Wild Birds

Bird watching has over the last few years become my main hobby along side my photography; where I can, I try and combine the two; recording some of the birds I encounter out in the countryside. Here I will endeavor to share some of my best images. These will have been taken mainly using digital slr equipment whilst out , but there may be a few which were taken with a compact camera when that was all that was available on the day. I will add new items to this gallery when I get images that I feel are good enough but I will also go back through my archive to add some previoulsy unpublished shots here as well.

Portraits

Water Rail This one was found at RSPB reserve Rye Meads, searching the mud close to one of the hides.	Red Kites Red kite from a visit to Aston, near river Thames	Heron In flight over trees at Aston, neara river Thames
Red KIte On this visits the kites did not want to play ball and refused to come down for the food while we were looking	Little Egret Little Egret flying past hide at Dinto Pastures country park	Robin A friend who followed me round on a trip to Valentines Park, London Borough of Redbridge
Sky lark Skylark, singing on the boundary fence of RSPB Rainham Marshes Reserve	Dunnock Take at RSPB Rye Meads, Dunnock searching for a meal in the undergrowth.	Common Tern Common Tern on Willow Farm Lakes.
Herring Gull Herring Gull stretching on the Kent coast	White Wagtail White Wagtail on the roof of the RSPB centre, at shared location with Essex Wildlife Trust and local authority.	Herring Gull courtship Herring Gulls pair bonding at Weston Super-mare sea front Somerset
Coot and youngster This pair were seen at WWT Arundel during early visit	Teal A visiting Teal at WWT Arundel centre	Mute Swan Mute swan resident on Valentines Park boating lake, London Borough of Redbridge, Essex
Little Grebe (Dabchick) On one of the smaller lakes, RSPB nature reserve Rainham Marshes, Essex	Song Thrush Song thrush at small pond in hedgerow on chalk downland	Spotted Fly Catcher Found by the river Thames at Ferry Lane, Henley, there were two adults feeding fledged young in a tree.
Reed Warbler Taken at RSPB Rye Meads, Hertfordshire	Common Tern Taken at the Hayling Island where there is a substantial nesting site.	Red Kite Taken at Henley on Thames, early morning feed by local landlord
Herring Gull Flight Adult Herring Gull in flight at Draper Hide, RSPB Rye Meads	Female Pochard Rspb Rye Meads, Hertfordshire	Male King Fisher Taken at the Kingfisher Hide, RSPB Rye Meads, Hertfordshire
Moorhen Morehen gathering nesting material at RSPB Rye Meads, Hertfordshire	Kingfisher Taken from the kingfisher Hide, at RSPB Ryemeads, breeding pair at man made bank	Gadwall This Gadwall reflection was taken at the RSPB Reserve, at Rye Meads, Hertfordshire. This bird was seen from the Kingfisher Hide and sat for several minuets. Sony A700 with Sigma 500mm F4,5 Lens hand held.
Summer Tufted Taken at WWT reserve Barnes, London	Coot Species regularly seen across the Uk and ignored by many, but can be fascinating to sit and watch	Starling One of a flock of starlings that were feeding on elderberries at Colchester Zoo, and sharing them with the guests as the flew over. Sony A700, Sigma 100-300 F4
Murmeration Murmeration of Starlings taken at RSPB, Ham wall on the Somerset levels	Mandarin Manderine on lake in Essex, either escapees or 2nd generation living wild.	Mute Swan One of the birds that has made local London parks their home, this one at Valentines Park, London Borough of Redbridge
Swallows Swallow family taken near Henley on Thames, on a bright sunny Sunday morning, during a trip to see the Red Kites	Heron One of a pair that live at London zoo, taking advantage of the feeding times of the captive animals, particularly the penguins.	Wood Duck Carolina Wood Duck, another escapee or 2nd generation living wild on an Essex lake, getting more common in the area
Goldfinch Taken at RSPB Rainham Marshes, where they can be sen from the centre as you walk onto the reserve	Attack Gulls Three black headed gulls trying to rob a mallard of its meal, Fairlop Waters, London Borough of Redbridge	Moorhen This one is a resident of Valentines Park, London Borough of Redbridge

Wild Birds

Water Rail

This one was found at RSPB reserve Rye Meads, searching the mud close to one of the hides.

Red Kites

Red kite from a visit to Aston, near river Thames

Heron

In flight over trees at Aston, neara river Thames

Red KIte

On this visits the kites did not want to play ball and refused to come down for the food while we were looking

Little Egret

Little Egret flying past hide at Dinto Pastures country park

Robin

A friend who followed me round on a trip to Valentines Park, London Borough of Redbridge

Sky lark

Skylark, singing on the boundary fence of RSPB Rainham Marshes Reserve

Dunnock

Take at RSPB Rye Meads, Dunnock searching for a meal in the undergrowth.

Common Tern

Common Tern on Willow Farm Lakes.

Herring Gull

Herring Gull stretching on the Kent coast

White Wagtail

White Wagtail on the roof of the RSPB centre, at shared location with Essex Wildlife Trust and local authority.

Herring Gull courtship

Herring Gulls pair bonding at Weston Super-mare sea front Somerset

Coot and youngster

This pair were seen at WWT Arundel during early visit

Teal

A visiting Teal at WWT Arundel centre

Mute Swan

Mute swan resident on Valentines Park boating lake, London Borough of Redbridge, Essex

Little Grebe (Dabchick)

On one of the smaller lakes, RSPB nature reserve Rainham Marshes, Essex

Song Thrush

Song thrush at small pond in hedgerow on chalk downland

Spotted Fly Catcher

Found by the river Thames at Ferry Lane, Henley, there were two adults feeding fledged young in a tree.

Reed Warbler

Taken at RSPB Rye Meads, Hertfordshire

Common Tern

Taken at the Hayling Island where there is a substantial nesting site.

Red Kite

Taken at Henley on Thames, early morning feed by local landlord

Herring Gull Flight

Adult Herring Gull in flight at Draper Hide, RSPB Rye Meads

Female Pochard

Rspb Rye Meads, Hertfordshire

Male King Fisher

Taken at the Kingfisher Hide, RSPB Rye Meads, Hertfordshire

Moorhen

Morehen gathering nesting material at RSPB Rye Meads, Hertfordshire

Kingfisher

Taken from the kingfisher Hide, at RSPB Ryemeads, breeding pair at man made bank

Gadwall

This Gadwall reflection was taken at the RSPB Reserve, at Rye Meads, Hertfordshire. This bird was seen from the Kingfisher Hide and sat for several minuets. Sony A700 with Sigma 500mm F4,5 Lens hand held.

Summer Tufted

Taken at WWT reserve Barnes, London

Coot

Species regularly seen across the Uk and ignored by many, but can be fascinating to sit and watch

Starling

One of a flock of starlings that were feeding on elderberries at Colchester Zoo, and sharing them with the guests as the flew over. Sony A700, Sigma 100-300 F4

Murmeration

Murmeration of Starlings taken at RSPB, Ham wall on the Somerset levels

Mandarin

Manderine on lake in Essex, either escapees or 2nd generation living wild.

Mute Swan

One of the birds that has made local London parks their home, this one at Valentines Park, London Borough of Redbridge

Swallows

Swallow family taken near Henley on Thames, on a bright sunny Sunday morning, during a trip to see the Red Kites

Heron

One of a pair that live at London zoo, taking advantage of the feeding times of the captive animals, particularly the penguins.

Wood Duck

Carolina Wood Duck, another escapee or 2nd generation living wild on an Essex lake, getting more common in the area

Goldfinch

Taken at RSPB Rainham Marshes, where they can be sen from the centre as you walk onto the reserve

Attack Gulls

Three black headed gulls trying to rob a mallard of its meal, Fairlop Waters, London Borough of Redbridge

Moorhen

This one is a resident of Valentines Park, London Borough of Redbridge