dartford Warblers are named after Dartford Heath, but the population became extinct there in the early 20th century.

The winter of 1962/1963 was particularly severe and UK numbers dropped to just 10 pairs which shows how fragile this species can become when conditions turn for the worse.

The birds recover well though in good quality habitat, thanks to repeated nesting and a high survival rate for the young and so I am pleased to say that where I photographed my Dartfords, they now have 40+ pairs that survived the last 2 winters well and continue to thrive.

As I said at the start of this piece, I've tried to photograph these super birds for quite a while now but every time I went to find them conditions weren't quite right - too windy (they stay in cover), too wet, or I was simply looking in the wrong place !

Here's the best image I've processed so far from 2 full days at the site:

RPS Nature Group

Just a quickie today.

In the DPI section of the RPS nature 2011 competition, I got 5 out of 6 acceptances and 1 highly commended!

Not bad for my first entries......

Morning light

The last weekend before the clocks changed provided some of the best light I've seen so far this year.

Pretty much all bird species are in breeding plumage and the males are showing off looking for a mate.

Male Pheasants are particularly colourful and will display regularly at this time of year. Carefully choosing your position for the rising, or setting, sun can result in some spectacular images.

I'm rather proud of this one.......

Norfolk - the rest of the trip

So what else did we do in Norfolk ?

I was after particular shots, rather than record shots and so my photography was limited - I wanted good light and if that didn't happen, then I was happy to just look and show the other guys around the area I know so well and love.

Different birds were moving around each day - we saw Teal, Gadwal, Avocet, Ringed Plover, Snow Bunting, Pink Footed Geese and many other species.

My favourite shot of the weekend was this one of a Teal;



All in all, a great weekend - good fun, some serious photography and best of all - a long weekend in my favourite place of all.

Jolly boys trip to Norfolk - Day one

I arranged a long weekend for myself and 3 pals to North Norfolk last weekend.

To be honest, it was quite daunting to know that I had 3 guys with me, 2 of whom had never explored the area and as you know, wildlife cannot be ordered to arrive on demand !

3 of us headed up early on Saturday morning with the 4th member of the group travelling up later in the day.

The targets for this visit were Barn Owls and waders.

The early start paid dividends as soon as we hit what I call 'the zone' i.e., 5 miles inland from the coast. On the journey through the zone, we counted 5 Barnies - all close to the road and showing well.

Showing well though is one thing - getting the shots I was after was a different matter. The forecast was for sun - we got sea mist and flat light.

We carried on to our chosen location, and sure enough, saw another pair of Barnies - my friends were thrilled as just seeing Barnies is very special, but getting anything other than a record shot was not on the cards for this morning......

The evening proved just as frustrating. I took the lads to another well known spot and armed with some serious kit (one of our number had blagged a mighty Canon 800mm f5.6 for the weekend), we set up and waited. Unfortunately, the wind had increased during the day and was not going to subside. We saw one Barnie, but the excess of wind noise had him making off to a more sheltered area - never to be seen again.

We retired to the cottage encouraged by having seen at least 7 Barn Owls during our first day, but none had been particularly photogenic...........did we get anymore during our stay ? We certainly did, and here's a taster........more from the trip to follow......

What - no new posts..........

I've not posted for quite a while, but then again, just what has happened to the light so far this year ?

I've been out quite a bit, observing behaviour and looking for opportunities but I've not bothered to get the camera out of the bag. I've simply got bored trying to process flat images.....

So what's new and what am I looking forward to ?

Well - for starters, the England rugby team will smash the French this weekend and then go on to win a Grand Slam, the World Cup Final and Sports Team of the year........

As for photography - well it's all quite exciting really.

My friend Bob and I are pressing ahead with our hide at the farm - the post are ordered, the plans drawn up and we're nearly good to go. I'm charged with sorting the reflection and bathing pool, so plenty of research going in at the moment.

Once the work starts, I'll post some images up of the site.

I've started feeding the badgers in readiness for next month - there are signs of activity around the site when I visited on Monday, so Calum and I are looking forward to getting on with that project too.

Waders and Barn Owls in North Norfolk becon for March and again in April. The first weekend is with the boys, the second is a week with the Missus and the dogs - I'm taking the camera though, so I'll be up early to make the best of it.

When June arrives, I'm off to Shetland again - can't wait for that as the islands are very special indeed and this time, I'll be a bit more prepared as the daylight hours will be very long allowing for plenty of opportunities to work on things that I didn't get properly last year. It will be great to catch up with Robbie and his family too......

I'm not sure I'll be working on the Kingfishers this year - I don't see that I'll get the time.......I've hundreds of images on my hard drives from previous years. I know they are about as I've seen them this year.......

Anyway, that'll do for now - let's hope the light improves soon !

p.s., well done to Calum - he got his first picture sale today. A quarter page in a National Newspaper - no idea which one, but well done Calum !

The Lee Valley

The Lee Valley is just a 40 minute drive from my house, but until this year, I've not really spent any time there.

Public hides don't really do it for me, and in my experience rarely produce what they promise. When I fist started, the dissappointment of sitting in the promisingly named 'Kingfisher' or 'Bittern' hide, and then seeing nothing more that a few mallards and some weeds put me off.

Well, this past couple of weekends, I've had another go and visited Lee Valley and its hides.

Last weekend I spent a few hours in a hide with Calum hoping to see Bittern. We did see one, but he was flying away from us. Then, this lovely fox arrived to explore the frost covered reed bed. It turned out to be one of a m/f pair that spent quite a while exporing the reed bed.



This weekend we spent a couple of hours in the Bittern Hide and sure enough, after 30 minutes, this super Bittern took a stroll right in front of the hide.



Lee Valley is said to contain 10% of the UK's wintering Bittern population.

I'm not sure about the statistic, but I've been to Lee Valley 3 times in 7 days, and seen a Bittern on each visit - that's pretty good odds I think..........

First post 2011

Welcome to 2011 if you are a regular follower or new visitor to my blog.

It's been a busy November and December for me, but unfortunately, not behind the camera. Work has been very busy, and the Xmas social season is always complete madness. I avoided quite a bit of it, but still managed to be out as much as usual.

The weather was the first thing most people were talking about - lots of snow, ice and persistant sub-zero temperatures. Looking out of the window today, I think I perhaps ought to have made more of the conditions......but then I was without a 4x4 for the first time in 10 years, so I struggled to get out and about - sharing the wifes A4 cab was not ideal !

I've remedied that now with a great little Shogun Pinin that has been converted into a van - a 4x4 van, that takes all my kit

So, what have I got planned for this year ?

I've travelled in the UK quite a bit in the last couple of years, so I'll probably stay closer to home and make the best use of the wildlife that inhabits my local patch.

Badgers remain the No 1 project and Calum and I will be back at the set again - what this space.

We will also see if we can find the fox den and try to capture the cubs that we frequently saw in the fields adjacent to the badgers location.

We've found a few Little Owls this year, so we will see if photograph them as well.

I know a spot where Grebe's can be seen courting - I tried for them last year, but will see if I can succeed this time !

As for trips, I'll hopefully visit Shetland again. Another week watching and photographing Otters, Puffins, Gannetts and everything else that Shetland has to offer will be great.

I visit Norfolk every year, and this year will be no exception.

Where else will I go ? I'm not sure, but keep popping back, and you'll find out.......

All the best for 2011 and happy snapping.

Cheers


Graham

Little Owl again.............

I made it out last Monday for a days shooting with my friend Bob, on what was a very cold, frosty and misty day.

It was a real shame that the light didn't approve during the day because the frosty settings would have made for some super images.
We spent some time at Lee Valley in the hope of seeing Bittern on the ice, but they didn't show up, so we moved on to the Lee Valley Nature Photographers hides and set up for some staged shots with the resident Jays, Great and Blue Tits and the ever present (and very territorial !) Robins !
I'll post some shots from there once I've gone through my cards.

On the way back, we came across a Little Owl who was sitting near the road - looking rather cold, but quite happy to pose for us.

As I said above - just wish the light had been better........

Cold Snap

At this moment large areas of the UK have faced extremely cold weather, snow, freezing fog and all of the problems that this brings to our infrastructure.

Our wildlife on the otherhand, just gets on with it, and on my walks with my dogs, it never ceases to amaze me how hardy these creatures are.

Today I took a walk with my friend Calum over to the Chase, near to my house.

There was still a few inches of snow, but that was thawing fast so the ground was pretty boggy under foot.

We saw a lot of species including Sparrow hawk, Green Woodpeckers, Teal, Tufted Duck, Woodcock, Tufted Duck and the more common Swans, Moorhen, Coots etc.,.

Two species I was looking for specifically were Fieldfare and Redwing. We have a bumper berry crop this year, and so these birds have moved into the area and are making the most of natures larder.

They are very scittish however and tend to stay low in the bushes, so cluttered views are all that are possible at the moment.

Earlier this year in the February cold snap, the berries had been depleted and the Redwing were eating the berries thatweare in more photogenic places - this was one image from then and will have to do for now.......