RSPB Lakenheath Fen

Here are some shots taken at this RSPB reserve in Cambridgeshire.  I arrived very early, just after dawn and saw these barn owls peering out of a small shed.

There were four in total - these three youngsters: 

And this parent flying back and forth hunting.

 

While waiting for the parent to return, this bittern flew over head and landed in a nearby reed bed! My first shot of a bittern. It was a little gloomy as the sun was only just up, but there was just enough light to get a shot.

On the way back to the car, a stopped for a rest beside another reed bed, and briefly saw this kingfisher. It would not perch in plain view, but with some manual focusing I did manage to photograph it through the reeds.

All in all a good morning, and worth the early rise: Owls, Bitterns and Kingfishers!

Next time, some macro shots from Minsmere and Wicken Fen.

Kingfishers

It's been awhile since I posted any new pictures, but here are some pictures taken on recent a trip to Cambridgeshire & Norfolk. I'll be posting more photos from the trip over the next few days.

First up, some pictures taken from the Fen hide at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen near Norwich. I'm very pleased with these, as they are the first pictures I have of Kingfishers. The weather was really grotty - you can see the rain falling in most shots, but they came out better than I thought they would.

 

 
Look at that rain!

 
In between photographing the Kingfishers (which were back and forth for about an hour), I also took some shots of a rather wet looking Heron. These came out OK too, given how dark it was (shutter speeds of about 1/100th, even at ISO 1600, not easy with a 500mm on a crop sensor).

 

Next time, some Barn Owls and a Bittern!