A1 Birding

  A weekend on the Yorkshire coast looking at Lapland Buntings and a Shorlark at Buckton and a Richard's Pipit at Filey, very good birding but no real photographic opportunities; Sunday provided a confiding Great Northern Diver in Scarborough Harbour.  The bird was initially fishing well out off shore, but gradually came closer, before coming right below the walkway and caught a crab.  There was dense low cloud all morning, so the photos are a bit flat but lots of detail. Great Northern Diver Remaining in Scarborough the Mediterranean Gulls were showing well at Holbeck.  Again, the poor light meant that it wasn't the best conditions, for birds I have photographed umpteen times, so just one from the pick of the bunch here. 2nd winter Mediterranean Gull

  Walking around the local patch, with perfect late morning winter light and toggers were in full camo gear snapping birds on the feeders.  I had never gone above a shutter speed of 1/3200 so when a Chaffinch was taking sunflower seeds to a branch, I wondered if I could freeze the bird in mid flight. This type of photography is a million miles from my point and shoot MO, but I was curious what results I would get.  The light was good enough that when switching to 1/5000 there was no degrading ISO, and I pressed the shutter hoping for the best.  Below was the nicest image. Chaffinch

  A half-hearted day list began in the north of Nottinghamshire.  I had never obtained more than a record shot of Corn Bunting in the UK, so when one presented itself along a hedgerow at Gringley Carr, I saw an opportunity to get a nice shot.  I was slowly positioning myself to get the light behind me when a woman and her dogs came past and flushed the bird.   I never got another chance with the bird in the hedgerow, and having almost given up, the bird perched on wires and I got a decent shot from the car.  A bit of a weird angle but still quite nice with the claws and all.                                                Corn Bunting