Stephen Burch's Birding Website UK bird pics: Spring/Summer 2024

UK Bird Pics Spring/Summer 2024
	Osprey, Rothiemurchus Fisheries, Highland, Scotland. 29 June 2024 A few images here from our Scottish summer 2024 trip to Aviemore, Gairloch and Islay. For more photos, see my trip gallery. This year's trip was less productive for birds than last years, but there were some compensations in the form of Pine Martens and one particularly elusive dragonfly - the Northern Emerald We spent a couple of nights in the Aviemore area en-route north to Gairloch, with the aim of getting more Osprey photos following my previous visit in 2019. This time however the two sessions at the hides at Rothiemurchus Fisheries were disappointing, with the first evening session a complete blank. The second (very) early morning session was a little better but there was only one visit and the bird then flew away from us! So this is the only reasonable Osprey image from over 9 hours in the hides! Click to enlarge
	Grey Heron, Rothiemurchus Fisheries, Highland, Scotland. 28 June 2024 Coming towards the end of the blank afternoon/evening session in the hides, I noticed a disturbance and managed to catch this Grey Heron coming into land with the strong low evening sun behind the hide. Click to enlarge
	Mallard, Rothiemurchus Fisheries, Highland, Scotland. 29 June 2024 This Mallard was one of the few things to see during most of the early morning session in the hides and I quite like this image given the low camera angle, the still water and the early morning light. Click to enlarge
	Chough, Ardnave Point, Islay, Argyl and Bute, Scotland. 10 July 2024 The only other bird image from this trip! Earlier in our week on Islay we did a walk around Ardnave Point in which we encountered a very confiding group of Choughs but I didn't have my camera with me. I managed however to get back to this site later in the week for a brief photography session. This time there were plenty of birds around, but they were more wary than the previous visit. Also the light wasn't great. Click to enlarge
	Kestrels, Droitwich, Worcestershire 5 June 2024 Another trip to Sharon's excellent Kestrel setup at Brine Pit Wildlife Photography, near Droitwich, which I had last visited a couple of years ago. This time both the male (a poorly marked individual, probably a second year bird) and female where visiting the perches together. Is this photo, both the male and female are on the same perch, with the female flapping its wings. Another feature of this location is the mostly plain background as there is nothing but a large field behind the birds. There were plenty of visits today as the adults were feeding young on the nest. Click to enlarge
	Kestrels, Droitwich, Worcestershire 5 June 2024 A photo of both of them side by side, looking the same way! Note how much bigger than the male the female on the right is. Click to enlarge I show a selection of the photos I took here. For more photos from this session and previous ones, see my Kestrel Gallery.
	Kestrel, Droitwich, Worcestershire 5 June 2024 A crop of the male in flight, looking towards the camera. Click to enlarge I show a selection of the photos I took here. For more photos from this session and previous ones, see my Kestrel Gallery.
	Kestrel, Droitwich, Worcestershire 5 June 2024 In flight from one perch to another. Not an easy shot! Click to enlarge I show a selection of the photos I took here. For more photos from this session and previous ones, see my Kestrel Gallery.
	Kestrel, Droitwich, Worcestershire 5 June 2024 One of female wing flapping Click to enlarge I show a selection of the photos I took here. For more photos from this session and previous ones, see my Kestrel Gallery.
	Kestrel, Droitwich, Worcestershire 5 June 2024 The male on a raised perch I setup so that it was almost level with the camera. Click to enlarge I show a selection of the photos I took here. For more photos from this session and previous ones, see my Kestrel Gallery.
	Kestrel, Droitwich, Worcestershire 5 June 2024 The male on the highest perch I setup so that it was level with the camera. Click to enlarge I show a selection of the photos I took here. For more photos from this session and previous ones, see my Kestrel Gallery.
	Kestrel, Droitwich, Worcestershire 5 June 2024 The male on a different, lower perch. Click to enlarge I show a selection of the photos I took here. For more photos from this session and previous ones, see my Kestrel Gallery.
	Kestrel, Droitwich, Worcestershire 5 June 2024 The female on a different perch in full sun. Click to enlarge I show a selection of the photos I took here. For more photos from this session and previous ones, see my Kestrel Gallery.
	Dipper, Cow Close Gill Waterfall, Cray, North Yorkshire, England 9 May 2024 This photo was taken during a trip to the Yorkshire Dales. I visited this waterfall with the main aim of waterfall photography but surprisingly there was very little water coming down it. There was however a pair of Dippers that lingered until they were flushed by a group of other walkers. This photo was taken by walking up the side of the waterfall to get a closer view than the initial one below. Frustratingly it spent all of its time on this somewhat distant rock before disappearing behind it. Click to enlarge
	Dipper, Cow Close Gill Waterfall, Cray, North Yorkshire, England 9 May 2024 Taken at some distance from the bottom of the waterfall. Click to enlarge
	Bullfinch. Otterbourne, Hampshire, England 11 April 2024 I've been to Pete Whieldon's woodland hide before when the main aim was Kestrels. However sadly the Kestrels haven't been seen for sometime. Hence this session was all about woodland birds. Bullfinch and Nuthatch were my main targets but there were several other species as well. These birds move so fast that, as anyone has tried this form of bird photography will know, getting good results is surprisingly difficult. Here the fine male Bullfinch was very briefly on this perch before descending for food. It did this several times but this time I was ready for it. Click to enlarge For a gallery of photos from this session, click here.
	Bullfinch. Otterbourne, Hampshire, England 11 April 2024 An aggressive male seeing off a Robin (out of shot) Click to enlarge For a gallery of photos from this session, click here.
	Bullfinch. Otterbourne, Hampshire, England 11 April 2024 A female jumping down from the perch for the food below! Click to enlarge For a gallery of photos from this session, click here.
	Bullfinch. Otterbourne, Hampshire, England 11 April 2024 A very fine Chaffinch in peak breeding plumage Click to enlarge For a gallery of photos from this session, click here.
	Nuthatch. Otterbourne, Hampshire, England 11 April 2024 I liked the pose of this bird on this perch that I had just setup. Click to enlarge For a gallery of photos from this session, click here
	Great Tit. Otterbourne, Hampshire, England 11 April 2024 A humble Great Tit Click to enlarge For a gallery of photos from this session, click here
	Robin. Otterbourne, Hampshire, England 11 April 2024 There were several obliging Robin's around - easier to get onto than most of the other species. Click to enlarge For a gallery of photos from this session, click here
	Stock Dove. Otterbourne, Hampshire, England 11 April 2024 A surprise visitor to the hide and almost too large for the lens. Click to enlarge For a gallery of photos from this session, click here.
© All pictures copyright Stephen Burch

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